Two researchers from the ECOAQUA University Institute of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) recently participated in the 58th edition of the prestigious European Marine Biology Symposium (EMBS), held from 6 to 9 July in the Norwegian city of Bodø, inside the Arctic Circle. The event brought together some 240 scientists from 29 countries, establishing itself as a key meeting point for the marine biology research community.
The symposium addressed a wide range of topics related to marine ecosystems, from pelagic to benthic, coastal and deep-sea environments, oceanography, chemistry and marine biology, with an increasing focus on issues such as climate change, marine restoration and biodiversity protection.
Representation of the ECOAQUA Institute
Dr. Inma Herrera, researcher of the Biodiversity and Conservation group (BIOCON) of ECOAQUA, presented the paper entitled: ‘Long-term assessment of whale-watching trends in the proposed National Park of Guguy (Canary Islands)’, a work carried out together with Antonio G. Ramos (BIOCON), Ángel Rodríguez-Santana (OFYGA research group - ECOAQUA) and the director of the Institute, Ricardo Haroun.
ECOAQUA researchers Jesús Padrón-García and Inma Herrera at the 58th EMBS.
The study analyses data on cetacean sightings on the southwest coast of Gran Canaria, a candidate area to become Guguy National Park due to its high biodiversity. Using information provided by an ecotourism company, temporal trends were evaluated and related to oceanographic variables. The results provide key information for the management of marine ecosystem services and the conservation of emblematic species such as cetaceans.
Intervention by Dr. Inma Herrera.
For his part, BIOCON researcher Jesús Padrón García presented the paper: ‘Guguy, Canary Islands, a key marine area for a National Park proposal’, co-authored with members of the group Candelaria Cecilia Ruano and Inma Herrera, as well as Ricardo Haroun.
This intervention highlighted the ecological relevance of the west coast of Gran Canaria, which is home to marine habitats of interest such as Cymodocea nodosa meadows and rhodolith beds, as well as emblematic species such as sea turtles (Caretta caretta, Chelonia mydas), bottlenose dolphins, and a great diversity of fish and invertebrates. The area is already recognised as a European Special Area of Conservation and Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEC ES7011005 ‘Sebadales de Güigüí’ and ZEPA ES0000530 ‘Espacio marino de Mogán - La Aldea’, respectively), within the Natura 2000 Network. The National Park proposal seeks to consolidate the protection of this unique environment and its ecosystem services.
Researcher Jesús Padrón García during his intervention at the European Marine Biology Symposium (EMBS).
Both contributions presented by ECOAQUA Institute researchers are part of the European Marine SABRES project (https://www.marinesabres.eu/), funded by the European Union. This initiative brings together 21 scientific partners with the aim of restoring marine biodiversity and supporting a sustainable blue economy by promoting Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) in Europe.
Group photo of participants at the 58th European Marine Biology Symposium, held in Norway.
To make this ecosystem-based management more viable and implementable, the project proposes an innovative approach: the development and testing of a simplified socio-ecological model implemented in decision support tools, in close collaboration with local communities in three key European marine regions: the North-East Atlantic Arctic, the Tuscan Archipelago and Macaronesia, the region in which the study presented on the west coast of Gran Canaria is framed.
The 58th EMBS has been an ideal platform to give visibility to the scientific work developed in the Canary Islands, to promote international collaborations and to consolidate the position of the ECOAQUA Institute as a reference in the study and conservation of marine ecosystems.
More information about the event: https://www.embs-symposium.com/programme