Interview: Massimiliano Drago, Post-doctoral Researcher at IRBIO, explains his study on the analysis of long-term monitoring data of biodiversity in the Mediterranean region (Catalonia)
Massimiliano Drago has a degree in Biology and a PhD in Zoology, his lines of research are trophic ecology and population dynamics in marine mammals. He has worked on the ecological flexibility of the Antarctic sea lion in the face of global change.
Massimiliano's post-doctoral research aimed at collecting, analyzing and interpreting biodiversity data from the different research groups at IRBio, selecting terrestrial, marine and fluvial environments to follow the temporal evolution of Catalonia's biodiversity. The objective of the study reveals temporal trends and common patterns associated with environmental change factors. For example, in marine and fluvial environments, an influence of the increase in temperature on populations was observed, causing changes in the dynamics of their.
The data used to carry out this work were: terrestrial data from the Conservation Biology Team group of Dr. Joan Real and the research group Agroecology-Ecology of Agricultural Systems of Dr. Xavier Sans. In the marine sphere, with data from the Benthic Biology and Ecology research group of Dr. Javier Romero, and the MEDRECOVER research group of Dr. Cristina Linares and Dr. Bernat Hereu. In the field of freshwater, data from the FEHM group of Dr. Núria Bonada were analyzed.
One of the limits of the research was the lack of diversity in the species, which does not allow a good coverage of the biodiversity of certain ecosystems, for example, in the case of terrestrial ecosystems, it was only possible to work with data from the Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata) and weed spices in cereal crops. However, in the marine environment, the number of species to be analyzed was greater: posidonia (Posidonia oceanica), commercial fish species such as grouper (Epinephelus marginatus), sea bream (Diplodus cervinus), sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), and sea bream (Sparus aurata), algal communities were also analyzed: red algae (Corallina elongata, Gongolaria elegans) and brown algae (Codium vermilara, Codium bursa) and red coral (Corallium rubrum) and gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata).
Massimiliano shares his experience at IRBio and how he developed his study:
- What is your research about?
The work I have done has been to analyze long time series of 20/30 years in different taxa and different environments: Marine, terrestrial and fluvial in different parts of Catalonia. I have worked with [data from] taxa of different species, birds, micro and macroinvertebrates, fish, algae, gorgonians, etc.
- What is your methodology?
In this study I have analyzed different variables of the species shown, which could be: abundance, cover, density, etc. I have observed its variability and trends over time. I have worked with the generalized additive model or the GAMS model.
- What conclusions do you have?
In some cases, there are no clear trends but fluctuations over time with some variability. For certain species, the time window is insufficient to reach conclusions of clear intervention effects, as occurs with some species of fish from the Medes Islands. In other cases, however, there are [clear] upward or downward trends depending on prevention measures, as is the case with Aquila fasciata.
- How to ensure the success of the long-term impact of studies?
Long-term studies are very relevant because they allow us to see how species respond to natural disturbances of human origin. These studies are often complicated to carry out, especially from the point of view of financing, but their success lies in the synergy created between research groups, administrations and political institutions.
Thank you for your contributions Massimiliano!
Image: IRBio