Sallie Chisholm, Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology 2013, at the ICM.

Today, October 21, the president of the Generalitat, Artur Mas, delivery Ramon Margalef Prize for Ecology 2013 to Professor Sallie W. Chisholm during a ceremony at the Palau de la Generalitat

Ramon Margalef Prize for Ecology, promoted by the Generalitat of Catalonia, is inspired by the figure of Ramon Margalef (1919-2004), one of the most renowned ecologists worldwide.

Tomorrow, October 22 Dr Sallie W. Chisholm, will give the lecture "The Power of Diversity: Lessons from a tiny microbe in the sea" at 12:15 pm at the ICM. In the afternoon, starting at 15:30 h, there will be a meeting / discussion with postdocs and Dr. Sallie Chisholm, moderated by Marta Sebastian, researcher at the Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography of the ICM.

Finally, on October 23, from 10 am, in the Auditorium of the Biology Faculty, the oceanographer will give the conference " Ocean microbes, climate, and geoengineering." In the course of the event, which will open the rector, Dídac Ramirez is scheduled a roundtable (11.45 hours) moderate Montserrat Vidal, an expert in biological oceanography from the Department of Ecology UB, with the participation of Isabel Cacho, professor in the Department of Stratigraphy, Paleontology and marine Geosciences and expert UB paleoclimate and oceanography; Carles Alió Pedrós expert in microbial ecology, and Rafel Simó, an expert in marine biogeochemistry, both of the Institute of marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC).

Dr. Sallie W. Chisholm, a researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT ), has made very significant contributions to the knowledge of ecology, especially in the fields of biological oceanography, marine ecology, genomics to global ecology. Is a major figure internationally in research and promotion of oceanography, as well as in decision-making processes in marine policy and management. He has also been a leader in demonstrating the negative effects of ocean fertilization through the addition of iron, a proposed method for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, causing climate change , arguing that this procedure could significantly alter marine food webs and biogeochemical cycles. Throughout his career he has received numerous awards, among which the National Medal of Science of the United States, which handed President Barack Obama in February 2013.

The Ramon Margalef Prize jury has awarded Sallie W. Chisholm "by virtue of being one of the most productive researchers, charismatic and active in biological oceanography and marine ecology." The award also recognizes the key role of Chisholm in the discovery and understanding of the dominant photosynthetic organisms in the ocean, and its efforts to promote the study of the microbiology of the oceans from a revolutionary new perspective.