Ricardo Haroun, director of ECOAQUA, May Gómez, director of the EOMAR group, and BIOCON researchers Rodrigo Riera, Fran Otero-Ferrer and Joana Vasconcelos are taking part, alongside Greek academics, in this networking and reflection event, where students and instructors discuss the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration focused on coastal ecology research through the integration of marine biology, oceanography, ecology, conservation sciences, spatial planning, fisheries sciences and climate change research
Five researchers from the ECOAQUA University Institute at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) are taking part this week as lecturers, alongside Greek academics from the University of the Aegean, in the 30-hour intensive course ‘Coastal Ecology’, which is taking place from Monday 1 June and this Saturday, 6 June, in the Greek city of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea.
They are Ricardo Haroun, director of ECOAQUA and researcher with the Biodiversity and Conservation (BIOCON) group at the university, May Gómez, deputy director of ECOAQUA and director of the Ecophysiology and Physics of Marine Systems (EOMAR) group, and BIOCON researchers Rodrigo Riera, Fran Otero Ferrer and Joana Vasconcelos.
This intensive course, designed for 40 students, offers an interdisciplinary and research-oriented introduction to coastal ecology by integrating marine biology, oceanography, ecology, conservation science, spatial planning, fisheries science and climate change research. The course combines theoretical lectures, field observations, collaborative group work and applied coastal management exercises.
From left to right, the researchers who travelled to Mytilene (Greece): Ricardo Haroun, Joana Vasconcelos, Rodrigo Riera, May Gómez and Fran Otero Ferrer.
This training programme also places particular emphasis on the ecological functioning of coastal ecosystems, anthropogenic pressures affecting marine biodiversity, ecosystem conservation, sustainable fisheries, habitat restoration, maritime spatial planning and climate resilience.
The academic programme draws on the expertise of researchers from the ECOAQUA University Institute at the ULPGC and the University of the Aegean (Greece), enabling students to interact with internationally renowned scientists working in marine biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, fisheries biology, zooplankton ecology, marine conservation and coastal management. Students will develop interdisciplinary approaches to analyse complex coastal environmental challenges and propose realistic, science-based solutions.
Group photo of the students and some of the lecturers at the start of the course in Mytilene (Lesbos, Greece).
Resilience to climate change, one of the key issues
Rodrigo Riera Elena, a marine ecologist specialising in coastal biodiversity, ecological interactions, functional diversity and anthropogenic impacts on marine communities, was the first of the five ECOAQUA members to deliver a masterclass. It took place yesterday, Monday, under the title ‘Coastal Biodiversity, Habitat Loss and Fragmentation in Marine Ecosystems’ as part of the session entitled ‘Foundations of Coastal Ecology and Marine Biodiversity’.
BIOCON researcher and lecturer Rodrigo Riera.
Lecturer Rodrigo Riera presented the ecological foundations of coastal and marine biodiversity, focusing on the habitats, communities and ecological processes that underpin the functioning of coastal ecosystems.
The class examined how biodiversity is organised within coastal habitats and how habitat complexity, functional diversity, ecological interactions and connectivity contribute to ecosystem stability and resilience.
The researcher paid particular attention to seagrass beds, rocky reefs and benthic habitats as examples of systems in which habitat structure underpins biodiversity, trophic interactions and ecosystem functioning.
Subsequently, Professor Rodrigo Riera took part alongside Greek professor Stelios Katsanevakis in an interactive discussion session entitled ‘Biodiversity Loss and Ecosystem Resilience’. An open scientific debate in which students and lecturers discussed the main threats to coastal ecosystems, including tourism pressure, overfishing, habitat destruction and climate change.
Following this session, interdisciplinary working groups were set up between ECOAQUA and the University of the Aegean, with students divided into interdisciplinary groups combining expertise in Marine Sciences, Ecology, Environmental Sciences, Geography and Earth Sciences. These groups carried out activities related to coastal vulnerability assessment, marine biodiversity conservation, habitat degradation and restoration, sustainable fisheries, climate change adaptation, marine spatial planning, and coastal pollution and ecosystem health.
This was followed by a joint framework discussion in which each group identified a coastal environmental challenge to be developed throughout the course. The students thus begin to integrate ecological, social and management perspectives into their project proposals.
A photo of the five researchers delivering the intensive course in Mytilene, on the island of Lesbos (Greece).
This morning, Tuesday 2 June, during the session ‘Oceanographic Processes, Fisheries Ecology and Climate Change’, it was the turn of Professor Joana Vasconcelos who, together with Assistant Professor Elina Tragou, delivered the lecture ‘Fisheries Ecology, Stock Identity and Population Responses to Environmental Change / Oceanographic processes and response to climate change’
Professor Joana Vasconcelos, a researcher specialising in fisheries biology, stock assessment, population dynamics, reproductive ecology and changes in the biodiversity of commercially important species, presented the ecological and biological foundations of fisheries science, focusing on how life history traits, population dynamics and population identity determine the responses of marine species to human and environmental pressures.
The course covered everything from the biological characteristics that shape fish populations to the methods used to identify stock units and assess ecological change. Students were able to explore how reproductive strategies, growth, recruitment, survival and population connectivity influence the dynamics and resilience of exploited marine species.
The course placed particular emphasis on how fish populations respond to fishing pressure, climate change, habitat alteration and hypoxia through changes in life history traits, population structure and phenotypic patterns, analysing case studies on commercially important marine species to illustrate how stock identification and otolith-based approaches can contribute to ecosystem-based fisheries management and the detection of environmental changes.
Following this session, the director of the EOMAR group, May Gómez Cabrera, together with Professor Evangelia Krasakopoulou, delivered the masterclass ‘Climate Change and Marine Ecosystem Responses’.
May Gómez, researcher, director of EOMAR and professor.
Professor Gómez Cabrera, a specialist in zooplankton ecology, marine physiology and marine biochemistry, trophic ecology, and microplastic pollution in marine food webs, has analysed the ecological consequences of climate change and pollution on marine trophic dynamics, paying particular attention to plankton ecology and microplastic pollution.
Covering topics such as zooplankton ecology and trophic interactions, the dynamics of the marine food web, the physiological responses of marine organisms to environmental stress, ocean warming and ecosystem functioning, microplastic pollution in marine ecosystems, the transfer of microplastics through food chains, the biochemical and ecological impacts of pollutants, as well as emerging challenges in marine pollution research, the conference integrated ecological, physiological and biochemical perspectives to explain how global change affects the stability of marine ecosystems.
This was followed by a scientific round table featuring Joana Vasconcelos, May Gómez Cabrera, and Greek professors Evangelia Krasakopoulou, Elina Tragou (assistant), Drosos Koutsoubas and Alexandra Meziti (assistant).
In addition, the students discussed how climate change and marine pollution interact with biodiversity loss, declining fish stocks and ecosystem degradation.
In the afternoon, working groups on marine science and ecological assessment were held, in which students were able to refine their interdisciplinary projects using the concepts introduced during the lectures. This session will be followed by a further scientific discussion in which academic staff will offer feedback on the project’s feasibility, scientific coherence and interdisciplinary integration.
Tomorrow, Wednesday 3 June, the session entitled ‘Conservation Tools, Habitat Mapping and Marine Spatial Planning’ will feature a lecture by Francisco Otero Ferrer who, alongside Greek lecturers Drosos Koutsoubas and Kostantinos Topouzelis (assistant), will present the paper ‘Ecosystem Engineers, Habitat Mapping and Marine Conservation’.
BIOCON researcher and lecturer Fran Otero Ferrer.
In this talk, Otero Ferrer, a marine scientist specialising in ecosystem engineering species, rhodolith beds, black coral forests, habitat mapping and marine ecosystem services, will introduce the work of marine ecosystem engineers and its vital importance for the conservation of biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems.
Some of the topics to be covered will include: rhodolith banks and black coral forests, ecosystem engineering species, habitat complexity and support for biodiversity, environmental factors affecting marine communities, deep-sea and coastal benthic ecosystems, marine habitat mapping technologies, ecosystem services provided by benthic systems, and conservation priorities for vulnerable marine ecosystems.
In addition, examples of international scientific documentaries and marine outreach projects will be included to illustrate the communication of marine science to society.
The Canary Islands case study: an example in Greece
Next, Ricardo Haroun Tabraue, Director of ECOAQUA and a specialist in marine biodiversity, marine conservation, sustainability, ecosystem services and marine spatial planning, together with Professor Stelios Katsanevakis and Assistant Professor Kitsiou, will deliver the sixth presentation (‘Marine Spatial Planning, Sustainability and Coastal Governance / ‘Marine Spatial Planning, Sustainability and Coastal Governance’).
Ricardo Haroun, Director of ECOAQUA and researcher at BIOCON.
This lecture will focus on integrated coastal zone management and maritime spatial planning as tools for reconciling conservation, fisheries, tourism and sustainable development.
The session will address topics such as systematic conservation planning: principles, tools and applications; coastal ecosystem governance; conservation regulatory frameworks; ecosystem-based management; spatial conflicts in coastal zones; climate resilience strategies; the design and management of protected areas; and sustainability challenges in island regions.
To this end, case studies from the Canary Islands and conservation initiatives in the Mediterranean will be analysed.
Both Haroun Tabraue and Otero Ferrer will subsequently take part in a scientific roundtable alongside Greek professor Katsanevakis, during which students will be able to assess how scientific information underpins environmental policy and conservation planning.
The afternoon session, entitled ‘ECOAQUA Ocean Studies at the ULPGC and DMS/UAEGEAN’, will serve to link the concepts learnt in the classroom with direct observation of marine environments along the coast of the Strait of Mytilene. Students will examine habitat structure, underwater biodiversity, interactions between species and visible human pressures. Field observations in the marine environment will provide practical material for interdisciplinary group projects.
Excursion to Lesbos
On the fourth day, Thursday 4 June, students will link concepts learnt in the classroom with direct observation of the coastal environments of Lesbos through a field trip, applying coastal ecology.
Students will analyse geomorphology, habitat structure, intertidal biodiversity, species interactions and visible human pressures. Field observations, such as those focusing on coastal systems and the study of intertidal ecology in the Gulf of Kalloni, will provide practical material for interdisciplinary group projects. In addition, a visit will be made to the Kalloni Environmental Information Centre, run by the Natural History Museum of the Petrified Forest of Lesbos, so that visitors can learn about the natural wealth of the Gulf of Kalloni.
Once in Mytilene, following a group session to integrate field data and scientific concepts, the various groups will finalise the scientific framework for their interdisciplinary final presentations, underpinned by ecological evidence and realistic management proposals. To this end, they will receive scientific and methodological guidance from the teaching staff.
Science-based student proposals
On Friday, 5 June, the final academic day will take place, summarising the main concepts of the course through restoration ecology, climate resilience, future research priorities and student presentations. The groups will present science-based proposals for coastal environmental challenges and receive feedback from peers and lecturers.
Prior to this, lecturers from ECOAQUA and the University of the Aegean will deliver a joint summary lecture integrating the various perspectives of all the lecturers on habitat restoration and future prospects in coastal ecology. Following this, there will be an open discussion between students and speakers on ‘Coastal Ecology in a Changing World’.
In the afternoon, the students will deliver their final presentations, in which each group must identify a coastal environmental issue, outline the scientific background, the ecological and social implications, as well as the proposed management or conservation solutions and the interdisciplinary integration of concepts. These presentations will be peer-reviewed and discussed before the course concludes with closing reflections and the presentation of certificates.
By the end of the course, students should be able to understand the ecological functioning of coastal and marine ecosystems; identify the main threats affecting marine biodiversity; analyse the interactions between climate change, pollution and ecosystem resilience; understand the principles of fisheries ecology and marine conservation; apply interdisciplinary approaches to coastal management issues; integrate ecological, oceanographic and spatial perspectives; communicate scientific concepts and management proposals effectively; and develop collaborative problem-solving skills in environmental sciences.