Members

I am a marine biologist, working at IBIOMAR-CONICET in Puerto Madryn, Patagonia Argentina. My main interest is the study of marine invertebrate integrative biology, including reproduction, physiology, behavior, ecology, fisheries and ecotoxicology. I focus particularly on marine gastropods and the integration of knowledge for application in the management of this resource. In this sense, I am interested in marine gastropod fisheries, its food quality for human consumption and studies on contaminants of different species in Patagonian.
Marine invertebrates are relatively poorly studied in Argentina. Their particular modes of life and environmental adaptations have interested me since I was an undergraduate student. My investigations aim to study the integrative biology of these animals, utilizing different techniques to answer scientific questions about reproduction, physiology, behavior, and to promote the conservation of Patagonian marine invertebrates from an ecological and economical point of view.
In 2007 I became a Scientific Researcher in CONICET and began to organize the LARBIM (Reproduction and Marine Invertebrate Integrative Biology Laboratory), which is currently formed by more than 15 people (researchers, fellows and biology students). In this research group we study marine invertebrates from Patagonia, mainly in reproduction, development, behavior, fisheries, ecotoxicology, taxonomy, ecology and biodiversity.

• The life cycles of marine gastropods in order to implement management strategies for the artisanal fisheries and their conservation
• Physiological and cellular processes in marine gastropods exposed to contaminants
• Ecological processes that determine benthic assemblages in intertidal rocky shores from Patagonia
• Add to the knowledge and conservation of benthic marine invertebrates of Patagonia

Studies performed at LARBIM are focused at marine gastropods and other marine invertebrates from Patagonian coasts such as nemerteans, echinoderms and bivalves. We mainly work with species from coastal shores studying developmental biochemistry, gonadic histology, functional anatomy, population parameters, feeding mechanisms, imposex, cellular phisiology, size at first sexual maturity, reproductive cycles and fisheries. We aim to integrate all the generated data on marine resources with ecological or economical importance. We also study benthic diversity from Patagonian shores to understand the variables that drive these assemblages.Studies performed at LARBIM are focused at marine gastropods and other marine invertebrates from Patagonian coasts such as nemerteans, echinoderms and bivalves. We mainly work with species from coastal shores studying developmental biochemistry, gonadic histology, functional anatomy, population parameters, feeding mechanisms, imposex, cellular phisiology, size at first sexual maturity, reproductive cycles and fisheries. We aim to integrate all the generated data on marine resources with ecological or economical importance. We also study benthic diversity from Patagonian shores to understand the variables that drive these assemblages.

We work in several research lines:

• Reproductive ecology, physiology and funtional anatomy of gastropods belonging to the families Volutidae, Nassaridae y Muricidae
• Reproductive biology, dispersion, larval devolpmenta and simbiotic relationships of the nemertean Malacobdella arrokeana
• Biodiversity of Phylum Nemertea
• Imposex physiology: endocrine disruptors, reproductive alteration due to metal and organometals in marine gastropods. Rol of the receptor RXR in the imposex induction
• Fisheries prospectings of marine gastropods, minimun capture sizes, population parameters, fisheries management policies
• Marine invertebrates’ biodiversity Ecology of marine benthic communities 

We also participate in marine biodiversity projects as SARCE (South American Research Group on Coastal Ecosystems) and MBON Pole to Pole (Marine Biodiversity Observatory Netword), studying the benthic ecosystems of Patagonian rocky shores. We also are participants of Proyectosub, a scientific outreach initiative about conservation of marine invertebrates, emphasizing their important role in marine food webs and ecosystems.