Research group

Plankton Ecology and Ocean Health

Multidisciplinary studies of plankton ecology and ocean health

Our goal is to advance the knowledge of the marine pelagic ecosystem, promote novel research and foster social awareness of the significance of protecting oceans health, for the benefit of human health and well-being. On one hand, our research focuses on studying the structure and dynamics of plankton, which forms the basis of marine trophic networks, its response to environmental and anthropogenic disturbances (global warming, stratification, acidification, turbulence, atmospheric deposition, continental runoff, pollution -including plastics-) and its role in the cycling of key chemical elements in the ocean. On the other hand, we study the impacts of certain human activities (tourism, renewable energies, fishing) on ecosystem goods and services. For all this, we use a wide range of laboratory techniques, innovative experimental and field approaches, time series monitoring, remote sensing data analysis and computational models. We wish to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the marine planktonic ecosystem and explore solutions to reduce the impacts of the Blue Economy on the oceans.

Most relevant information

    Destacats

    Elisa Berdalet - Chair of the Scientific Steering Committee in the international program GlobalHAB (Global Harmful Algal Blooms, SCOR and IOC/UNESCO, www.globalhab.info) from 2016 to 2023. 

    Albert Calbet - ICM deputy director from March 2018 to October 2020. 

    Pedro Cermeño and Carmen García-Comas - awarded with the "Ciutat de Barcelona 2022 a les Ciències Ambientals i de la Terra".

    Marta Estrada - Member of the Experts group on Climate Chante in Catalunya from 2011.

    Josep Lloret - leader of the Càtedra "Oceans i Salut Humana” at Roses from April 2018 to September 2023.

    Francesc Peters is the ICM representative and Vice-president  in the platform "One Health".

    Enric Saiz is scientific editor at the SCI Journal of Plankton Research from January 2017.

    Publicacions
    • Berdalet, Elisa; Pavaux, Anne-Sophie; Abós-Herràndiz, Rafael; Travers, Muriel; Vila, Magda; Haro, Luc de; Appéré, Gildas; Viure Feliu, Laia; Thomas, Jérémy; Estrada, Marta; Medina-Pérez, Noemí Inmaculada; Karlson, Bengt; Lemée, Rodolphe;
      2021

      Environmental, human health and socioeconomic impacts of Ostreopsis spp. blooms in the NW Mediterranean

    • Cermeño, Pedro; García-Comas, Carmen; Pohl, Alexandre; Williams, Simon; Benton, Michael J.; Chaudhary, Chhaya; Le Gland, Guillaume; Müller, R. Dietmar; Ridgwell, Andy; Vallina, Sergio M.;
      2022

      Post-extinction recovery of the Phanerozoic oceans and biodiversity hotspots

      10.1038/s41586-022-04932-6
    • Masdeu Navarro, Marta; Mangot, Jean-François; Xue, Lei; Cabrera-Brufau, Miguel; Gardner, Stephanie G.; Kieber, David J.; González, José M.; Simó, Rafel;
      2022

      Spatial and diel patterns of volatile organic compounds, DMSP-derived compounds, and planktonic microorganisms around a tropical scleractinian coral colony

      10.3389/fmars.2022.944141
    • de Juan Carbonell, Carlos; Griffell Martínez, Kaiene; Calbet, Albert; Saiz, Enric;
      2023

      Multigenerational physiological compensation and body size reduction dampen the effects of warming on copepods

      10.1002/lno.12327
    • Lloret, Josep; Wawrzynkowski, Paul; Domínguez-Carrió, Carlos; Sardá, Rafael; Molins, Climent; Gili, Josep Maria; Sabatés, Ana; Vila Subirós, Josep; García, Laura; Solé, Jordi; Berdalet, Elisa; Turiel, Antonio; Olivares, Alberto;
      2023

      Floating offshore wind farms in Mediterranean marine protected areas: a cautionary tale

      10.1093/icesjms/fsad131
    Projectes
    Contractes