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LARBIM

What we study

Outreach

Meet the major groups of marine invertebrates we study and why they matter.

01

Gastropods

Gastropods, marine snails, are the most studied group at LARBIM. They live from the rocky intertidal to the deep sea, and many species are a fishery resource in Patagonia. We study their reproduction, their life cycles and how they respond to pollutants, to understand their biology and contribute to their conservation and sustainable management.

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Patagonian marine gastropod
Sampling in the rocky intertidal

02

Bivalves

Bivalves, mussels, clams and scallops, filter seawater and form beds that structure coastal communities. At LARBIM we study their taxonomy and biodiversity, and the environments they inhabit, from the intertidal to the marine reserves of Patagonia.

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Mussel bed
Quadrat survey on the shore

03

Echinoderms

Echinoderms, sea stars, brittle stars and urchins, are key players on the seafloor. We investigate their ecology and reproduction, and how climate change affects their populations along the Patagonian coast and into Antarctic waters.

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Seafloor of the Patagonian Sea
Benthic fieldwork

04

Nemerteans

Nemerteans, ribbon worms, are a fascinating and little-studied group of the Argentine Sea. At LARBIM we describe their biodiversity using morphological and molecular characters, and study their ecological role, often in symbiotic relationships with other invertebrates.

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Marine invertebrate collection
Taxonomic survey in the field

Outreach with Proyecto Sub

Part of our outreach is carried out together with Proyecto Sub, an Argentine foundation that explores, documents and communicates marine life. Its directors, Martín Brogger and Gregorio Bigatti, are members of LARBIM.

Discover Proyecto Sub