Léo Barret holds a Master of Science degree in Oceanography from the Université du Québec à Rimouski (ISMER), Canada, where his research focused on the settlement behaviour of American lobster (Homarus americanus) larvae under different developmental conditions. He also holds a BSc degree in Biology with a major in Marine Science.

He has over 10 years of experience in marine science and biodiversity conservation in the Western Indian Ocean, having worked in academia, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector. Originally from La Réunion (France), he has been based in Seychelles since 2017.

Léo previously served as Project Leader at the Marine Conservation Society Seychelles, where he coordinated coral reef restoration and monitoring programmes. Since 2022, he has been working as an independent consultant with Bee Ecological Consulting. His work focuses on coral reefs, seagrass ecosystems, and fisheries, with a strong technical background in GIS, spatial analysis, and ecological monitoring methodologies.

He is also proficient in R programming for statistical analysis, dynamic mapping, and data visualisation. Léo has led baseline ecological and socio-economic assessments, habitat mapping, and fisheries stock assessments, integrating scientific data into management and policy frameworks.

He has participated in regional and national initiatives on seagrass and coral reef monitoring, marine spatial planning, and climate change adaptation. Léo has contributed to several scientific publications, including studies on lobster ecology, coral reef trophic interactions, and coral genetic connectivity in the Western Indian Ocean.

His main scientific interests include long-term ecological monitoring, ecosystem connectivity, and the impacts of climate variability on coral reef and seagrass habitats.