SDG14 - Life Below Water aims to conserve and sustainably use oceans, seas, and marine resources. Healthy aquatic ecosystems are essential for biodiversity, human livelihoods, and the balance of global environmental processes.

As an Aquatic Microbial Ecologist, my research focuses on understanding the structure, function, and dynamics of microbial communities in aquatic ecosystems, from intertidal zones and estuaries to coastal environments. By studying these communities and their interactions with sediments, nutrients, and environmental conditions, I gain insight into ecosystem functioning, resilience, and the flow of energy and matter through trophic networks.

A large part of my research is carried out in areas where aquatic and terrestrial environments are tightly connected. These habitats are shaped by constant exchanges of nutrients, organic matter, and microbial activity, and their balance is essential for the resilience of both spheres.

My work on aquatic photoautotrophs provides insight into the base of trophic networks that extend beyond water and contribute to food availability in terrestrial-linked ecosystems. At the same time, my studies on microbial nitrogen cycling reveal how biological processes in aquatic, sedimentary and soil environments regulate the availability of key nutrients, directly influencing both aquatic productivity and terrestrial ecosystem health.

SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. 

The topics of my research play a key role in maintaining water quality and ecosystem health. By investigating nitrogen cycling, sediment processes, and microbial interactions, I provide insights into how nutrients are transformed, retained, or released in these environments. This knowledge helps to understand how aquatic and transitional ecosystems regulate water quality and support the ecosystem services, from nutrient filtration to habitat provision. Through this work, I generate knowledge that informs the sustainable management of water resources and the protection of aquatic ecosystems that are essential for clean water and healthy environments.

My research contributes by examining how aquatic microbial communities and processes respond to environmental variability, such as temperature changes, nutrient shifts, and hydrodynamic fluctuations.

These studies provide insights into how ecosystems maintain their resilience or might evolve under changing conditions. These processes influencing carbon and nitrogen flows, sediment stability, and overall ecosystem functioning and services, critical for understanding the impact of climate change on natural environments. Through this work, I provide knowledge that can inform strategies to mitigate climate impacts, enhance habitat resilience, and sustain biodiversity in areas that are particularly vulnerable to climate-driven changes.