Xavier leads the Molecular Surveillance team at the Cawthron Institute, New Zealand, and is an Associate Professor at University of Auckland. Of Swiss origin, it is against all odds that he became a marine biologist with an academic background in coral reefs symbioses, diversity, ecology and evolution. His passion for the Ocean and contagious enthusiasm for marine discoveries have naturally led Xavier to conduct more than 20 years of exciting research throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Established in New Zealand since 2012, Xavier’s current research involves the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to monitor aquatic ecosystems. Xavier is a co-founder and the science lead of Citizens Of The Sea.