Miriam Fernández
Lines of Investigation
My research program concentrates on two main lines:
- life histories in the ocean and
- ecology applied to conservation and management.
I have studied macro and meso scale patterns of biological diversity, physical processes determining diversity, and human activities affecting diversity, and conservation planning. My work has focused on the relative importance of life history attributes, specifically reproductive strategies (e.g. parental care) and larval developmental mode (e.g. length of planktonic life) in shaping patterns of biological diversity. My research team made significant advances in understanding the influence of environmental factors changing globally (e.g.,UVB, temperature, oxygen) on embryo development, larval performance, on the distribution of species and on the reproductive potential of species exhibiting different life history patterns. My research group has also studied other human impacts increasing globally, such as fisheries, on coastal ecosystems.
Our studies allowed the identification of the main ecoregions of Chile where marine protection actions need to be focused, and from there our studies are scaling-down to
- define specific areas within ecoregions that need to be preserved, and
- assess the potential of those sites to produce eggs, larvae and juveniles to seed other areas. Working with local fishing communities, we have been able to provide scientific support to establish marine protected areas in Chile (e.g. Marine Sanctuary in Navidad, Marine Protected Area in Juan Fernandez).
Lab Members
Pierina Virinella Rojas
Courses in which participates
- BIO 110C – Ecología de organismos y comunidades
- BIO 298M – Trabajo Experimental en Ecología Marina
Selected Publications
The hidden diversity of temperate mesophotic reefs from central Chile (south-eastern Pacific Ocean) assessed through towed underwater videos.
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Navarro Campoy, Alejandro Pérez-Matus, Evie Wieters, Rodrigo Alarcón-Ireland, Vladimir Garmendia, Ricardo Beldade, Sergio A. Navarrete, Miriam Fernández. 2023.
- Diversity, 15, 360
Assessing efficacy of “eco-friendly” and traditional copper-based antifouling coatings and materials in a highly wave-exposed environment. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 11, 217 (2023)
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Arboleda-Baena, C. Osiadacz, N., Parragué, M. González, A., Fernández,M., Finke, G.R., S. A. Navarrete. 2023.
- Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
Multidimensional data analysis to guide the sustainability of a small-scale fishery affected by poaching.
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S De Juan, MD Subida, A Ospina-Álvarez, A Aguilar, M Fernández. 2022.
- Ocean and Coastal Management 127:106290.