Invited Speaker
Dr. Océane Da Cunha

Dr. Océane Da Cunha is currently a lecturer at the University of Texas at El Paso where she recently graduated with a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology under the mentorship of Dr. Jerry D. Johnson and Dr. Brett M. Seymoure. Before joining the UTEP Ecology and Evolutionary Biology PhD program, Océane graduated from the University of Lorraine (France) with a bachelor’s in Biological Sciences and then obtained a Master’s degree in Ecophysiology and Ethology from the University of Strasbourg (France). Océane’s research primarily focuses on understanding behavioral ecology in nature, with specific interests in animal personality, predator-prey interactions, visual ecology, and spatial ecology, using rattlesnakes as a model organism. During her free time, Océane often participates in outreach activities in the El Paso region to fight the negative stigma surrounding reptiles. She also enjoys being outdoors with her two dogs, Darwin and Naia.
Talk title:
Insights into the secretive behavior of rattlesnakes through the lenses of personality, optimal foraging, and crypsis