PIERRICK E. HARNAY
EDUCATION
2023 - current | University of Haifa | The Leon H Charney School of Marine Science
PHD CANDIDATE: “Adaptation challenges of Pocilloporidae corals in changing environments”.
Main university for course, teaching, analysis at the University of Haifa. Molecular work lead at the University of Rhode Island. Field work lead in Mo’orea.
2021 - 2022 | Université Paris Sorbonne | École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE)
MASTER DEGREE 2 : “Biodiversity and Envionment, Integrative Master of Global Health and
Ecology” with honors.
Course Locations: EPHE (Paris), CNRS (Montpellier, Dinard), and CRIOBE (Perpignan).
2019 - 2020 | Université Paris Sorbonne | EPHE
MASTER DEGREE 1 : “Biodiversity and Envionment, Integrative Master of Global Health and
Ecology”with honors.
Course Locations: EPHE (Paris), CNRS (Montpellier, Dinard), and CRIOBE (Perpignan).
2018 - 2019 | Université de Lorraine | Institut Universitaire Technologique Nancy- Brabois
PROFESSIONAL BACHELOR DEGREE : “Aquaculture and Aquariology” with honours.
2016 - 2017 | Université de Montpellier | Continuing Education Department
TECHICAL SPECIALIST DIPLOMA (DU) : “Aquaculture and coral farming specialist” with honours.
2013 - 2016 | Lycée Jeanne Antide
2015 - 2016 | CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCE FOR THE SALE of non-domestic animals of captive wildlife
(List E5-E7, TCVA)
2013 - 2015 | PROFESSIONAL BACCALAUREATE Technician Sales Consultant
Professional Experience
2023 - Present Reva Atea – Mo’orea, French Polynesia
Scientific committee member and head of aquariology: Creation of marine science curriculum, aquarium science activities, presentations on coral reefs, scientist on To’a Aroha (Coral Care)citizen science project.
2023 - Present Projet To’a Nu’uroa – Tahiti, French Polynesia
Marine biologist, science advisor: Coral restoration using micro-fragmentation techniques and removal of Turbinaria. Coral monitoring, presentations on coral reefs, science protocol supervisor,fieldwork.
2023 - 2024 Tamaari’i Pointe des Pecheurs – Tahiti, French Polynesia
Teacher and marine biologist: Coral monitoring, presentations on coral reefs, coral nursery
monitoring.
2023 - 2024 University of Rhode Island (Putnam Lab) – Kingston, USA
Field work technician: Supervisor – Dr. Hollie Putnam: Coral sampling, coral monitoring via
transect and photoquadrats, sampling preparation, creation of collaboration with local association, data analysis.
2022 - 2023 University of Rhode Island (Putnam Lab) – Kingston, USA
MS2 Research - “Effects of acute thermal stress and acute thermal priming on larvae of the reef building coral Pocillopora acuta”. Supervisors – Dr. Hollie Putnam and Dr. Ariana Huffmyer: Corals sampling (French Polynesia), bioinformatics, sequencing, gene expression, DNA-RNA Analysis.
2020 - 2021 Oregon State University – Tetiaroa, French Polynesia
Research Assistant - Impacts of rat eradication on coral reef health. Supervisors - Dr. Rebecca Vega Thurber and Dr. Hannah Epstein: Coral surveys via transect, coral and water sampling for bacterial analysis, multivariate and generalized linear statistical modeling in R.
2019 - 2020 Tetiaroa Society– Tetiaroa, French Polynesia
Ranger: Marine Protected Area and Ecostation security patrols, fish identification, field technical support to researchers (Lancaster University, Oregon University) including spearfishing, snorkeling, photogrammetry, drone piloting, 3D modeling, and rat eradication.
2019 - 2020 Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoires de l’Environnement (CRIOBE) Mo’orea French Polynesia
Graduate and undergraduate researcher - Effects of coral bleaching on coral reef cover and composition,Effects of ocean acidification on coral growth and metabolism, Effects of size of microfragmentation on growth Supervisor – Dr. Laetitia Hédouin: Coral surveys via transect, coral photography, coral identification and cover estimates, bleaching quantification, multivariate statistics in R, 3D scanning for volume, buoyant weight for bulk calcification, Firesting Pyroscience oxygen optode respirometry, Coral fragment propagation of 10 species in the genera Acropora, Montipora, Pocillopora, Porites, and Cyphastrea.
2017 - 2018 Recif at Home
Coral Farmer: Supervisors – Mr. Boris Rota: Coral fragmentation, coral husbandry, coral health.
THESES, REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS
- Edmunds PJ, Adjeroud M, Bramanti L , Burgess SC , Harnay P , Moritz C, Nugues MM, Putnam HM, Rochette-Yu Tsuen K, Silbiger NJ, Speare KE, Wencélius J (2026). Collaborative pathways to confront the coral reef crisis. Bioscience. Volume 76, Issue 7, July 2026, Pages 587–590.
- Benkwitt CE, Bistolas KSI, DeVore JL, Ducatez S, Prado Gómez J, Wright R, Zubia M, Harnay P, Beguet T, Wedding LM, Burkepile DE, Murphy F, Graham NAJ, Vega Thurber R, Epstein HE (2025). Re-connecting ecosystems: Integrating coral reefs into monitoring of island restoration. Ecological Indicators, 170, p.113042.
- Cunning R, Matsuda SB, Bartels E, D’Alessandro M, Detmer AR, Harnay P, Levy J, Lirman D, Moeller HV, Muller EM, Nedimyer K, Pfab F, Putnam HM. (2024) On the use of rapid acute heat tolerance assays to resolve ecologically relevant differences among corals. Coral Reefs 43, 1793–1801.
- Harnay P, Turner A, Burgess SC, Putnam HM, Daytime broadcast spawning in cryptic Pocillopora species at Mo’orea, French Polynesia. BioRxiv https://doi.org 10.1101/2023.10.05.558016 (In revision at Coral Reefs).
- Scucchia F, Harnay P, Putnam HM. Contrasting temperature-induced gene network rewiring and isoform switching underlie relative thermal tolerance of coral species. BioRxiv, 2025.12. 26.696607 https://doi.org 10.64898/2025.12.26.696607 (In revision)
- Sulama A, Harnay P, Putnam HM, Polishchuka I, Katsmana A, Mass T, Pokroya B. Structural Characterization Reveals a Key Mineralogical Transition during Early Skeletal Development in Stylophora pistillata. (In revision in Acta Biomaterialia).
- Benkwitt CE, Beguet T, Burkepile DE, DeVore JL, Ducatez S, Epstein HE, Harnay P, Healing, S Lyons PJ, Taylor BM, Wedding LM, Wright R, Graham NAJ. Seabird-derived nutrients affect herbivorous fish condition and grazing behaviour (In prep)
- Harnay P (2022) “ Effects of acute thermal stress and acute thermal priming on larvae of the reef building coral Pocillopora acuta” – Master 2 Degree Thesis Report.
- Harnay P (2019) Évaluation du blanchissement corallien sur les coraux des lagons de Polynésie Française lors de l’épisode 2019 – Master 1 Degree Thesis Report.
- Harnay P (2019) Effet de l’acidification des océans sur les coraux scléractiniaires – Bachelor Thesis Report Cohn FM, Johnston E, Burgess S, Harnay P, Putnam H, Correa AMS. A genetic method for distinguishing cryptic Pocillopora species in Mo’orea, French Polynesia without sequencing (In prep)
- Harnay P, Strand E, Mass T,Silbiger JN Mass T, Putnam HM. Environmental factors operate through demographic mechanisms rather than species replacement to drive Pocillopora population structure (In prep)
- Harnay P, Becker D, Terpis K, Putnam HM Thermal performance offset between Pocillopora species varies by season (In prep)
SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS
- Ruth Gates travel award, LTER MCR (2025)
- University of Haifa, Bloom school excelence scholarship (2023)
- Scholarships for academic excellence are not given in France, but are income based.
OUTREACH AND TEACHING
Presenter Festival Makeva, Rangiroa, French Polynesia (2025) Presentation on the importance of corals and official introduction of the Coral Care participatory science program.
Ambassador, Fête de la Science, Tubuai, French Polynesia (2025) Introduction to coral reefs for 270 students.
Teaching, formation CPPA APPN, Mo’orea, French Polynesia (2025) Coral reefs and species identification.
Teaching Assistant, Marine Ecology, University of Haifa (2024, 2025): Introduction of data sharing.
Presenter IFRECOR Trophée To’a Reef (2024) Presentation of the participatory science program Coral Care.
French/English Translation (2019 – Present) Translation of educational materials in person and online.
Ambassador, Fête de la Science, Rangiroa, French Polynesia (2023) Introduction to coral reefs for ~350 students.
K-12 Educator (2019 – Present) Reva Atea teacher during coral reef course weeks.
Presenter Tamari’i Pointe des Pecheurs, Tahiti, French Polynesia (2022 – 2024) corals reef interventions.
Interview (2022, 2023) Corals and restoration project at national TV Channel (Polynésie Premiere, and TNTV).
SKILLS
- AAUS diving certification
- Permis Mer – French Boating License for Coastal Waters
- Languages – French (Native), English (Fluent oral and written)
- Software – R/Rstudio, QGIS, Microsoft Excel/Word/Powerpoint, Adobe Photoshop, GitHub