Island Biodiversity, Biogeography & Conservation - IBBC

Island Biodiversity, Biogeography & Conservation - IBBC

Island Aquatic Ecology

The Island Aquatic Ecology Group includes 5 senior researchers, two with academic positions, and three with post-doctoral grants. The group includes seven Ph.D. students, two research grant holders, hired by research projects, and 12 international collaborators acting as Associated Research Fellows on several projects. The group also cooperates with local enterprises in joint R&D projects. The research activities of the group are focused on the Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation of Island Aquatic Ecosystems, fostering a sustainable use of their biodiversity. The group expects to contribute actively to the correct implementation of European maritime and environmental policies, improving the communication between researchers, policy makers, companies and the civil society. The ongoing research activities cover 4 basic priorities: coastal urbanization, climate change, invasive species, and resource exploitation.

The group investigates:

  • the ecological mechanisms involved in structuring littoral communities;
  • how insular systems shape the structure, dispersal and connectivity of coastal marine populations;
  • how temporal variations in diversity of coastal communities reflect the isolation of oceanic islands;
  • how changes in climate and coastal habitats influence local and regional patterns of biodiversity;
  • how habitat enhancements can increase the abundance of ecologically and economically important littoral resources;
  • the feasibility of culturing aquatic resources;
  • cetacean ecological niches and the effects of anthropogenic activities on cetacean populations.
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Projects