Dr. Maldonado is the head of the Sponge Bio-Ecology and Biotechnology Group at the Blanes Advanced Studies Centre (CEAB-CSIC).
He received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the Complutense University of Madrid in 1986. He conducted postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Biology in Madrid and at CEAB, completing his PhD in Zoology at the University of Barcelona in 1993. He worked as a Fulbright postdoctoral researcher at the Larval Ecology Department of the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution (Florida, USA) and joined the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in 1996, where he is currently a Scientific Researcher.
His scientific activity has been developed in various areas of Biology, Ecology, and Marine Biogeochemistry, primarily in benthic ecosystems, including both infralitoral and reef ecosystems as well as bathyal habitats. Recent and/or ongoing research projects cover a broad range of topics, with the main areas being: 1) the benthopelagic coupling of the biogeochemical cycle of various marine nutrients and their potential practical and biotechnological applications; 2) the biology and reproductive ecology of sponges and cnidarians, along with their respective practical and biotechnological applications; 3) inferences on the role of sponges in the origin and early evolution of the animal kingdom; and 4) biodiversity and conservation biology of vulnerable habitats dominated by sponges and cnidarians.
