Staff directory

Biology and ecology of weed species, conservation and management of plant and animal biodiversity in agro-ecosystems, landscape ecology, agroecology, organic agriculture.

Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Systematics of fossil insects (especially dragonflies and Hymenoptera). Taphonomy of arthropod and deposits of exceptional preservation, especially of continental origin (lacustrine and amber). Paleoecology of Mesozoic insects.

Biological and ecological studies of large marine vertebrates (chondrichthyes, chelonian, cetacean and pinniped) focused on management and conservation of populations.

Fire ecology, landscape ecology, soil-plant relationships, restoration ecology (of ecosystems affected by forest fires) and combined use of geospatial technologies (GIS, remote sensing) with ecological modelling.

Anthropology. Genetics of human populations. Current human diversity and applications in epidemiology.

Phylogenetic and population genetics studies of bacteria and in particular those of interest in the field of Health.

I am a lecturer at the University of Barcelona, specialized in cryptogamic botany, with over twenty years of experience studying macrophytes and diatoms in aquatic ecosystems. My research focuses on taxonomy, ecology, and the design and revision of biological indices to assess the ecological status of rivers, lakes, and wetlands, contributing to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). In parallel, I actively participate in knowledge transfer projects and environmental volunteering initiatives.

Plant communities study (type and floristic characterization). Current and potential distribution patterns and biogeography of plant species. Biodiversity databases and software development for biodiversity informatics.

Biological and ecological studies of large marine vertebrates (Chondrichthyes, chelonian, cetacean and pinniped) focused on management and conservation of populations.

Taxonomy and ecology of Lichens and Micromycetes, and their applications as bio-indicators. Biodeterioration of stone monuments applied to the protection of cultural heritage.

Evolutionary biology, behavior and conservation. Seabirds as study model. Analysis of stable isotopes, ecophysiology, pollution, microbiology, molecular genetics, use of remote monitoring devices animal movement, telemetry and geographical information systems.

My research focuses on the study of the diversity, ecology, ecophysiology and conservation of mesophotic and deep vulnerable marine ecosystems dominated by corals and gorgonians, to provide understanding for the sustainable management and conservation of marine ecosystems. This research is developed following a multidisciplinary approach combining fieldwork, experimental studies, and a highly diversified collection of laboratory analyses. In this sense, my research includes the study of taxonomy, spatial distribution pattern of species, the state of their populations (demography), energetic condition (lipid content), reproductive and trophic biology (stable isotopes and fatty acids composition), and metabolic processes (calcification, respiration, excretion rates). Combining sampling by scuba diving and the use of underwater technology (underwater towed cameras, remotely operated vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles, manned submersible), coral and gorgonians species are studied over extensive areas and depth ranges covering their entire spatial distribution, as the best way to achieve a comprehensive understanding of their ecology and the variability of their responses to environmental features and human induced stressors.

Our main research interests are understanding the mechanisms underlying molecular adaptation. We combine theoretical, analytical and experimental approaches, some of them developed in our group, to determine the relative role of the principal evolutionary forces in driving species diversification and in promoting genetic innovations. For that, we analyze both DNA sequence data generated in our lab (NGS data) and genomic data retrieved from databases, always within the framework of comparative and population genomics / transcriptomics. An important part of our work is focused on the origin and evolution of multigene families involved in the chemosensory system of invertebrates. We also actively develop and / or maintain software for the analysis of genetic and genomic variation in different contexts.

Ecology of marine benthic communities from the perspective of conservation. Monitoring study of communities and populations of algae, macroinvertebrates and fish, studying the movement of fish and marine reserves as a tool for conservation and management.

Lecturer in the Zoology and Biological Anthropology Section of the Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences. His research activity focuses on conservation biology of vertebrates and addresses aspects of population biology, trophic ecology and movement ecology among others using interdisciplinary approaches

Restoration of mining spaces and other degraded spaces. Biodiversity management.

Study of the structure and dynamics of the benthic communities, mainly in the aspects related to the ecology of populations, conservation and global change responses. Since the beginning of his scientific career, he has been linked to long-term biological monitoring in Marine Reserves such as the Medas Islands, the National Park of Port-cros and the Columbretes Islands, among others

I reconstruct the distant past of major evolutionary events using genome-scale data. I am integrating evidence from disparate sources to infer the animal phylogeny and develop a timescale to date their origin and processes such as the colonisation of land

We have three main research lines: (1) assessing the effects of water quality on fishes and insect vectors of diseases (mosquitoes); (2) improving water quality using vegetation and filter-feeding organisms as Nature-Based Solutions; and 3) studies on any aspect related to the aquarium hobby, including the release of exotic species and the development of captive-breeding programs

"The appearance of new molecular entities within an organism, such as the origin of new genes can often occur in a sudden manner. This generates novel interactions between these new molecular entities and the cellular environment of the organism in which they are originated, in what we could call “unexpected molecular encounters”. Although these unexpected initial interactions are probably an essential aspect of biological evolution, so far they have received little attention, as we cannot catch in the exact moment in which they have just originated.
To overcome this, in the lab we generate unexpected encounters artificially, by putting in contact molecular structures that had never interacted before. In particular, we express lineage-specific transcription factors and genes derived from transposable elements in the completely foreign cellular environment of heterologous species. This way we can observe the very first moments in which the encounter occurs, before these naïve interactions disappear or change in evolution."

Working with steppe and raptor birds in agricultural and forestal habitats.