Julien MARTICORENA

Julien was born in Bayonne in the Basque Country, rocked by the waves of the Atlantic ocean. Later, he spent part of his childhood in Guadeloupe, where he explored the turquoise lagoons of the Caribbean Sea. Back in his native country, Julien started surfing, scuba diving and even worked as a lifeguard on the beaches of Biarritz. No doubt, a passion was born!

With a bachelor degree in hand, Julien made his way to studies in marine biology by entering the University of Anglet. In his second year of his degree, he attended a conference given by a researcher from IFREMER’s Deep Sea Environment Laboratory who highlighted the functioning of deep sea ecosystems and the issues related to their preservation. It was a revelation, and this was the fight he would lead.
In the following years, Julien MARTICORENA regularly solicited scientists from IFREMER’s Deep-sea Environment Laboratory, hoping to get an internship there.
For his Master’s degree, Julien joined the University of Paris Sorbonne, and juggled for 2 years between the 3 marine research stations of the university, in Roscoff (Brittany), Banyuls-sur-mer (Pyrénées Orientales) and Villefranche-sur-Mer (Alpes-Maritimes).
In 2017, his perseverance and determination finally paid off: recruited by IFREMER, Julien MARTICORENA joined the Deep Sea Environments Laboratory in Brest for his PhD!
He will flourish in his favorite field, working for 4 years on the resilience of deep hydrothermal communities.
These were rich years during which Julien had the chance to embark on oceanographic surveys, notably in the south of the Azores archipelago, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and to experience an adventure that many would dream of: a 1,700 m deep dive in the Nautile, the IFREMER’s submarine, where he discovered hydrothermal vents and the luxuriant fauna that settle there. A milestone that will remain forever engraved in his memory.

It was at the end of his thesis that a second conference, also at the Cité de l’Océan in Biarritz, came to give a new turning point in his career. This time, Julien was not a spectator but a speaker. Before leaving his audience, Julien threw a bottle into the sea, calling on the scientists present in the auditorium, hoping to meet someone who would allow him to continue his journey in his favorite field.
(Very) lucky chance, Jean-Damien BERGERON, then associate director of the young company ABYSSA, was present in the room and showed interest in Julien’s thesis work. A common attraction for the deep sea, a similar background, a shared curiosity, a taste for surfing and the shared Basque Country: the connection is immediate.
In 2020, ABYSSA is still quiet, but Julien’s research topic, the resilience of deep-sea communities, resonates with the startup’s mission.
The collaboration began with a joint mission between IFREMER and ABYSSA as part of the France Recovery plan. It aims to explore deep-sea habitats and draw up predictive mapping of them. The collaboration is becoming official, Julien is also participating in the SEAMONTI 2022 expedition off the coast of Corsica Island (link to future news).

An attraction for the unknown, the quest for knowledge and the pioneer status of the explorers.
An keen awareness of the threats to deep-sea ecosystems.
A fierce desire to better understand and protect these unique habitats.
No doubt, Julien MARTICORENA is part of the ABYSSA team.