Research. Research Marine Centre in Santa Pola

Research

Research lines at CIMAR are related, among others, with the study of marine biodiversity, the characterisation of coastal benthic communities, and the study of coastal ecosystems.

There are lines of research on the understanding of marine biodiversity, the introduction of non-indigenous species into the Mediterranean Sea, anthropic impacts on martin ecommunities, assessment of the quality of seawater based on benthic organisms, coastal management and its resources, and marine environmental protection through the identification of marine protected areas.

Lines of Research:

a) Marine biodiversity

Marine biodiversity

- Taxonomy, biology, ecology and biogeography of Ascidiacea (Mediterranean Sea and Antarctic and, Eastern Atlantic and Arctic oceans )

- Study of the fouling problem at the Alicante harbour: Ascidiacea, Bryozoa and Bostrycapulus odites

Introduced species

- Characterisation of populations and whitening of invasive escleractine coral Oculina patagonica.

- Monitoring of species introduced in the Spanish South East, in collaboration with the Aquarium of Santa Pola.

- Monitoring of the presence of invasive crustacean Percnon gibesii into the rocky coast of Cabo Huertas and Tabarca Marine Reserve.

b) Marine ecology

- Role of crustaceans (Amphipoda) in ecology associated to the ‘fouling’ community at the Mediterranean aquaculture facilities.

- Characterisation of sipunculids settlements of the Spanish Mediterranean, establishing the relationship between the characteristics of those settlements and their habitat.

- Relevance of herbivory in macrophyte ecosystems; influence of their abundance and distribution.

c) Antropic impact

- Impact on seagrass beds

- Impact of organic load coming from fish cages on the sediment.

- Marine dumping (within the UA Research and Development Mixed Unit and Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO), coordinated by CIMAR.

d) Protected Marine Areas

- In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture Secretariat General for Fisheries in the monitoring of exotic species in the Tabarca Marine Reserve. Also, the monitoring of violescent sea-whip (Paramuricea clavata).

e) Study of heritage and exotic species in the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia).

World Bank project, in collaboration with Tunisina INSTM.

Research Projects

a) International scope

'MedMPAnet' Project.

Establishment of priority activities required for the creation of Protected Marine Areas in Lebanon, within the MedMPAnet Project coordinated by the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (UNEP/MAP-RAC/SPA) funded by the European Commission, the Spanish Agency for Cooperation and Development (AECID) and the Global Environment Facility (FGEM).

'Tropical Signals' Project

Continuation of the monitoring of the appearance and assessment of exotic species in Tabarca Marine Reserve, within the Mediterranean coastal labs network. Renewal of temperature sensors in water column (5, 10, 20, 30 and 40m deep) located at the North East of the mentioned reserve in Tabarca.

b) National, regional and company projects

CDTI Project

Demo of new uses of Mediterranean seagrass for the recovery in green areas in verdes en vertederos clausurados. Centre for Industrial Technological Development of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. Dpts.of Ecology and Biochemistry-Agrochemistry, CIMAR, Town council of Santa Pola and the firm Urbaser).

Study the preservation conditions of the hard substrate of benthic communities in the coastal strip; as well as the identification of the preservation status of the Valencian coastal seagrass meadows, under the Water Framework Directive.
Resistance of concrete to maritime climate. Station for marine influence measurement on different types of concrete. Project from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. University of Alicante. Dept. of Construction Engineering. Person responsible: Prof. Dr. Miguel Angel Climent Llorca.
Jellyfish Campaign. Possible actions to minimize the impact of these organisms on the beaches of Santa Pola, and study of the coastal area dynamics (adrift, concentrations ...). Town of Santa Pola (Department of Beaches, ADL, Local Police), Red Cross, Fishermen's Association of Santa Pola, Marine Research Center in Santa Pola (CIMAR), Coastal Ecology Institute (IEL).
Project to identify water quality by using mussels as indicators. Collaboration within the framework of the Mixed Unit with the venue of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography in San Pedro del Pinatar (Area of Physiology and Ecotoxicology of Marine Mollusks).
Project Water Framework Directive in Malta. Collaboration with the Catholic University in Valencia.

Collaborations

Venue of the University of Alicante Research Mixed Unit- Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) (2012)
Centre associated to the Mediterranean Marine Labs Network (2012)

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