In general, I am interested in tropical marine environments, connectivity and conservation. I focus my study in soft coral species (Octocoralia) from the Tropical Eastern Pacific. My interest is the population dynamic of coral communities dominated by soft corals, including the distribution of species abundance, diversity, recruitment, growth, predation, and interaction with other species and threats.

My study takes place in Coiba National Park, the largest protected area in the Republic of Panama, declared as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. The protected area is part of the Pacific Biological Corridor that connects five oceanic islands: Malpelo and Gorgona (Colombia), Galapagos (Ecuador), Isla Cocos (Costa Rica) and Coiba in Panama.

Octocoral colonies are distributed patchily in vertical walls building coral communities or where there is high water movement. Not much is known about their biology, interactions, or reasons for their patchy distribution across the marine corridor.  Here are some of the 34 species found in the Coiba protected area:

Above: Muricea austera

Left: Pacifigorgia irene, Leptogorgia alba, Pacifigorgia rubicunda