Dr. Rachel Pool
- Senior Lecturer
- Ra*********@*******ac.sc
- +248 483 1220
Department of Environment
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Focus Areas: Cetacean ecology and conservation, Marine biology and parasitology, Environmental DNA (eDNA) and molecular ecology, Marine biodiversity and ecosystem health, Citizen science and participatory monitoring and Conservation policy and applied marine research.
Dr. Rachel V. Pool joined the University of Seychelles (UniSey) in August 2025 as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Environment and an affiliate research member of the Island Biodiversity and Conservation (IBC) Centre.
She holds a PhD in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Valencia, Spain, where she also worked as a research technician prior to joining UniSey. Her research is centred on cetacean conservation, particularly the use of citizen science and integrative research methods to understand cetacean ecology and inform their conservation status.
Dr. Pool has participated in multiple cetacean research projects across Europe and in Seychelles waters, with experience supervising volunteers, postgraduate students, and conducting collaborative marine fieldwork. Her research integrates molecular ecology, parasitology, and marine biodiversity assessment to explore host–parasite relationships and species distribution patterns in marine mammals.
At UniSey, Dr. Pool aims to expand research on cetaceans and marine biodiversity within the western Indian Ocean region, inspiring and equipping the next generation of Seychellois marine scientists with the skills and experience necessary to advance marine conservation.
Publications by Dr. Rachel V. Pool
QUALIFICATIONS
PhD in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Spain
MSc (equivalent research-level qualification) – Marine Parasitology and Evolutionary Ecology (University of Valencia, Spain)
