Completed Projects
Seabirds as a tool for a dynamic managment of protected areas and fisheries
Funded by National Programme for Research Aimed at the Challenges of Society. Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad
2017 - 2019
Spanish Marine Debris Network
Funded by Actions of Networks of Excellence, Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad
2017 - 2019
Alcyon Programme – Promoting the conservation of seabirds in Cape Verde
Funded by MAVA Foundation and Coordinated by BirdLife International
2017 - 2019
Objective: Improve the knowledge and promote the conservation of Cape Verde seabirds.
- Identify the main breeding areas for Cape Verde seabirds.
- Monitoring the phenology and reproductive success of Cape Verde seabirds.
- Identify and control the main threats both in the breeding areas and in the sea.
- Determine the size and population trend of the different species of seabirds.
- Knowing the foraging strategies and identify the most important feeding areas for seabirds during the breeding season.
- Knowing the migration and the areas used outside the reproductive period.
- Determination of the trophic ecology of each species through the analysis of regurgitated and stable isotopes and genetic analysis.
- Training of biologists, protected area technicians and NGOs in research and monitoring techniques.
- Raise awareness of the Cape Verdean population for the conservation of seabirds.
- Preparation of an action and management plan for each seabird species of Cape Verde.
Evaluating the Spanish Marine Protected Areas Network (RAMPE) for the conservation of seabirds in the Spanish Levantine area
Objectives: A global analysis of the spatial overlap between seabirds, their marine habitat, their interactions with fishing vessels, and the fishing activities of each fleet, along the Spanish east coast in general, and very particularly with the current RAMPE.
- Identify the main feeding areas of seabirds in the Spanish Levantine coast and their spatial consistency over the years.
- Characterize the habitat of pelagic birds, and explore the suitability of specific environmental variables as early predictors of their distribution.
- To determine the type and degree of interaction between pelagic birds and the fishing fleet of the Spanish Levantine coast, and to identify the factors that modulate.
- Enhancement of RAMPE and management proposals that improve the suitability of the network as a conservation tool for pelagic birds.
Conclusions:
- The results show that the movements of birds can change remarkably throughout the different phases of the period reproductive. This implies that the exposure of birds to different threats.
- The bathymetry and the distance to the breeding colony are the most influential variables when defining the feeding areas of these species.
- The trawl fleet overlap was relevant for most species which requires a high degree of utilization of fishing discards by all these birds. Also, the high degree of overlap between the surface longline fleet and Calonectris borealis and C. diomedea, mainly due to the associated risk of accidental capture.
- The high degree of overlap between these birds, certain fisheries and the current RAMPE has been verified. Specific areas have also been evidenced that are not currently included in the RAMPE.
Sentinels of the sea: remote monitoring of seabirds applied to the adaptive management of the National Parks network
Funded by National Parks Autonomus Agency, Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente
2015 - 2018
Season interactions and carry-over effects in seabirds
Funded by National Programme for Fostering Excellence in Scientific and Technical Research. Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad
2014 - 2016
Reduction of the accidental catches of seabirds in the artisanal longlines of the Spanish Levantine area: mitigation measures implementation
Reduction of the accidental catches of seabirds in the South Spanish Levantine area: testing and adaptation of mitigation measures
Test of mitigation measures for the reduction of accidental catches of seabirds in the Mediterranean demersal longliners
Funded by Agreement for the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP)
2013 - 2014
Seasonal interactions in migratory seabirds: influence of carryover effects on fitness
Marie Curie Career Integration Grant, Research Executive Agency, European Commission
2013 - 2017
The reduction of accidental catches of seabirds in the artisanal longlines of the Spanish Levantine area; background mitigation measures trials
The reduction of accidental catches of seabirds in the artisanal longlines of the Spanish Levantine area
Pelagic ecology and migratory strategies of seabirds in the Atlantic
Funded by National Program of Biodiversity, Natural Science and Global Change (Biodiversity). Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.
2010-2012