Juan de la Cierva Researcher
I am an early career researcher with a strong interest in fish ecology, marine biodiversity, and climate-driven ecological change. I completed my PhD at Nord University in Bodø, where I investigated the effects of climate warming on Arctic and sub-Arctic marine fish communities, focusing on biodiversity change and community reorganization.
I am an experienced scientific diver, with fieldwork experience in both Arctic and tropical environments, and I actively collaborate with Reef Life Survey to support large-scale, standardized biodiversity data collection.
I am strongly motivated by the vision of open, globally shared biodiversity data and by contributing to improved knowledge and conservation of Mediterranean marine ecosystems.
Current Research:
My research focuses primarily on the MSCA project PETRIFY, which investigates how strict marine protection alters fish dietary preferences and behaviour, and how these changes can be integrated into spatially explicit food-web models to better understand ecosystem-level responses to protection. In parallel, I collaborate with the ICES Working Group on Marine Protected Areas and Other Spatial Conservation Measures, contributing to the assessment and synthesis of scientific knowledge supporting effective spatial conservation planning. I also work closely with Reef Life Survey Europe, co-organising regular survey campaigns of coastal reef ecosystems to improve biodiversity data coverage and long-term monitoring.
Research Interests:
Marine ecology, Fish ecology, Marine Protected areas, Biodiversity, Biogeography, Ecosystem modelling, Species distribution modelling