Katia Ballorain

Katia Ballorain holds a PhD in Biology and Ecology and specialises in the behavioural ecology of marine turtles and the functional ecology of their habitats. Originally from mainland France, she has dedicated more than 22 years to studying marine turtle populations in the south-west Indian Ocean.

After spending many years in Mayotte—first as an independent consultant through CARA Ecology, and later as Marine Turtle Programme Officer for the Marine Natural Parks of Mayotte and the Glorioso Islands (French Biodiversity Agency – OFB)—she has been based in Réunion Island since 2017 at the Centre for the Study and Discovery of Marine Turtles (CEDTM).

She currently oversees programmes focused on marine turtle ecology and regional cooperation, leading numerous research and conservation projects at the regional scale. These initiatives are supported by strong inter-island and international partnerships. A member of TOTM since its founding and Chair of the Initiatives Committee, she has played a key role in shaping the association’s action programme.