Research Interests
My current research interests examine (1) the role of biotic processes, and human perturbations, in controlling the flow of energy among trophic levels both within and between marine habitats, with emphasis on submerged vegetated habitats, (2) the use of biodindicators in seagrass ecosystems to detect water quality assessment and ecosystem change (3) the impact of invasive species on seagrass ecosystems. All this research is being conducted in two different areas: the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean.
Much of the emphasis of the first objective is on experimental assessments of grazing intensity in temperate and tropical seagrass habitats, the responses of temperate and tropical seagrasses to this grazing, the population dynamics of the main herbivores (sea urchins, herbivorous fish and green turtles) and the role of the seascape in changing the trophic interactions in marine systems. The second objective is mainly focused on the development of indexes for water quality assesment using bioindicators from the molecule to the ecosystem. The last objective focuses on descriptive and experimental assessment of invasive species on the Mediterranean seagrass meadows and the responses of the seagrasses to this invasion.
The overall significance of this research lies in its attempt to understand the processes that control the distribution and productivity of seagrass dominated habitats. Because of the widespread occurrence of these habitats, the extraordinary productivity and richness of their associated biota, the understanding of the factors controlling their distribution and the effect of human perturbations on those controlling factors is essential to our understanding.
Publications
VOLVER A PERSONAL
IMPRIMIR 
