Current Job Opportunities and Fellowships
Are you passionate about marine conservation and applied science?
At iMARES, we are looking for dedicated individuals to join our team and work on projects that contribute to the protection of marine ecosystems. If you want to be part of our work and collaborate on innovative research, explore our job openings and available fellowships.
Check out the vacancies and take the next step in your career with iMARES. We look forward to meeting you soon!
General Requirements:
Bachelor’s degree GPA: 7.5
University students in the final year of a bachelor’s or official master’s degree during the 2025-2026 or 2026-2027 academic year.
What We Offer:
Fellowship: 4,200€ (600€/month)
Duration & Weekly Hours: 7 months, 20 h/week
Requests: https://sede.csic.gob.es/tramites/programa-jae/jae-intro-2026
JAEINT26_EX_0426: Bright Ocean Sentinels: Using Light‑Equipped Seabirds to Spot Fishing Activity at Sea
The principal investigator (IP) will be Isabel Afán.
Human activities reshape ecosystems and trigger wildlife adaptations. In marine ecosystems, seabirds often follow fishing vessels to feed on discarded fish, a behaviour that can influence their survival and ecology. To protect marine wildlife, it is essential to understand where and when these encounters occur. In this sense, tracking technologies allows monitoring of movement data of both seabirds and fishery vessels. The Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) both use satellite tracking to transmit vessel locations. In addition, light-level geolocators deployed in seabirds, provide raw light data, while GPS could give insights on seabird behavior during these interactions. Combination of all data offers an excellent approach to the study of seabirds-fishery interactions. Tracking fishing activity at sea remains challenging in countries where official monitoring systems of fishing vessels is not legislated or is deliberately omitted. Seabirds themselves can help fill this gap. This is particularly valuable because some fishing operations use intense artificial lights at night to attract fish, making vessels like purse seiners highly visible to a light sensor. When a seabird carrying such a device approaches a fishing boat at night, the sudden increase in brightness recorded by the sensor reveals the encounter. Light data combined with GPS tracking allows researchers to detect these moments, identify hotspots where birds and fishing vessels overlap, and understand the environmental features that draw them together. This offers a powerful and independent way to reveal fishing activity from both industrial fleets and smaller artisanal vessels that usually leave no electronic trace. This project aims to use seabirds as natural observers that help map fishing effort across the ocean. By analysing the light signals recorded by the devices they carry, we can uncover patterns of night-time fishing activity that are otherwise difficult to monitor. This approach can help us discover areas of illegal fishing or generate fishing effort maps in countries that do not have a fishing vessel tracking system operating. Through this work, seabirds become bright ocean sentinels that could help to reveal how human activities shape marine ecosystems and provide new opportunities for conservation and sustainable management. The student will work directly with one of the most comprehensive datasets available on seabird tracking and light sensor data. Most of the student’s time will be dedicated to learning, applying and mastering state-of-the-art tools for ecological analysis, GIS, tracking and modelling. While doing so, the student will work closely with experienced researchers and peers in a collaborative environment that encourages communication, integration and teamwork.
JAEINT26_EX_0259: Mapping Marine Priorities in a Changing Ocean
The principal investigator (IP) will be Maria Bas
Rapid environmental change, intensifying human pressures, and climate‑driven shifts are transforming marine ecosystems worldwide, yet these impacts are unevenly distributed across ocean regions. The Western Mediterranean Sea (WMS) and the Eastern and Central Tropical Pacific (ECTP) stand out as climate hotspots where oceanographic conditions are changing at an accelerated pace and human activities remain particularly intense. Despite their contrasting climate regimes and oceanographic features, both regions support exceptionally rich biodiversity, play key roles in climate regulation, and sustain millions of people whose livelihoods depend directly on marine resources. In response to mounting environmental and socioeconomic pressures, regional, national, and international stakeholders in both areas are increasingly seeking strategies that reconcile biodiversity conservation with the sustainable use of marine ecosystems, emphasizing cost‑effective marine spatial planning and enhanced ocean governance. Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) offer a globally recognised framework for highlighting priority areas essential for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem functioning. Yet in many regions, EBSA outcomes vary widely, partly due to uneven data availability and the absence of transparent, repeatable geospatial approaches. This fellowship aims to generate robust, comparable EBSA outputs for both the WMS and the ECTP by producing a standardized workflow that translates ecological and oceanographic information into clear spatial products. The resulting maps will identify areas of high ecological value, highlight regions of elevated vulnerability or productivity, and support evidence‑based decision‑making for marine spatial planning. Ultimately, this work will provide stakeholders with consistent, defensible, and actionable EBSA assessments that can guide conservation prioritization and strengthen marine governance in both regions. By combining enhanced geospatial data processing, standardized EBSA criteria and multiple spatial prioritization scenarios, this project aims to develop a unified approach capable of informing biodiversity conservation and marine spatial planning across distinct ocean basins. The results will help identify key areas for protection, make EBSA assessments more consistent across ocean basins, and support international conservation goals such as the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the global 30×30 targets. The student involved in the project will receive comprehensive interdisciplinary training, from R programming, ecological data analysis and geospatial modelling to the practical application of EBSA frameworks across different regions. Students with advanced programming skills will be well-suited for this fellowship.
JAEINT26_EX_0537: Reading Diet Histories in Fish Eye Lenses: Ontogeny and Individual Specialisation in Western Mediterranean Pelagic Food Webs
The principal investigator (IP) will be Marta Coll
Stable isotope analysis of eye lenses offers a uniquely powerful retrospective record of individual feeding and habitat use histories because lens proteins accrete sequentially through life with negligible remodelling. This project will use δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N from eye lenses to reconstruct ontogenetic dietary shifts and habitat use in small, medium, and large pelagic fishes of the Western Mediterranean, a region where pronounced seasonal hydrography, strong productivity gradients, and increasing human pressures are expected to reorganise trophic pathways. Our central objective is to determine when and how individuals shift among prey fields and habitats as they grow, and to test whether apparent population-level generalism truly reflects broadly generalist individuals or instead arises from specialised individuals exploiting different resource pathways. Repeated within-individual isotope measurements derived from eye lens chronologies will also enable rigorous quantification of individual specialisation. We will partition isotopic variance into within-individual and among-individual components (WIC and BIC) and evaluate WIC relative to Total Niche Width to characterise the extent to which populations comprise specialised individuals with distinct foraging ecologies. By integrating individual life-history reconstructions with appropriately resolved community and baseline isotope data, the project will identify the timing, magnitude, and plasticity of trophic transitions across pelagic guilds, and will assess whether individual specialisation promotes resilience through portfolio effects or instead increases vulnerability by narrowing dietary options under environmental change. A further strength of the project is that a substantial proportion of the isotopic analyses has already been completed for many individuals, with δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N measurements available for inner (core), intermediate, and outer lens material that represent early, mid, and recent life periods. The incoming student will therefore be able to begin immediately with a large, well-structured dataset that supports robust inference on ontogenetic change, while receiving focused training to develop specialist expertise in eye lenses isotope chronologies, analytical quality control, and quantitative modelling. In parallel, the student will help complete and extend the dataset through dissections, lens extraction, and preparation of new material to fill key taxonomic, seasonal, and spatial gaps, ensuring continuity between existing measurements and newly generated samples within a unified analytical framework. The student will also work closely with researchers and peers across the project, strengthening collaborative, communication, and team-working skills in an active research environment.
JAEINT26_EX_0823: Trophic changes associated with marine protection: comparing diet and predator–prey interactions inside and outside Marine Protected Areas
The principal investigator (IP) will be Cesc Gordó
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and especially no‑take reserves, can trigger ecosystem-level changes that go beyond increases in biomass. Reducing fishing pressure promotes the recovery of predators and target species, which can modify diet composition, trophic overlap, and the structure of predator–prey interactions. However, these mechanisms remain poorly quantified and are strongly dependent on environmental context and exploitation history. This Master’s Thesis is integrated as a subproject within PETRIFY and aims to provide a reproducible and comparative analysis of several trophic indicators inside versus outside MPAs, with direct applicability for management evaluation and monitoring. The general objective is to determine whether no‑take protection is associated with measurable changes in the diet and trophic role of selected fish species. Specific objectives include selecting a case study, compiling and cleaning dietary data (stomach contents and/or stable isotopes) and community data (environmental DNA, visual surveys), and quantifying differences in diet composition, niche breadth, trophic overlap and, when possible, trophic position. The work plan is structured into four phases: designing the MPA/control comparative framework, calculating trophic metrics and constructing simplified predator–prey matrices, performing statistical analyses, and writing the thesis with reproducible figures and a final synthesis of indicators useful for management. The project will deliver a cleaned database, R scripts, the final thesis, and a short technical note. The student will gain training in ecological data management, trophic and statistical analysis in R, reproducible workflows, applied ecological interpretation for conservation, visual census techniques, and environmental DNA methods.
JAEINT26_EX_0744: Application of movement ecology and GPS technology to understand the functional role of sentinel species in human‑impacted environments.
The principal investigator (IP) will be Víctor Martín-Vélez
The proposed project aims to use urban gulls as indicators of pollution and pathogens in human‑dominated environments. Given the growing focus on urban health, the project addresses the need for innovative, multidisciplinary methods to monitor environmental contamination and the spread of pollutants. The role of gulls as sentinel species is highlighted, as their opportunistic behaviour allows them to exploit urban resources linked to human activity (such as wastewater treatment plants and landfills). Due to their mobility, they can also use sensitive habitats relevant for human transmission. The study will focus on: (1) identifying the origin and distribution of pollutants; (2) comparing accumulated effects in different gull species; and (3) assessing the associated public health risks. The methodology combines movement ecology, using GPS tracking devices, with laboratory analyses to produce contamination risk maps. The expected results will contribute to improving our understanding of urban pollution and informing management and policy development.
JAEINT26_EX_0318: Winner species in an urbanized world: ecology and consequences of urban life in a marine predator
The principal investigator (IP) will be Joan Navarro
Human activity is profoundly transforming ecosystems, favouring certain species capable of adapting to these changes; among them, the yellow‑legged gull stands out, a marine predator that has thrived in urban environments. This project aims to investigate the ecological factors and the consequences associated with the success of this species in cities through an interdisciplinary training programme that will combine fieldwork (capture, GPS tagging, sample collection, and behavioural observations), laboratory work (physiological analyses, detection of zoonotic pathogens, and quantification of urban contaminants), and statistical analysis of the generated data. Through this integrated approach, the selected student will study habitat selection, interactions with human activities, eco‑physiological status, pathogen prevalence, contaminant loads, and diet composition. This will contribute to understanding how this “winner species” adapts to an urbanized world and what the implications are for its biology and its ecological role within urban ecosystems.
JAEINT26_EX_0625: Marine species distribution models and reproducible data analysis
The principal investigator (IP) will be Maria Grazia Pennino
The training plan focuses on the research lines of the group in quantitative marine ecology, spatio‑temporal modelling, and the development of reproducible tools for data analysis. Global change is altering the distribution of many marine species, creating new challenges for ecosystem conservation and management. Species Distribution Models (SDMs) allow researchers to relate biological and biodiversity data to environmental variables in order to estimate current spatial patterns and predict possible future scenarios. However, applying these models in the marine environment requires integrating heterogeneous datasets and using robust, reproducible statistical methodologies. The objective of this JAE Intro is to introduce the student to the fundamentals of SDMs and to the development of reproducible tools for the spatial modelling of marine species. The student will work with open biodiversity datasets and marine environmental variables such as temperature or salinity. They will participate in data integration and preparation, as well as in the implementation and evaluation of statistical models. During the internship, the student will learn the principles of spatial analysis and modelling applied to marine ecosystems. Training will include scientific programming in R, result visualisation, and the application of good practices in reproducibility and open science (FAIR principles). In addition, the student will develop transversal skills such as critical thinking, scientific literature interpretation, and communication of results in a collaborative and international research environment.
JAEINT26_EX_0256: Forecasting Climate Impacts on a Warming Hotspot: The Bass Strait (Australia)
The principal investigator (IP) will be Francisco Ramírez
Climate change is rapidly altering marine ecosystems worldwide, driving ocean warming, shifts in primary productivity, species redistributions, and more frequent and intense extreme events such as marine heatwaves. Improving our capacity to anticipate future ecological trajectories is essential to support adaptive management and implement measures that mitigate impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. In this context, mechanistic, process-based modelling frameworks that explicitly represent trophic interactions and energy flows across key ecosystem components (Marine Ecosystem Models, MEMs) offer powerful tools to explore how environmental forcing shapes food webs and to assess the consequences for population and community dynamics, including cascading effects. By going beyond purely correlative approaches, mechanistic MEMs provide a transparent basis for scenario testing under alternative climate trajectories and for evaluating ecosystem-level responses to both gradual change and extreme events. This project will support a student to use MEMs to investigate the effects of climate change and extreme weather events on the marine community of Bass Strait (southeastern Australia), a climate-change hotspot where ocean temperatures have risen substantially faster than the global average. From an ecosystem perspective, the project will focus on the little penguin (Eudyptula minor), a key mid-trophic predator and highly charismatic species of major ecological and socioeconomic importance. We will evaluate trophic cascading impacts of environmental drivers such as increasing temperatures and marine heatwaves on little penguin dynamics, both historically and under contrasting future climate scenarios. To do so, the student will update, refine and apply an existing MEM for Bass Strait. This model will allow us to disentangle the long-term effects of gradual climate-driven change from the acute impacts of extreme events on penguin populations and the broader food web. Through this project, the student will acquire strong ecological foundations and advanced skills in state-of-the-art ecosystem modelling, while working closely with researchers and peers in a collaborative environment that fosters communication, integration and teamwork.
JAEINT26_EX_0481: Monitoring the contemporary biodiversity crisis in the Mediterranean Sea using digital data from recreational fishing
The principal investigator (IP) will be Valerio Sbragaglia
The Mediterranean Sea is a global marine biodiversity hotspot, which is facing a biodiversity crisis. Many aspects of such crisis remain unsolved because of the lack of the necessary ecological and socio-economic information to guide decision-makers. Emerging digital research approaches (conservation culturomics and iEcology, which use digital data to study human-nature interactions and ecological patters) can fill this gap by providing an unprecedented volume of data to advance monitoring and research on biodiversity conservation from an ecological and human-dimension perspective. Recreational fishers play a central role for two main reasons. First of all, the impact of recreational fishing on marine ecosystems is not well understood due to constrains in monitoring activity. Therefore, the development of a cost-effective monitoring tool will increase our understanding of the impact of recreational fishing on Mediterranean ecosystems. Second, recreational fishing has a huge under-explored potential for monitoring marine ecosystems. For example, European marine recreational fishers are estimated to be around 8.7 million (1.6% of the total population), with an estimated 77.6 million days fished per year. Therefore, recreational fishing catches constitute a widespread spatio-temporal network of samples that – if properly analysed – can provide an unprecedented body of information, especially for marine environments where sampling is constrained across time and space. This JAE project will be integrated within the context of my research activity aiming to approach complex problems with an integrative research approach. The student will be introduced to the emerging research approaches of conservation culturomics and iEcology. Research activity will be developed at the Institute of Marine Sciences in Barcelona. The main responsibilities of the student will be related to: (i) mining digital data in R with a script that has been recently developed; (ii) analyse quantitative data about ecological and social aspects of recreational fisheries (iii) interpret results and participate in writing. The JAE-intro project is open to be adjusted to meet specific expectations and support career goals of the student. The Institute of Marine Science is a unique and vibrant international community and offers support for career and talent development of young researchers in a safe and equitable environment. “Ideal” student is nice-to-having some experience about R.
JAEINT26_EX_0885: Evaluating strategies to handle spatio-temporal autocorrelation in species distribution models based on tracking data: data thinning and weighting
The principal investigator (IP) will be Zuzana Zajková
Animal tracking data are increasingly used to study species’ spatial distribution through species distribution models (SDMs), however consecutive locations from the same individual are not independent. Ignoring this dependence can violate fundamental statistical assumptions, bias estimates of environmental effects, and inflate predictive performance, yet many applied studies still address autocorrelation inconsistently. This project will evaluate how different preprocessing strategies influence SDMs based on animal tracking data, comparing data thinning methods through spatial, temporal, and spatio-temporal subsampling, with data weighting approaches that assign weights according to spatial-temporal dependence. The analysis will combine simulated datasets with real animal tracking datasets, integrating relevant environmental covariates. The work aims to identify robust strategies to mitigate the effects of spatio-temporal autocorrelation and to provide practical recommendations for use of tracking data in species distribution models, thereby contribute to improved ecological inference and the applicability of these models in conservation and wildlife management. We are seeking for highly motivated TFM student. Throughout this project, the student will gain experience in handling animal tracking data and environmental datasets, as well as develop solid understanding of species distribution modelling. In addition, the student will strengthen soft skills through the interaction with members of the research group.
General Requirements:
- Hold a PhD degree by the call deadline.
- Be legally entitled to live and work in Barcelona at the starting time of te contract.
- Fulfill all the administrative requirements to be hired at CSIC on the contract start date (degree equivalence/recognition, work and residence permits, etc). ICM will provide guidance and support, but compliance is the applicant’s responsibility.
- Submit a complete application as described in the offer. The application documents cannot exceed the page limit. Late submissions will not be accepted.
What We Offer:
Duration Postdoctoral Fellows: 2.5 year position
Gross annual salary of roughly 44,000€, including beneifts offered by the Public Spanish Social Security system.
Requests: https://www.icm.csic.es/en/calls/call-four-postdoc-fellowships-our-research-hubs
Opportunities led by iMARES
TOPIC BDV-2: Top predators and microbes: unravelling the hidden microbial links between marine wildlife and ecosystem health
Marine ecosystems are shaped by interactions between moving animals and the microbial communities inhabiting both their bodies and the environments they use. Top predators such as seabirds and large marine fishes move across extensive ecological gradients, and their microbiomes can mirror the conditions of the habitats they forage, breed, or rest in, responding rapidly to environmental degradation, contamination, or recovery. However, research on marine biota remains largely compartmentalized by organismal group, often overlooking these links between macro- and microorganisms and their habitats. Framed within the Biodiversity Hub,
this line aims i) to determine the extent to which predator-associated microbiomes function as sensitive indicators of ecosystem health and ii) to assess whether wide-ranging predators facilitate microbial connectivity by dispersing beneficial microbes, pathogens, or resistance genes between habitats. We welcome proposals combining field data (such as tagging, movement, and habitat-use information) with environmental microbiome sampling and network analysis to gain insight into the dual role of marine top predators as ecosystem sentinels and agents of microbial dispersal. Candidates should be prepared to work across disciplines, integrating microbial ecology, animal ecology, spatial modelling and molecular approaches. Ideally, outcomes should support the development of microbial indicators for ecosystem health assessment and contribute to reproducible methods that strengthen a durable research line at ICM.
CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS
PhD in Ecology, Biology, Microbial Ecology, Environmental Sciences, or related fields. Experience in movement ecology (including behaviour, habitat use, spatial connectivity, and biologging/tracking tools) and/or background in microbial ecology (ideally microbiome sampling, microbial dispersal, or pathogen/AMR dynamics). Ability to combine field ecology with microbial datasets to assess ecosystem health and microbial connectivity. Strong skills in data analysis and visualization (R, QGIS, or similar).
TOPIC SFS-3: Mechanistic Eco-Evolutionary Models: Integrating Genomic and Epigenetic Variation into Marine Species Distributions
Marine species inhabit highly heterogeneous seascapes in which temperature, productivity, and hydrodynamics shape population structure, adaptive potential, and short-term plastic responses. Yet current species distribution models remain largely correlative and overlook the evolutionary and epigenetic mechanisms that mediate organism/environment interactions, limiting their ability to predict spatial dynamics under rapid climate change. Population-level adaptive variation and environmentally responsive epigenetic modifications offer powerful but underused indicators of eco-evolutionary capacity across seascapes. Embedded within the Hub
framework, this research line aims to develop next-generation, mechanistic SDMs that explicitly incorporate genomic structure, adaptive trait variation, and environmentally induced epigenetic plasticity. By integrating population genomics, environmental epigenetics, and modelling, the work will reveal how evolutionary potential and phenotypic flexibility shape present and future
distributions of ecologically and commercially important species. We encourage proposals combining genomic surveys, experimental assays, and spatial modelling to evaluate population vulnerability, identify climate refugia, and support ecosystem-based fisheries governance. Candidates should be prepared to work across disciplines spanning evolutionary biology, molecular ecology, oceanography, and fisheries science. Expected outcomes include climate-robust predictive tools, standardised workflows for integrating molecular and
environmental datasets, and a durable cross-departmental line linking modelling, genomics, and fisheries management at ICM.
CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS
The candidate should hold a PhD in Evolutionary Biology, Molecular Ecology, Marine Sciences or related fields, with experience in at least one of the following areas: population genomics, environmental epigenetics, bioinformatics, or species distribution modelling. Strong quantitative and analytical skills are essential, including familiarity with handling molecular and environmental datasets and implementing spatial or ecological models. Experience working across disciplines such as oceanography, fisheries science, or eco-evolutionary dynamics will be highly valued. Candidates are expected to demonstrate the ability to integrate complex datasets, an interest in understanding organism-environment interactions under climate change, and a collaborative attitude suited for cross-research environments. Excellent communication and scientific writing skills are desirable.
TOPIC SFS-4: Socio-ecological scenarios for the future of fisheries and seafood systems in Catalonia: co-production of knowledge, social sustainability and transition towards Blue Food Security
Coastal seafood systems sit at the intersection of ecological change, market dynamics, cultural identity and governance, yet their future trajectories remain difficult to anticipate in regions facing rapid environmental and socio-economic transformation. In Catalonia, where artisanal and trawling fleets operate under contrasting regimes and where tourism pressure, climate-driven species shifts, spatial competition, and evolving consumption patterns converge, there is an urgent need for scenario frameworks that integrate ecological processes with social realities. Building on the European Fishers of the Future foresight exercise, this research line aims to co-produce participatory socio-ecological scenarios tailored to Catalonia, translating continental-scale insights into actionable regional pathways. The topic seeks to merge ecological modelling, social sciences, and governance analysis to understand how climate impacts, biodiversity change, labour conditions, gender dynamics, cultural practices, and value-chain structures interact to shape seafood sustainability and Blue Food Security. We welcome proposals employing participatory methods, integrated modelling, and multi-actor
engagement to generate transition strategies that reconcile environmental limits with social justice and economic viability. Candidates should be prepared to work across disciplines spanning anthropology, fisheries ecology, economics, climate modelling, and policy studies. Expected outcomes include regionally grounded future scenarios, strengthened multi-stakeholder collaboration, and a durable framework that connects ecological forecasts with governance innovation and social well-being across the Catalan seafood system.
CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS
Hold a PhD in Social or Environmental Sciences, such as Anthropology, Human Geography, Fisheries Ecology, Marine Policy, Environmental Economics, or Climate Sciences, with demonstrated experience in socio-ecological research. Strong skills in qualitative or mixedmethods approaches (e.g., interviews, participatory workshops, ethnographic or stakeholderengagement methods) and/or quantitative modelling (e.g., integrated socio-ecological models, climate-impact scenarios, or fisheries-related analyses) are essential. Familiarity with participatory or co-production frameworks, as well as the ability to integrate ecological, climatic, and socio-economic data, will be highly valued. The candidate should be comfortable working across disciplines, engaging with diverse actors including fishers, managers, scientists, and civil society organisations, and contributing to scenario development under climate-driven and multistressor contexts. Strong communication, facilitation, and collaborative skills are expected.
TOPIC MMS-1: Beyond Single Stressors: a revisitable Atlas of cumulative pressures to support marine spatial Planning
Marine ecosystems are increasingly shaped by overlapping pressures, including climate-driven extremes, geophysical hazards, intensive fisheries, habitat degradation, pollution, and biological stressors. These drivers vary across space and time and often co-occur, producing amplified and sometimes non-linear ecological responses. Yet stressors are still often assessed in isolation because they are observed at different resolutions, with different uncertainties and sampling designs, complicating integration. Working collaboratively within and beyond the Multiple Marine Stressors Hub, we aim to integrate single-stressor assessments from ICM research groups into a coherent four-dimensional (latitude, longitude, depth, time) framework to (i) identify hotspots and critical periods where multiple stressors co-occur, (ii) quantify how cooccurrence patterns vary over time and across coastal, pelagic, and benthic habitats, and (iii) pinpoint management-relevant leverage points where reducing locally controllable pressures is most likely to strengthen ecosystem resilience under Global Ecological Change. We will translate these analyses into decision-grade products, culminating in a revisitable ICM Atlas of
Marine Stressors delivering open-access, georeferenced layers to support research and decision-making. The Atlas will follow transparent, well-documented, interoperable geospatial standards, include explicit uncertainty descriptors and update protocols, and ensure reproducibility, long-term usability, and a durable interface between ICM science, marine spatial planning, and conservation priorities.
CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS
Experience in spatial data analysis, environmental modelling and marine spatial planning, with solid proficiency in R and GIS tools (QGIS, ArcGIS or equivalent), in cumulative impact assessments and handling large marine spatial datasets, demonstrated capacity for
knowledge transfer and effective interaction with stakeholders.
The end of the Messinian salinity crisis and how to repopulate a marine basin
The Messinian Salinity Crisis was the greatest paleoenvironmental perturbation in the Mediterranean Sea, and took place around 5.5 million years ago, when the marine connection to the Atlantic Ocean was restricted, leading to drastic reduction in biodiversity and the complete restructuring of the marine biota. After the Messinian Salinity Crisis, the Mediterranean–Atlantic gateway opening at Gibraltar initiated the reconnection to the global ocean, allowing for the influx of marine species, which took place within a few months to years. However, this influx did not lead to the expected, also rapid (re)establishment of populations, an observation which can only be explained by the lack of favorable paleoenvironmental conditions in the Mediterranean basin. The aim of this PhD project will be to investigate the establishment of different marine taxa in a previously hypersaline basin. The student will employ statistical models to predict the distributions of the targeted taxa, and explore potential trophic relationships established in the marine ecosystem.
This thesis will be supervised by Konstantina Agiad, Marta Coll and Daniel Garcia-Castellanos, and conducted at the Institut de Ciències del Mar in Barcelona.
Expressions of interest (with CV including Bachelor grade) should be sent to konstantina.agiadi@univie.ac.at
- Monitoring the contemporary biodiversity crisis in the Mediterranean Sea using digital data from recreational fishing
PI: Dr. Valerio Sbragaglia (sbragaglia@icm.csic.es)
- Pleistocene-Holocene marine resources of the Western Mediterranean.
PI: Dr. Maria Bas (mbas@icm.csic.es)
ICM-01: Networking modelling for marine ecological applications
At iMARES, we offer a research internship for master’s students interested in studying trophic interactions in the Mediterranean. The project will analyze how feeding behavior influences marine connectivity and ecosystem structure, using a database with over 34,000 records of interactions between organisms.
This study will assess current knowledge on trophic ecology in the region, explore the relationship between trophic links and species traits, and model extinction scenarios for different taxonomic groups.
Requirements:
- Be enrolled in a Master’s program in Marine Biology, Ecology, or Environmental Sciences for the 2024-25 or 2025-26 academic year.
- Bachelor’s degree GPA: 8.00
Preferred qualifications:
- Fluency in English
- Knowledge of R programming
What We Offer:
- Duration & Weekly Hours: 6 months, 20 h/week
- Fellowship: 4,200€ (700€/month)
The principal investigator (IP) will be Marta Coll.
Requests: https://sede.csic.gob.es/tramites/programa-jae/convocatoria-jae-intro-icu-2025Descripción de este bloque. Utiliza este espacio para describir tu bloque. Cualquier texto es válido. Descripción de este bloque. Puedes utilizar este espacio para describir tu bloque.
ICM-04: Monitoring the contemporary biodiversity crisis in the Mediterranean Sea using digital data from recreational fishing.
At iMARES, we offer a research internship for master’s students interested in applying digital tools to marine conservation. The project will use conservation culturomics and iEcology to analyze human-nature interactions and improve biodiversity monitoring in the Mediterranean.
The study will focus on recreational fishing, both as an environmental pressure and as a valuable data source. By mining digital data and analyzing recreational fishing activities, we aim to develop cost-effective monitoring tools and gain new insights into marine ecosystem dynamics.
Requirements:
- Be enrolled in a Master’s program in Biology, Ecology or Computes Sciences for the 2024-25 o 2025-26 academic year.
- Bachelor’s degree GPA: 7.00
What We Offer:
- Duration & Weekly Hours: 6 months, 20 h/week
- Fellowship: 3,600€ (600€/month)
The principal investigator (IP) will be Valerio Sbragaglia
Requests: https://sede.csic.gob.es/tramites/programa-jae/convocatoria-jae-intro-icu-2025
General Requirements:
- University students in the final year of a bachelor’s or official master’s degree during the 2024-2025 or 2025-2026 academic year.
- Bachelor’s degree GPA: 7.5
What We Offer:
Fellowship: 4,200€ (600€/month)
Duration & Weekly Hours: 7 months, 20 h/week
Requests: https://sede.csic.gob.es/tramites/programa-jae/jae-intro-2025
JAEINT25_EX_0681: Analysis of marine trophic networks and their applications for conservation and management.
The principal investigator (IP) will be Marta Coll.
Feeding behavior and the ecology of organisms play an important role in marine connectivity, as species move or prey on organisms from different habitats. In doing so, they establish ecological links that substantially contribute to the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems. Describing and understanding these links is essential for managing ecosystems from an integrative perspective. This study will update an extensive trophic database detailing the trophic interactions between marine organisms in the Mediterranean Sea, including over 34,000 records and more than 2,400 entities (bacteria, chromists, protozoa, plants, and animals). The majority of the data comes from stomach content analysis, followed by stable isotope analysis and DNA metabarcoding records. The study will conduct laboratory work to generate new information on the trophism of marine organisms and will also use the Mediterranean trophic database to (1) characterize the available knowledge on trophic ecology in the region, (2) quantify the relationship between the main trophic links of species and their traits (e.g., habitat, taxon), (3) assess marine trophic network properties, and (4) develop extinction scenarios for different taxonomic groups (e.g., elasmobranchs, predators, etc.).
JAEINT25_EX_0986: Joint dynamics and interactions in a complex marine-terrestrial socio-ecological system: Causes of the Audouin’s Gull collapse in the Ebro Delta.
The principal investigator (IP) will be Francisco Ramírez.
The Ebro Delta is a key area of immeasurable value for the nesting of numerous seabird species. Specifically, at Punta de la Banya, we find an important population of Yellow-legged Gull and Audouin’s Gull. Both species rely on marine trophic resources, both through active fishing and the utilization of discards from the intense fishing activity in that area. By the late 2000s, the population of Audouin’s Gull suffered a sharp decline, primarily due to a dispersal process, dropping from hosting over 70% of the global population in 2006 to only 3% in 2017. During this same period, changes in fishing regulations intensified the pressure on pelagic species such as sardines, the primary food resource for these gulls. At the same time, the recovery plan for the Atlantic bluefin tuna, a natural predator of pelagic species, increased the pressure on small pelagics, possibly reducing the food availability. Meanwhile, the population of Yellow-legged Gull, a direct competitor of Audouin’s Gull, continued to grow thanks to its ability to exploit various resources associated with human activity. This master’s thesis, developed in collaboration with the Institute of Marine Sciences (CSIC), the Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CSIC), and the Centre for Mathematical Research, aims to analyze the interactions and joint dynamics of this complex socio-ecological system through mathematical modeling, with an emphasis on non-linear dynamics both analytically and numerically. The work will focus on the population changes of Audouin’s Gull and its possible relationship with fishing regulations and their effects on the marine ecosystem.
JAEINT25_EX_0936: Functional traits of mesopelagic fishes past and present.
The principal investigator (IP) will be Konstantina Agiadi.
Mesopelagic fishes are a major component of pelagic food webs and play an important role in the biological carbon pump though their diel vertical migration, but they have been generally understudied until recently. The aim of this project is to obtain specific functional traits of some of the most common mesopelagic species, namely lanternfishes, for the present day and the deep past. Morphological, physiological, behavioral and life-history traits of selected species will be reconstructed by analysing otoliths collected from live-collected fish specimens as well as fossil otoliths recovered from marine sediments. Biogeochemical and paleontological approaches will be combined to discuss changes in traits such as body size, trophic level, metabolic rate, and migration capacity.
JAEINT25_EX_0960: Monitoring the contemporary biodiversity crisis in the Mediterranean Sea using digital data from recreational fishing.
The principal investigator (IP) will be Valerio Sbragaglia
The Mediterranean Sea is a global marine biodiversity hotspot, which is facing a biodiversity crisis. Many aspects of such crisis remain unsolved because of the lack of the necessary ecological and socio-economic information to guide decision-makers. Emerging digital research approaches (conservation culturomics and iEcology, which use digital data to study human-nature interactions and ecological patters) can fill this gap by providing an unprecedented volume of data to advance monitoring and research on biodiversity conservation from an ecological and human-dimension perspective. Recreational fishers play a central role for two main reasons. First of all, the impact of recreational fishing on marine ecosystems is not well understood due to constrains in monitoring activity. Therefore, the development of a cost-effective monitoring tool will increase our understanding of the impact of recreational fishing on Mediterranean ecosystems. Second, recreational fishing has a huge under-explored potential for monitoring marine ecosystems. For example, European marine recreational fishers are estimated to be around 8.7 million (1.6% of the total population), with an estimated 77.6 million days fished per year. Therefore, recreational fishing catches constitute a widespread spatio-temporal network of samples that – if properly analysed – can provide an unprecedented body of information, especially for marine environments where sampling is constrained across time and space. This JAE project will be integrated within the context of my research activity aiming to approach complex problems with an integrative research approach. The student will be introduced to the emerging research approaches of conservation culturomics and iEcology. Research activity will be developed at the Institute of Marine Sciences in Barcelona. The main responsibilities of the student
Exploring the Blue Highways: Undesrtanding Ecological Connectivity in a Changing Ocean
Marine ecosystems health and productivity are increasingly threatened by climate change, unsustainable resource extraction, pollution, and other stressors of global environmental change (GEC); ultimately hampering the ability of oceans to provide essential ecosystem services. In response, global initiatives like the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development seek to address these challenges by promoting more effective, science-based ocean policies. One promising strategy is marine spatial planning (MSP), which largely focuses on identifying and protecting/managing Spatial Ecological Networks (SENs), interconnected marine areas that are crucial for biodiversity and ecosystem health. A key element of SENs is ecological connectivity (both structural and functional connectivity), which interlinks natural processes across regions, facilitates the movement of species and supports ecosystem functioning and enhances ecosystem resilience.
Significant challenges still remain for SEN management approaches, particularly regarding knowledge gaps in understanding ecological connectivity and the methodological complexities of studying it within dynamic and heterogeneous marine pelagic environments (or seascapes). To address these challenges, OCEANIC aims to develop novel methods for assessing marine connectivity, refining management strategies, and anticipating future risks of global change within pelagic habitats. OCEANIC will advance the integration of multidisciplinary empirical knowledge (e.g., species movement and tropic interactions) and cutting-edge modeling tools (species distribution models, SDMs, and marine ecosystem models, MEMs) to deepen our understanding of marine ecosystem functioning and, particularly, of the role of ecological connectivity in maintaining pelagic metacommunities and ecosystem integrity, enhancing resilience to cumulative impacts.
Specifically, the project’s two key objectives are to advance scientific knowledge of connectivity in pelagic SENs and to apply this knowledge in two contrasting regions facing important challenges: The Western Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Tropical and Central Pacific. The OCEANIC Research Project aims to contribute with key scientific knowledge to marine protection and management in key marine regions, while promoting the sustainability of human activities that rely on the use and exploitation of pelagic marine resources.
This thesis will be supervised by Marta Coll and Francisco Ramírez, and conducted at the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) in Barcelona.
Expressions of Interest (including CV, Motivation Letter, and official academic transcript from Bachelor’s degree) should be sent to ramirez@icm.csic.es
Remaining Urban Wildlife: Synanthropic Species as Sentinels of Ecosystem Health
Urban environments are increasingly exposed to complex pressures from pollution, climate change, and human activity, yet they remain underrepresented in ecological monitoring frameworks. The ALLIES project explores how synanthropic wildlife, species that coexist closely with humans, can be leveraged to assess ecosystem health in cities from a One Health perspective. By tracking urban gulls with GPS devices and analyzing biological samples, this research will uncover spatial and temporal patterns of pathogens and pollutants circulating in urban landscapes.
Through interdisciplinary collaboration between ICM-CSIC, the Public Health Agency of Barcelona (ASPB), and ISGlobal, the project integrates ecological, environmental, and public health data to develop adaptive risk maps and early warning systems. The PhD candidate will contribute to advancing ecological knowledge and methodological innovation in urban ecosystem monitoring, choosing to focus on either the pathogen or contaminant track. Ultimately, ALLIES aims to strengthen the integration of environmental, animal, and human health monitoring in highly anthropogenic environments.
This thesis will be supervised by Joan Navarro and Víctor Martín-Vélez, and conducted at the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) in Barcelona. Expressions of Interest (including CV, Motivation Letter, and official academic transcript from Bachelor’s degree) should be sent to joan@icm.csic.es and victormartin@icm.csic.es