Maria Dulce Subida

Lines of Investigation:

My research falls in the field of marine and estuarine ecology and is focused on the population and community dynamics of benthic invertebrates. I am very interested in understanding how environmental variability, both natural and human-induced, may determine spatiotemporal patterns in populations and communities of coastal organisms, and how to implement this knowledge on the management and conservation of coastal resources. I also enjoy developing novel ways of bringing science closer to society, particularly those that mix science and art or use new technologies.

Within the Center for Marine Conservation I have two specific tasks. On one hand as the scientific coordinator of the Nucleus, I am responsible for articulating the job of the distinct research teams and for easing the flux of information between the scientific and the outreach realms of CCM. On the other hand, as a post-doc researcher, my work is focused on understanding the comunity-wide effects of subtidal kelp harvesting in the rocky coast of central Chile. Within my Initiation Fondecyt Project “Effect of kelp harvesting on kelp-associated communities: patterns of succession along gradients of fishing pressure and contrasting upwelling conditions”, I am working to understand  how fishing pressure and nutrient supply driven by upwelling may influence the recovery of the kelp forest after harvesting.

Selected Publications:

• Pereira M, Tala F, Fernandez M, Subida MD (2015) Effects of kelp phenolic compounds on the feeding-associated mobility of the herbivore snail Tegula tridentata. Submitted to Marine Environmental Research.
• Subida MD, Berihuete A, Drake P, Blasco J (2013) Multivariate methods and artificial neural networks in the assessment of the response of infaunal assemblages to sediment metal contamination and organic enrichment. Science of the Total Environment, 450-451: 289-300.

• Subida MD, Drake P, Jordana E, Mavric B, Pinedo S, Simboura N, Torres J, Salas F (2012) Response of different biotic indices to gradients of organic enrichment in Mediterranean coastal waters: implications of non-monotonic responses of diversity measures. Ecological Indicators, 19: 106-117.