Navarro Rodríguez, Enrique

Biography

Aquatic ecosystems are perhaps the most affected by human activities. The society not only extracts water from rivers and lakes, but also developed numerous activities in its basins that have negative impacts on the quality and quantity of the waters of these basins. At all times, we must add the modification of the landscapes, the spills of chemicals and the introduction of exotic species. In this way aquatic communities are exposed to multiple stressors that are testing their resilience.

Research Interest

My research focuses on human impacts on river basins, combining studies in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, at different levels of biological complexity. These studies are carried out through the use of pure cultures (algae and micro-invertebrates), mesocosmos (artificial channels that reproduce the conditions that occur in the rivers) and environmental monitoring of natural communities. The current lines of work are: Ecotoxicological studies on the effect of pollutants and other stressors (heavy metals, herbicides, nanomaterials, UVR, temperature) in algal and microbial communities. Ecological studies to model the impact of human activities (agriculture) and invasive species on water quality Use of plants (Nerium oleander) as bio-monitors for atmospheric pollution (PM10) in urban areas. Applications of algal biotechnology for the production of biodiesel or the purification of waste water.