Polar marine biology science in Portugal and Spain: Recent advances and future perspectives

• Published in: Journal of Sea Research
• Main Authors: Xavier, José C., Barbosa, Andrés, Agustí, Susana, Alonso-Sáez, Laura, Alvito, Pedro, Ameneiro, Julia, Ávila, Conxita, Baeta, Alexandra, Canário, João, Carmona, Raquel, Catry, Paulo, Ceia, Filipe, Clark, Melody S., Cristobo, Francisco J., Cruz, Bruno, Duarte, Carlos M., Figuerola, Blanca, Gili, Josep-Maria, Gonçalves, Ana R., Gordillo, Francisco J. L., Granadeiro, José P., Guerreiro, Miguel, Isla, Enrique, Jiménez, Carlos, López-González, Pablo J, Lourenço, Sílvia, Marques, J. C., Moreira, Elena, Mota, Ana M., Nogueira, Marta, Núñez-Pons, Laura, Orejas, Covadonga, Paiva, Vitor H., Palanques, Albert, Pearson, Gareth A., Pedrós-Alió, Carlos, Cantero, Álvaro L. Peña, Power, Deborah M., Ramos, J. A., Rossi, Sergi, Seco, José, Sañé, Elisabet, Serrão, Ester A., Taboada, Sergi, Tavares, Sílvia, Teixidó, Núria, Vaqué, Dolors, Valente, Tiago, Vásquez, Elsa, Vieira, Rui P.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Portuguese
• Published: Elsevier B.V. 2013
• Subjects: Polar science; Arctic; Antarctic; Marine biology; Portugal; Spain; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Association of Polar Early Career Scientists; Climate change; IASC; Ocean acidification; SCAR
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10316/25580; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2013.05.013

Polar marine ecosystems have global ecological and economic importance because of their unique biodiversity and their major role in climate processes and commercial fisheries, among others. Portugal and Spain have been highly active in a wide range of disciplines in marine biology of the Antarctic and the Arctic. The main aim of this paper is to provide a synopsis of some of the results and initiatives undertaken by Portuguese and Spanish polar teams within the field of marine sciences, particularly on benthic and pelagic biodiversity (species diversity and abundance, including microbial, molecular, physiological and chemical mechanisms in polar organisms), conservation and ecology of top predators (particularly penguins, albatrosses and seals), and pollutants and evolution of marine organisms associated with major issues such as climate change, ocean acidification and UV radiation effects. Both countries have focused their polar research more in the Antarctic than in the Arctic. Portugal and Spain should encourage research groups to continue increasing their collaborations with other countries and develop multi-disciplinary research projects, as well as to maintain highly activememberships within major organizations, such as the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR), the International Arctic Science Council (IASC) and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), and in international research projects. The work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), including its Ciência program, by the Portuguese Polar Program PROPOLAR and by several grants, including the projects PTDC/MAR/099366/2008 and Pest-OE/MAR/UI0331/2011. Spanish polar research was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación grants POL2006-06399, CGL2007- 65453/ANT, CTM2010-17415/ANT CLG2007-28872-E/ANT “BOREAL” and REN2002-11565-E/ANT “CASES-2003/4”, grant 2003ACES 00029 from DURSI, Generalitat de Catalunya, TEMPANO (REN2001-0588/ANT) to Dolors Vaqué; ESEPAC (ANT97-0273) to ...