Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (COB-IEO)

Scientists: Dr. Raquel GOÑI: Fisheries ecology, lobster ecology, MPAs

                Dr. Ben STOBART: coral reef ecology and monitoring, video census of fishes.

Specific skills: The Oceanographic Centre of Baleares (COB) is one of the 9 coastal laboratories of the Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), a public research organisation funded in 1914. The IEO is the main Spanish centre for multidisciplinary marine research and develops research projects in three main disciplinary areas: Fisheries, Marine Environment and Environmental Protection and Aquaculture. The IEO runs two large Oceanographic Research Vessels (R/S Cornide de Saavedra and R/S Vizconde de EZA). The Oceanographic Vessel Unit also runs a fleet of smaller oceanographic ships assigned to the various coastal laboratories. Raquel Goñi graduated in Biological Sciences on June 1977 - University of Navarra. From 1978 to 1979 she carried out her postgraduate research project at the Canary Islands Coastal Laboratory of the Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO).  From 1980-1986 she worked as a fisheries researcher at various laboratories of the IEO on fish biology (growth), population dynamics, and stock assessment.  From 1987-1988 and 1990-1992 she was a Fulbright and Spanish Ministry of Education & Research fellow at the University of Washington’s College of Ocean and Fisheries Science, obtaining a Master’s degree in Fisheries (M.Sc.) and a Master’s degree in Marine Policy (M.M.P.). Since 1996 she is project leader at the Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares of the IEO in charge of studies to assess the biological effects of protection in various Spanish Mediterranean MPAs, with special attention to commercial fish and crustaceans. One central aspect of this research concerns the dynamics of the artisanal fisheries in connection with the studied MPAs. Since 1996 she has lead one FPV project on the assessment of biological effects of protection in Mediterranean MPAs, and has been principal the IEO investigator in three FPV and FPVI EU fisheries research projects, in addition to four national projects on the study of biological and fisheries effects of Spanish MPAs.

Role in the project: Participating in WPs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6; supplying data from case studies #1, 2, 5, 7, 8 and 9

Track record on MPAs and/or fisheries (max. 5 works): 

Goñi, R., Quetglas, A., and Reñones, O. (2003).  Size at maturity, fecundity and reproductive potential of a protected population of the spiny lobster Palinurus elephas (Fabricius, 1787) from the Western Mediterranean. Marine Biology, 143:583-592.

Goñi, R., Reñones , O., and Quetglas, A.  (2001) Dynamics of a protected Western Mediterranean population of the European spiny lobster Panulirus elephas (Fabricius, 1787) assessed by trap surveys. Marine and Freshwater Research, 52: 1577-1587.

Goñi, R., Polunin, N.V.C. and Planes, S.  (2000). The Mediterranean: marine protected areas and the recovery of a large marine ecosystem.  Environmental Conservation 27, 95-97.

Sánchez Lizaso, J-L., Goñi, R., Reñones, O., García Chartón, J-A., Galzin, R., Bayle, J., Sánchez- Jerez, P., Pérez Ruzafa, A., and Ramos, A.A. (2000). Density dependence in marine protected populations: A review. Environmental Conservation 27, 144-158.

Planes, S., Galzin, R., Garcia-Rubies, A., Goñi, R., Harmelin, J-G, Le Diréach, L., Lenfant, P., and Quetglas, A. (2000) Effects of marine protected areas on recruitment processes with special focus on Mediterranean littoral ecosystems.  Environnemental Conservation 27, 126-143.

        ECOMARE, MAS3-CT-1997-0155, IEO: Co-ordinator.

        EDFAM, QLK5-CT1999-01272, partner

        BIOMEX, QLRT-2001-00891, partner