Research Group of Ecology of Marine Macrophytes

We are interested on the structure, functioning and conservation of marine benthic communities dominated by macrophytes, seagrasses and macroalgae mainly. Macrophytes provide habitat to high numbers of species and participate in critical biogeochemical and geological coastal processes. They are considered foundation species in shallow aquatic ecosystems because they exert a strong control of population and community dynamics and modulate ecosystem processes. Macrophytes are essential in the provision of resources and ecological services that are directly used or beneficial to humans such as the maintenance of biodiversity, the filtering of coastal waters, the attenuation of waves and stabilization of sediment, and nutrient cycling and carbon burial. Macrophytes are also on the first line of impact and under serious threat from anthropogenic activities in coastal zones.

Current research topics of the group are

• Ecology of invasive species
• Fluid dynamics and macrophytes
• Nutrient supply and control by consumers in seagrass communities
• Ecology of seagrass seedlings and seagrass restoration
• Climate change effects on plant-herbivore interactions
• Tropicalization of marine communities

Group members

Inés Castejón Silvo PostDoctoral researcher
Gema Hernán Martínez PhD student, Govern Illes Balears
Laura Pereda Briones PhD student, Govern Illes Balears
Fiona Tomas Nash Ramón y Cajal Fellow (Tenure track), Univ. Illes Balears
Jorge Terrados Muñoz Tenured scientist, CSIC

Past members

Raissa Borgmann Project Internship (2012). Van Hall Larenstein Univ. of Applied Sciences
Daniel López Romero Introduction to research CSIC studentship (2012). Univ. Complutense Madrid
Lara Arroyo Postdoctoral researcher (2011-2012)
Francisco Javier Medina Pons PhD (2012) Univ. Illes Balears
Diversidad y funcionamiento de la comunidad epífita eucariota de las hojas de Posidonia oceanica
Inés Castejón Silvo PhD (2011) Univ. Illes Balears
Grazing on the epiphytic community of Posidonia oceanica L. Delile: An assessment of its relevance as a buffering process of eutrophication effects
Eduardo Infantes Oanes PhD (2011) Univ. Illes Balears
Wave hydrodynamic effects on marine macrophytes
Presently postdoc at the University of Göteborg
Marta Domínguez Álvarez Postdoctoral researcher (2008-2009)
Presently postdoc at the Spanish Institute of Oceanography
Joan Miquel LLompart Pujol Internship (2009), Univ. Granada
Natàlia Comalada Internship (2008), Univ. Barcelona
Alba Ceballos Internship (2008), Univ. Salamanca
Antonio Box Centeno Technitian (2006-2008)
Cristina Alonso Morales Internship (2006), Univ. Illes Balears
Inmaculada Gamundí Boyeras Internship (2005-2006), Univ. Barcelona

 

Detailed lists of projects, publications and other activities of group members are available in their personal IMEDEA web pages.