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Welcome to the ADAPTIVE TEAM 

Studying the genetic adaptability of marine invertebrates in natural gradients analog to the oceans of the future

Ocean
Research & Goals

Our research

WHAT do we investigate?

Biological buffering systems of marine invertebrates  to face environmental changes expected in the predicted global ocean acidification and warming scenario.

HOW do we do it?

Using population genomics, transcriptomics, and microbiote analyses, together with metabolic analyses along a natural environmental gradients and lab experiments.

Current projects

2022-2024

Acidomic

CNS2022-135968 funded by MCIN/AEO/10.13039/501100011033 and, by the European Union NexGeneration EU/PRTR. Consolidación investigadora - 2022 

PI: R Pérez-Portela 

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Intraspecific and interspecific biological processes underpinning the adaptability of marine invertebrates to ocean acidification

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2022-2026

Enviome

(Funded by The Spanish Government- Enviome- PID2021-128094NB-I00/MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ FEDER una manera de hacer Europa

PIs: R Pérez-Portela & JC Hernández

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Genomic divergence, plasticity, and microbiome shifts in marine invertebrates along natural environmental gradients 

2022-2024

Divergen

(Funded by Fundación BBVA)

PI: R Pérez-Portela

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Genetic adaptability of marine species to natural analogous gradients of our future oceans

Past projects

2018-2022

Adaptive

(Funded by The Spanish Government- Adaptive- PGC2018-100735-B-I00 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER. UE)

PIs: R Pérez-Portela & JC Hernández

Regional adaptation of key marine invertebrates and its local sensitivity to future environmental changes

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Coral Reef Island
Team

The team

Current undergrad students

Past students

Camila Esperanza Salazar Forero - Msc, University of La Laguna

Naira Sosa Navarro - Msc, University of La Laguna

Javier Sepúlveda - Msc, University of La Laguna

Roberto Jiménez Lairado - Degree in Biology, Rey Juan Carlos University

Asia Mattaliano - Degree in BiologyUniversity of La Laguna

Estefanía González - Degree in BiologyUniversity of La Laguna

Ivan Cano - Msc, University of La Laguna

Marc Peralta Serrano - Msc, University of Barcelona

Judith Morales - Degree in Biology, University of Barcelona

Yeray Ramiréz- Degree in Biology, University of Barcelona

Pep Forteza - Degree in Biology, University of Barcelona

Lea Schmütsch - Degree in Biology, University of Barcelona

Visiting researchers

Romain Guet - Erasmus mundus program, University of La Laguna

Papers
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Publications

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Latest papers

PAPERS

  • González-Delgado, S., Pérez-Portela, R., Ortega-Martínez, O., Alfonso, B., T. Pereyra, R., Hernández, JC. (2024). Genomic signals of adaptation to a natural CO2 gradient over a striking microgeographic scale. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 209, 117225.

  • Peralta-Serrano, M., Hernández, J. C., Guet, R., González-Delgado, S., Pérez-Sorribes, L., Lopes, E. P., & Pérez-Portela, R. (2024). Population genomic structure of the sea urchin Diadema africanum, a relevant species in the rocky reef systems across the Macaronesian archipelagos. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 22494.

  • Galià-Camps, C., Carreras, C., Pascual, M., Greve, C., Schell, T., Turon, X., ... & Pegueroles, C. (2024). Chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation of the black sea urchin Arbacia lixula (Linnaeus, 1758). DNA Research, 31(4), dsae020.

  • Leiva, C., Pérez-Sorribes, L., González-Delgado, S., Ortiz, S., Wangensteen, O. S., & Pérez-Portela, R. (2023). Exceptional population genomic homogeneity in the black brittle star Ophiocomina nigra (Ophiuroidea, Echinodermata) along the Atlantic-Mediterranean coast. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 12349.

  • Leiva C., Pérez-Portela R., & Lemer S. (2023) Genomic signatures suggesting adaptation to ocean acidification in a coral holobiont from volcanic CO2 seeps. Communications Biology, 6, 769.

  • González-Delgado S, Wangensteen OS, Sangil C, Hernández CA, Alfonso B, Soto AZ, Pérez-Portela R, Mariani S and Hernández JC (2023). High taxonomic diversity and miniaturization in benthic communities under persistent natural CO2 disturbances. Proc. R. Soc. B., 290(1995), 20222417.

CONGRESSES & WORKSHOPS

  • Pérez-Portela, R.. Adaptability of Echinoderms to Climate Change. 17th International Echinoderm Conference, Tenerife. (Plenary talk).

  • Schmütsch-Molina, L., Arranz, A., & Pérez-Portela, R. Microbiota characterization in two important Eastern Atlantic echinoderms. 17th International Echinoderm Conference. (Poster).

  • Rufino-Navarro, A., Pérez-Portela, R., Hernández, JC., Carrier, T. Bacterial communities associated with the early stages of sea urchin from a population adapted to acidification.17th International Echinoderm Conference. (Talk).

  • Arranz, V, Fernández-Vilert, R., Pegueroles, C., Perez-Portela, R. Strategies of echinoderms in response to ocean acidification: insights from a natural laboratory. 17th International Echinoderm Conference. (Talk).

  • Fernández-Vilert, R., Arranz, V., Hernández, JC., González-Delgado, S., Martín-Huete, M., Pérez-Portela, R. Effect of acidification on populations of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) using natural gradients. 17th International Echinoderm Conference. (Talk).

  • Fernández-Vilert, R., Martín-Huete, M., González-Delgado, S., Hernández, J.C., Pérez-Portela, R. Genomic
    structure of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus across a natural CO2 gradient in the Canary Islands. (Poster).

  • Martín-Huete, M., Leiva, C., García-Berro, A., Pérez-Portela, R. Large-scale adaptive chromosomal inversions reshape the genome of the spiny sea star. 17th International Echinoderm Conference, Tenerife 2024. (Talk).

  • Forteza, J., Martín-Huete, M., Fernández-Vilert, R., Pérez-Portela, R. Metabolic response to acute thermal stress in key echinoderms of the Mediterranean. 17th International Echinoderm Conference, Tenerife 2024. (Poster).

  • Martín-Huete, M., Leiva, C., Pérez-Sorribes, L., Peralta-Serrano, M., González-Delgado, S., & Pérez-Portela, R. Adaptation and divergence patterns in the spiny sea star Marthasterias glacialis (Poster). 11th European Conference on Echinoderms (ECE11), Lyon, France.

  • Fernandez-Vilert, R., Hernández, J.C., González-Delgado, S., Martín-Huete, M., & Pérez-Portela, R. Effect of acidification on populations of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamark, 1816) using natural gradients (Poster). 11th European Conference on Echinoderms (ECE11), Lyon, France.

  • Martín-Huete, M., Peralta-Serrano, M., Fernández-Vilert, R., & Pérez-Portela, R. Metabolic plasticity of sea urchins to face ocean warming (Talk). 11th European Conference on Echinoderms (ECE11), Lyon, France.

  • González-Delgado, S., Wangensteen, O., Alfonso, B., & Hernández, J.C. Echinoderms associated with different subtropical macroalgal communities revealed by metabarcoding (Talk). 11th European Conference on Echinoderms (ECE11), Lyon, France.

  • Aliende-Hernández, M., González-Delgado, S., Pérez-Portela, R., & Hernández, J.C. Effect of ocean warming on clonal and sexual population of the starfish Coscinasterias tenuispina (Lamark,1816) (Talk). 11th European Conference on Echinoderms (ECE11), Lyon, France.

  • Pérez-Portela, R., Peralta-Serrano, M., González-Delgado, S., & Hernández, J.C. Local adaptation to temperature under high levels of gene flow in Diadema africanum, a key herbivore in the Canary Islands (Talk). 11th European Conference on Echinoderms (ECE11), Lyon, France.

  • Rufino-Navarro, A., Carrier, T.J., & Hernández, J.C. The developmental stages of the sea urchin Arbacia lixula associated with photosymbionts that influence host survival (Talk). 11th European Conference on Echinoderms (ECE11), Lyon, France.

  • Cano, I, Ugena, A, González González, E, Hernández Pérez, JC. Study and identification of possible micro predators of recently settled individuals of the key hedgehog Diadema africanum through the use of artificial larvae collectors. International Multidisciplinary Congress of Doctoral Students (CIMED), 2023, University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. Poster.

  • Aliende Hernández, M, González Delgado, S, Perez-Portela, R, Hernández Pérez, JC. Effect of temperature increase on populations of the multi-armed sea star (Coscinasterias tenuispina). International Multidisciplinary Congress of Doctoral Students (CIMED), 2023, University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. Oral presentation.

  • González-Delgado, S, Hernández, JC, Pereyra, RT, Ortega-Martínez, O, Alfonso, B, Pérez-Portela, R. Local adaptation of the sea urchin Arbacia lixula across a natural pH gradient. V Congreso Latinoamericano de Equinodermos Virtual 2022.

  • Pérez-Sorribes, L, Leiva, C, González-Delgado, S, Lazaro, SO, Wangensteen, OS, Pérez-Portela, R. Black brittle star genomic homogeneity along the Atlantic-Mediterranean coast. V Congreso Latinoamericano de Equinodermos Virtual 2022.

  • Cano, I, González González, E, Hernández, JC. Estudio de la influencia de las señales químicas en el asentamiento del erizo clave Diadema africanum mediante el uso de colectores de larvas. V Congreso Latinoamericano de Equinodermos Virtual 2022.

  • Rufino-Navarro, A, Hernández-Pérez, JC, Alfonso-Hernández, B. Estudio sobre los posibles depredadores del erizo irregular Brissus unicolor (Leske, 1778). V Congreso Latinoamericano de Equinodermos Virtual 2022.

  • Martín-Huete, M, Pérez-Sorribes, L, Leiva, C, González-Delgado, S, Pérez-Portela, R. Divergence and adaptation  across environmental gradients in Marthasterias glacialis. V Congreso Latinoamericano de Equinodermos Virtual 2022.

  • Pérez-Portela, R, Leiva, C. Differential expression between sexes of immune related-genes in the black sea urchin, Arbacia lixula. V Congreso Latinoamericano de Equinodermos Virtual 2022.

  • González-Delgado S, Pérez-Portela R, Hernández J.C. Evidences of intermediate disturbance hypothesis from organisms to communities. VIII International Symposium on Marine Sciences 2022 (ISMS), 2022, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. Oral presentation.​

  • González-Delgado S, Epherra L, Sosa N, Hernández C.A.,  Alfonso B, Hernández J.C. Calcifying structure of the sea urchin Arbacia lixula living at CO2 vents.VIII International Symposium on Marine Sciences 2022 (ISMS), 2022,Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. Poster presentation.​

  • Pérez-Sorribes L, Leiva C, González-Delgado S, Lázaro S.O, Wangensteen O.S., Pérez-Portela, R. Genomic homogeneity in the black brittle star Ophiocomina nigra (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea), along the Atlantic-Mediterranean coast. VIII International Symposium on Marine Sciences 2022 (ISMS), 2022,Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. Poster presentation.​

  • Huete M, Pérez-Sorribes L,  Leiva C, González-Delgado S, Pérez-Portela R. Population genomics and adaptation in Marthasterias glacialis based on single nucleotide polymorphisms. VIII International Symposium on Marine Sciences 2022 (ISMS), 2022, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. Oral presentation.​

  • Pérez-Portela R, Riesgo A, Wangensteen OS, Palacín C, Leiva C, Turon X. Transcriptomic responses to thermal stress and gene expression patterns between sexes in the black sea urchin, Arbacia lixula. VIII Meeting of the Spanish Society for Evolutionary Biology, Vigo, 2022. Oral presentation.​

  • González-Delgado S, Hernádez JC, Ortega-Martínez O, Martín-Huete M, Alfonso B,  Leiva C, Pereyra RT, Pérez-Portela R. Genomic variation of the sea urchin Arbacia lixula across a natural pH gradient.VIII Meeting of the Spanish Society for Evolutionary Biology, Vigo, 2022. Poster presentation​

  • González-Delgado, S.,  Pereyra, R.T., Hernández, J.C., Ortega-Martínez, O., Alfonso, B., Pérez-Portela, R. Genomic variation in a sea urchin across a natural pH gradient. XLII Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Genética, 2021, Online.​

  • Hernández, J.C., González-Delgado, S., Wangensteen, O.S., Sangil,, C., Hernández, C.A.,  Soto, A.Z., Alfonso, B., Mariani, S., Pérez-Portela, P. The little ones could rule the future oceans. XLII Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Genética, 2021, Online.​

  • González-Delgado, S., Wangensteen, O.S., Lozano-Bilbao, E., Alfonso, B., Hernández, C.A., Hernández, J.C. “La presencia de mg puede generar refugios locales frente a la acidificación del océano para algunos invertebrados calcáreos”. III Congreso de Jóvenes Investigadores de Canarias y I Congreso Internacional de Jóvenes por la Investigación, 2020, Tenerife, Spain.​

  • González-Delgado, S., Santana-Casiano, M., González-Dávila, D., González-Santana, C. Hernández, A.,  Lozano-Bilbao, E., Castro, A., Sangil, C. & Hernández, J.C. Chemical Characterization of a New Acidified Region to Study ocean Acidification in Subtropical Ecosystems. XX Simposio Ibérico de Estudios en Biologia Marina, SIEBMXX, 2019, Braga, Portugal.

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Outreach

Outreach

  • Entrevista en Tarragona Radio en el programa ‘Arran de Mar’ [Vanessa Arranz - 04/04/2024]

  • Charlas durante las jornadas del dia Internacional de Mujer en la Ciencia en el CEIP Montserrat, Cornella de Llobregat, Barcelona. [Vanessa Arranz - 08/03/2024]

  • Participación en el Pint of Science 2023 en Reus, presentando “Pitonisas del mar”[Marta Martín Huete - 22/05/2023]. Jornada de divulgación científica a nivel mundial, donde se realizo una presentación dedicada a explicar los objetivos y finalidad del proyecto del plan nacional.

  • Conferencia colegio La Salle Reus. Conferencia a los alumnos de segundo de bachillerato, presentando ¿Que hay después del bachillerato? [Marta Martín Huete - 8/05/2023]. Promoción de los estudios del grado de biología así como de la carrera científica, en el colectivo de futuros estudiantes universitarios.

  • Resurgir de las cenizas: viaje a la Isla de La Palma más de un año y medio después de la erupción del volcán Cumbre Vieja. El escarabajo verde [14/04/2023]

  • Organismos en miniatura dominarán los océanos del futuro. ULL Noticias [José Carlos Hernández - 10/04/2023] 

  • Jornada NGI (NextGenera@onIRBio), organizado por el Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat de la Universidad de Barcelona. Dando una charla sobre la adaptación y genómica de población en equinodermos [Robert Fernandez Vilert - 10/02/2023].

  • El reto de convivir con los océanos. ULL Noticias [José Carlos Hernández - 08/06/2021]

  • Seaview Science. Science week, Secondary School Betania-Patmos, Barcelona. [Rocío Pérez Portela - 15/03/2021]

  • Science with the stars. Ciclo de Conferencias del COBCM en las universidades madrileñas. Colegio Oficial de Biólogos de la Comunidad de Madrid. [Rocío Pérez Portela - 15/01/2020]

Lab & Fieldwork

Contact

Want to get involved? Contact us today!

University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
rocio_perez@ub.edu

University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
jocarher@ull.edu.es

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