Subject Area
Biological Oceanography
Marine Ecology
Limnology
Activities
I am interested in planktonic microbe abundance and activity, and the ecosystem effects of their abundance and activity. This implies the study of the factors that regulate the abundance of planktonic microorganisms and those that regulate microorganism community structure (size, functional and taxonomical structure), and how the physical changes in the marine environment (macro-, meso ? and microscale structures) affect these parameters. As an example, how predation and resource availability regulate bacteria abundances, bacterial use of DOC, and how they regulate the composition of the microbial "black box" in terms of size structure and metabolic characteristics of the community. This is approached by empirical analysis of data bases of organism abundance, growth and loss rates, generated mainly in cruises; by mesocosm and microcosm experiments; and by the combined use of image analysis and flow cytometry and metabolic fluorescent probes.
Sea regions of study
Mediterranean Sea - Western Basin
Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin
