Author(s):
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, Silvia ; Teixidó, Núria ; Vaqué, Dolors ; Valente, Tiago ; Vásquez, Elsa ; Vieira, Rui P. ; Viñegla, Benjamin
Date: 2013
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10316/25580
Origin: Estudo Geral - Universidade de Coimbra
Subject(s): Polar science; Arctic; Antarctic; Marine biology; Portugal; Spain
Description
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 Susana Agusti, ICEPOS (REN2002-04165-C03-02/
ANT), ATOS (2006–2009) POL2006-00550/CTM to Carlos M. Duarte;
and Arctic Tipping Points (ATP, contract #226248) from the European
Union to Paul F. Wassmann, BREDDIES Project (REN2001-2650/ANT),
COUPLING Project (CTM2008-06343-C02-02) sponsored by the Spanish
Ministry of Science and Technology, Xunta de Galicia-FEDER (2010/87)
by the Consellería de Educación, Xunta de Galicia (CTM2009-11128ANT)
funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación of Spain and the Fondo
Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), projects CGL2007-64149/ANT
and CTM2011-24007, projects REN2001-5004/ANT, CGL2004-01348,
POL2006-05175, CGL2007-60369, CTM2009-08154-E and CTM2011-
24427 and the European Development Regional Fund (that contributed
to the International Polar Year project Birdhealth and PINGUCLIM
project).
