CEAB-CSIC’s research is structured around three major strategic areas: the study of biodiversity and the functioning of aquatic ecosystems, the analysis of the impacts of global change, and the development of solutions for the conservation and restoration of the natural environment. The Centre is a leading institution in these fields, both in basic and applied science, contributing to the management, conservation and recovery of aquatic ecosystems and the many benefits they provide to society.

Across all its research areas, CEAB teams address major environmental challenges such as pollution, habitat degradation, biodiversity loss, extreme climatic events, and the links between environmental and public health (One Health). They do so through a multidisciplinary approach that integrates theoretical, experimental and observational methods, bringing together disciplines ranging from microbiology and biogeochemistry to computational modelling. This research spans scales from chemical and genetic processes to the dynamics of major biomes, and from high mountain lakes to deep-sea ecosystems, understood as hydrologically, atmospherically and biologically connected systems along the land-to-ocean continuum.

Geographically, research is conducted at regional, national and international scales, supported by an extensive network of scientific collaborations and a recognised expertise in Mediterranean ecosystems.

CEAB is one of the research institutes of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain’s largest public research organisation and one of the largest scientific institutions in Europe. It is the only CSIC institute based in the province of Girona.

In 1985, the present-day Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB) was inaugurated in a newly built facility located at the entrance to Sant Francesc Cove. Its location in Blanes reflected a scientific legacy that had begun decades earlier with the laboratory and public aquarium at the town’s harbour, both linked to CSIC fisheries research activities. The creation of CEAB was driven by prominent scientific figures such as Severo Ochoa, Joan Oró and Ramon Margalef.

The Centre’s original aim was to bring together researchers from different branches of science within a unique interdisciplinary environment. During its early years, CEAB hosted research groups in marine ecology, oceanography, astrophysics and artificial intelligence, fostering scientific exchange and a collaborative culture that would shape the institution’s identity.

Over time, the Centre became increasingly specialised in marine sciences and later incorporated limnology, focused on the study of inland aquatic ecosystems, and theoretical ecology, which uses mathematical and computational tools to understand complex ecological processes. Together, these evolved into the three major disciplines that underpin CEAB’s research today.

Over the course of its history, CEAB has built a strong scientific track record that includes milestones such as the identification of around 850 species new to science by researchers at the Centre, as well as the development of long-term ecological data series, some of which began four decades ago and are among the longest-running in Spain, covering both the Mediterranean Sea and inland aquatic ecosystems.

Building on this solid foundation of knowledge, the Centre has helped develop practical solutions to address environmental challenges. Notable examples include:

• The development, implementation and scientific validation of ecological restoration methodologies combining passive and active restoration approaches in both marine forests (seaweed forests), including some of the first documented restoration successes in the Mediterranean (Cala Teulera, Menorca), and high-mountain lakes through the LIFE Resque Alpyr project and preceding research initiatives carried out across the Pyrenees and the Alps (Spain, France and Italy). These efforts have also extended to ecological restoration collaborations elsewhere in the world, such as seagrass meadow restoration projects in Australia involving Indigenous communities.
• The design, validation and implementation of nature-based water treatment solutions, relying on the filtration capacity of plants, microbial communities and sediments, at the Urban River Lab, a unique research facility located alongside the River Besòs in Montornès del Vallès and led scientifically by CEAB. These solutions are used both to support the restoration of urban rivers under strong human pressure and to provide wastewater treatment for isolated settlements not connected to conventional treatment plants. They also address emerging contaminants such as micro- and nanoplastics, as well as chemical and pharmaceutical residues.
• The assessment of the ecological quality of coastal waters along the entire Catalan coastline through biological indicators, including the condition of seagrass meadows (Posidonia oceanica). This long-standing line of work is carried out for the Catalan Water Agency (Generalitat de Catalunya). CEAB teams also collaborate with the regional administration on the early detection and monitoring of invasive marine species, including the Asian seaweed Rugulopteryx okamurae.
• The monitoring of biodiversity, including the early detection of sudden environmental changes, such as the arrival of invasive species, through innovative ecological genetic techniques such as environmental DNA (eDNA). This work is conducted in collaboration with public authorities and organisations across Spain, including the management bodies of protected natural areas.
• The production of the first comprehensive maps and inventories, both at the Iberian and global scales, of carbon stored in so-called blue carbon ecosystems (seagrass meadows, wetlands, marshes and similar habitats), alongside efforts to highlight the value of these ecosystems not only for carbon storage but also for the many additional benefits they provide, including through leadership roles in expert networks on blue carbon.
• The provision of scientific expertise to support public decision-making, for example through reports prepared for the Spanish Congress of Deputies on issues such as the sustainable management of coastal areas, as well as through broader science-for-policy initiatives.
• Contributions to the study of complex systems, including the development of ecological theory and models capable of identifying patterns, anticipating ecosystem responses, and generating methodologies and tools to assess ecosystem status and support conservation and management decisions.
• One of the Centre’s best-known examples of applied and collaborative science is Mosquito Alert, an international project coordinated by CEAB that enables citizen-based monitoring of disease-vector mosquitoes and contributes to public health surveillance systems in Europe and beyond.
• Research carried out since the Centre’s earliest years on primitive marine organisms such as sponges, generating internationally recognised knowledge on the origin and evolution of animals and opening new avenues of research in biomedicine, pharmacy and biotechnology.
• The development of scientific activity on a global scale, through collaborations with research institutions in more than 60 countries and active participation in major international scientific networks, including the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network, for which CEAB coordinates the Spanish node, as well as global platforms such as the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON), EuroMarine and the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS).
• A longstanding commitment to the training of early-career researchers and to the promotion of scientific culture across society. CEAB actively participates in national and international science outreach initiatives, including the European Researchers’ Night and the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, while also developing scientific and environmental education activities for diverse audiences.

For decades, CEAB has conducted research in these ecosystems, generating key scientific knowledge through long-term ecological monitoring programmes and studies on the resilience of shallow marine ecosystems, which have helped identify management priorities for conservation and restoration. These include important contributions to understanding ecological thresholds in seaweed forests and seagrass meadows, as well as collaborations with public administrations and the fishing sector to address issues such as the overfishing of predators that regulate herbivore populations.

At the same time, the Centre has developed recognised expertise in the biogeochemistry of Mediterranean rivers and in understanding how inland aquatic ecosystems function and respond to environmental disturbances.

This work has been complemented by the development of ecological theory and modelling approaches that help identify patterns in complex natural processes and anticipate how ecosystems may evolve under different global change scenarios.

These research outcomes are becoming increasingly relevant at the international level, as processes associated with climatic “Mediterranisation”, such as a greater frequency of extreme events and increased hydrological variability, are now emerging in regions that have not traditionally experienced such dynamics. This has positioned CEAB as a leading scientific institution for understanding these changes and for developing adaptation, conservation and ecological restoration strategies.

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