Unidad de Biología Marina – Depto. de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales

Scientists: Prof. Dr. Just Tomàs BAYLE SEMPERE: fish ecology, fisheries, MPAs

Prof. Dr. Francisca GIMENEZ CASALDUERO: EIA, environmental management, chemical ecology

Prof. Dr. José Luis SÁNCHEZ LIZASO: fisheries, seagrasses, MPAs

Specific skills:    The Department of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resources is composed by 20 professors and 50 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, mainly from Europe and South America. The main lines of research include studies in botany, arthropods and marine biology, covering applied areas on conservation biology and management of natural resources. The Marine Biology Unit is working in several research aspects: (i) biology and ecology of littoral reef fish assemblages (habitat, spatial and temporal dynamics of adults, recruits and larvae, trophic structure, age, growth); (ii) ecology and dynamics of seagrass beds; (iii) biology and ecology of benthic communities; (iv) environmental impact assessment (aquaculture, fishing activities, coastal management) and sampling design; (v) management of marine ecosystems and resources (MPAs, artificial reefs, coastal fisheries). The group that integrate the Marine Biology Unit has been involved in studies related with the assessment of fish assemblages in MPAs and artificial reefs over the Mediterranean jointly with institutions like RAC/SPA-UNEP, and have carried out studies on benthic ecology in Atlantic, Central Pacific coasts and Antarctica.

Role in the project: Co-ordinator of WP4; participating in WPs 1, 2 and 6; supplying data from case studies #1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9

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

Ramos Esplá, A. & Bayle Sempere, J.T. (1990) Management of the living resources in the marine reserve of Tabarca (Alicante, Spain). Bull. Soc. Zool. Fr. 14(4): 41-48

Sánchez Lizaso, J. L.,  Reñones, O., García Charton, J.A., Galzin, R., Goñi, R., Bayle, J.T., Sánchez- Jerez, P., Pérez Ruzafa, A. y Ramos, A.A. (2000) Density dependent responses of exploited populations as a result of protection in marine reserves: A review. Environmental Conservation 27(2): 144-158

Gillanders, B.M., Sánchez Jerez, P., Bayle Sempere, J.T. & Ramos Esplá, A.A. (2001) Trace elements in otoliths of the two-banded bream from a coastal region in the south-west Mediterranean: are there differences among locations? Journal of Fish Biology 59: 350-363

Valle, C., Bayle Sempere, J.T. & Ramos, A. (2003) Weight-length relationship for selected fish species of the Western Mediterranean Sea. J. Appl. Ichthyol. 19: 261-262

Dempster, T.,  Sánchez-Jerez, P., Bayle-Sempere, J.T., Giménez-Casalduero, F. & Valle, C. (2002) Attraction of wild fish to sea-cage fish farms in the south-western Mediterranean Sea: spatial and short-term temporal variability. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 242: 237–252

EC projects:  ECOMARE, MAS3-CT97-0155, partner

                        BIOMEX, Q5RS-CT-2002-00891, partner

                        EARRN, AIR3-CT94-2144, partner

                        BIOMAERL, EU-MAST III-MAS3-CT95_0020, partner

                        MedMPA, ME8/AIDCO/2001/0123/SMAP2, partner