Dancing with Non-biting midges: A Personal Retrospective Look at Water Research and Management in Spain

Abstract:

My career as a limnologist has allowed me to observe the development of Limnology in the Iberian Peninsula from the moment professor Ramón Margalef created in the University of Barcelona the research team to study Lake Banyoles (1967). In 45 years I have been a teacher, researcher, president of the AIL (1981-1992), I have made many efforts to disseminate my work, and for it to be used in the management and conservation of aquatic ecosystems. The connecting link of all my work has been the aquatic macroinvertebrates and especially the taxonomy, biology and ecology of chironomids. I have trained many researchers (25 Ph.D. theses, many graduate and master’s thesis, etc…) which has been reflected in multiple publications and good friendships. Currently the taxonomy, biology and ecology of macroinvertebrates are undergoing a revolution, due to the identification of species by barcode. The challenge for limnologists is to fit in all these changes so that the work developed in the last 50 years has continuity. I have spent a lot of time trying to get citizens and managers to pay attention to macroinvertebrates as a tool for the diagnosis and restoration of the status of the waters. We have developed methodologies for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (DMA) and collaborated with the administration in its use. When necessary, I have put my time and knowledge at the service of groups of citizens who were trying to defend their ecosystems (e.g. the Delta del Ebro) or collaborating with the courts as an expert to the ecological crime prosecutor. Limnology in Spain is now a reality, the students have surpassed the teachers, it is now their responsibility that Spanish Limnology continues to grow and be useful for society.

Año de publicación:

2022

Keywords:

• Teaching
• Biomonitoring
• macroinvertebrates
• Chironomids
• Water management
• limnology
• Dissemination of science

Fuente:

scopus