Equipe Ecologie des Oiseaux et Mammifères Marins


Maite LOUZAO ARSUAGA, Post Doctorant

Telephone: + 33 (0)5 49 09 35 57
E-mail : louzao@cebc.cnrs.fr

 
Research experience

* Bioindicator species in a changing environment: tracking the ecological effects of global change in pelagic ecosystems. Spanish Institute of Oceanography. July 2011-June 2014.
* Marine protected areas for the conservation of marine top predators. European collaborative network between the CEBC – CNRS (France) and Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ. 2008-2011.
* Development of a coastal GIS for the design of marine reserves. University of Oviedo. 2007.
* Conservation biology applied to the conservation of Mediterranean seabirds. IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB). 2002-2006.
* Characterisation of the marine flora and fauna community of the Concha Bay in Donostia (Gipuzkoa). Summer 2001.
* Sedimentary dynamics of two coastal systems in Galicia (Spain). Department of Marine Geosciences. 1999-2001.
* Study of the morphometry of sharks in the harbour of Vigo (Galicia, Spain). Department of Animal Ecology, University of Vigo. 1998-2000.

Postdoctoral topic

After my PhD, I continued to be particularly interested in the application of multidisciplinary approaches to marine top predator conservation. Assessing different conservation initiatives for marine top predators requires a multidisciplinary approach which integrates marine ecology, statistical analysis, and computation modelling in an innovative way. Collaborative work with Dr. Thorsten Wiegand (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ)and Dr. Henri Weimerskirch (CEBC-CNRS, France) helped fulfilling these challenges.
This postdoctoral project will help developing effective conservation strategies for marine top predators, taking into account their spatiotemporal population dynamics as well as the dynamics of longline fisheries in the Southern Ocean, with special focus on the Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans. During the next 3 years (2011-2014), I will continue working on the identification of key marine areas for the conservation of top predators not only in the Southern Indian Ocean, but also in the North East Atlantic thanks to a Postdoctoral Research position in the Spanish Institute of Oceanography.

Doctoral topic
My PhD was focussed on the Conservation Biology of the Critically Endangered Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus (" ") carried out at the Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (IMEDEA - Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies, CSIC-UIB, Mallorca, Spain), under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Oro and Dr. Pep Arcos (IMEDEA and SEO/BirdLife, respectively). The main goal was to provide a conservation diagnosis of this endemic species to the Balearic Islands in the western Mediterranean, through the study of its life-history traits and interactions with the marine environment.
The monitoring programme of the Balearic shearwater was established in 1997, under the auspicious of the Balearic Government, and the Population Ecology research group conducted the monitoring programme between 2001 and 2004 (""). I have actively taken part in the surveys during these years, monitoring the breeding cycle of the species and manipulating individuals for capture-recapture, banding, morphometric measurements, blood and feather sampling.

To our knowledge, it has been the first integrative research on seabirds overcoming the study of their two habitat components: the breeding colonies on land and the foraging grounds at sea. This research study was carried out under the DISCBIRD European Project (""), which main aim was to provide detailed information of the impact of discard rate changes on seabird communities, both in the North Sea and western Mediterranean, in order to minimize the impacts of this management measure.

Academic degree

31/10/2006 Ph.D. in Marine Science. University of Balearic Islands, Summa Cum Laude. PhD thesis titled: "Conservation biology of the critically endangered Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus: bridging the gaps between breeding colonies and marine foraging grounds". Supervisors: Dr. Oro and Dr. Arcos.
2002-2006 Doctoral theses. IMEDEA. Supervisors: Dr. Oro and Dr. Arcos.
2003-2005 Graduate studies of Marine Sciences. University of Balearic Islands. Supervisors: Dr. Oro and Dr. Arcos.
20/04/2005 MSc in Marine Sciences. University of Balearic Islands. Supervisors: Dr. Oro and Dr. Arcos.
1996-2001 BSc in Marine Sciences. University of Vigo (Spain)

Contracts, fellowships and grants

Postdoctoral contract (Marie Curie Individual Fellowship), Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ (Germany). May 2009- Apr 2011.
Postdoctoral contract (Spanish Ministry of Education and Science), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France). Mar 2008- Apr 2009.
Feb 2007-Feb 2008 Postdoctoral contract, University of Oviedo (Spain).
Nov 2006-Jan 2007 Research Fellowship, University of Balearic Islands (Spain)
Sep 2002-Aug 2006 Research Fellowship to achieve a PhD, Balearic Government (Spain).
Feb-Aug 2002 Research Fellowship to achieve a PhD, European Union Project.
Aug-Sep 2005 Fellowship for international research exchange. School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences, University of Washington. Balearic Government.
Oct-Nov 2004 Fellowship for international research exchange. Duke University Marine Laboratory, Balearic Government.
Oct-Dec 2003 Fellowship for international research exchange. Duke University Marine Laboratory, Balearic Government.
September 2007 Grant to assist to the 1st European Congress on Marine Protected Areas, Murcia, Spain. University of Oviedo.
August 2005 Grant to assist to the II International Manx Shearwater Workshop, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Balearic Government.
August 2004 Grant to assist to the III International Albatross and Petrels Conferences, Montevideo, Uruguay. Balearic Government.
April 2004 Grant to assist to the 8th International Seabird Group Conference, Aberdeen, Scotland. Balearic Government.
October 2002 Grant to assist the XXIII Jornadas Sociedad Española de Ornitología. Salamanca, Spain, Balearic Government.

Scientific Publications (SCI-Peer-reviewed)

* Delgado, I., Alcántara-Carrió,J., Alejo, I., Alonso, I., Louzao, M. 2002. Influence of Hydrodinamics and Sedimentary Characteristics of Barqueiro Ria on Arealonga Beach dinamycs. Journal of Coastal Research 36:231-239.
* Oro, D., Aguilar, J.S., Igual, J.M., Louzao, M. 2004. Modelling demography and extinction risk in the endangered Balearic shearwater. Biological Conservation 116: 93-102.
* Arcos, J.M., Louzao, M., Oro, D. 2004. Management of the Mediterranean fisheries and impact on the marine ecosystem: how to account for top predators? Rapp. Comm. int. Mer Médit 37:307
* Louzao, M., Arcos, J.M., Hyrenbach, D.K., Abelló, P., Gil de Sola, L., Oro, D. 2004. Preliminary results of the foraging habitat of the Balearic Shearwater off the eastern Iberian Peninsula. Anuari Ornitologic Balear 19:61-67.
* Louzao, M., Igual, J.M., McMinn, M., Aguilar, J.S., Triay, R. Oro, D. 2006. Small pelagic fish, trawling discards and breeding performance of the critically endangered Balearic Shearwater: improving conservation diagnosis. Marine Ecology Progress Series 318:247-254.
* Arcos, J.M., Louzao, M., Oro, D. 2008. Fishery Ecosystem Impacts and Management in the Mediterranean: Seabirds Point of View. In: Nielsen J, Dodson J, Friedland K, Hamon T, Hughes N, Musick J, Verspoor E (Eds) Proceedings of the Fourth World Fisheries Congress: Reconciling Fisheries with Conservation. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 49, Bethesda, Maryland, pp 1471-1479.
* Louzao, M., Hyrenbach, D.K., Arcos, J.M., Abelló, P., Gil de Sola, L., Oro, D. 2006. Oceanographic Habitat of an Endangered Mediterranean Procellariiform: Implications for Marine Protected Areas. Ecological Applications16:1683-1695.
* Louzao, M., Arcos, J.M., Oro, D. 2006. Biología de la Conservació d'un ocell críticament amenaçat: la baldritja Puffinus mauretanicus. A.O.B. 21:43-49.
* Tavecchia, G., Mínguez, E., De León, A., Louzao, M., Oro, D. 2008. Living close, doing differently: small-scale asynchrony in demographic parameters in two species of seabirds. Ecology 89:77-85.
* Louzao, M., Igual, J.M., Genovart, M., Forero, M.G., Hobson, K.A., Oro, D. In press. Inter-population variability in egg size of an endangered Procellariiform: interplay between body size and feeding ecology? Acta Oecologica.
* Genovart, M., Louzao, M., Igual, J.M., Oro, D. 2008. Digit length may reveal unusual breeding behaviour in a seabird. Biology Letters 4:461-464.
* Louzao. M., Bécares, J., Rodríguez, B., Hyrenbach, K.D., Ruiz, A., Arcos, J.M. 2009. Combining vessel-based surveys and tracking data to identify key marine areas for seabirds. Marine Ecology Progress Series 391: 183–197.
* Navarro, J., Louzao, M., Igual, J.M., Oro, D., Delgado, A., Arcos, J.M., Genovart, M., Hobson, K.A., Forero, M.G. 2009. Trawling discards are not always important: seasonal changes in the diet of a critically endangered seabird. Marine Biology 156: 2571-2578.
* Louzao, M., Anadón, N., Arrontes, J., Álvarez-Claudio, C., Fuente, D.M., Ocharan, F., Anadón, A., Acuña, J.L. 2010. Historical macrobenthic community assemblages in the Avilés Canyon, N Iberian Shelf: baseline biodiversity information for a marine protected area. Journal of Marine Systems 80: 47–56.
* Käkelä, R., Käkelä, A., Martínez-Abraín, A.,Sarzo, B., Louzao, M. Gerique, C., Villuendas, E., Strandberg, U., Furness, R.W., Oro, D. 2010. The use of fatty acid signatures to assess bird diet: An application to a globally endangered Mediterranean seabird species. Marine Ecology Progress Series 398: 245–258.
* Bartumeus, F., Giuggioli, L., Louzao, M., Bretagnolle, V., Oro, D., Levin, S. 2010. Fishery discards distort seabird search patterns. Current Biology 20:215-222.
* Péron, C., Charbonnier Y., Louzao, M., Delord, K., Phillips, R.A., Weimerskirch, H. 2010. Annual variations in oceanographic preferences of White-chinned Petrels (Procellaria aequinoctialis) breeding at Kerguelen Islands. Marine Ecology Progress Series 416: 267–284.
* Louzao, M., Laneri, K., Martínez-Abraín, A., Arcos, J.M., Belda, E., Guallart, J., Sánchez, A., Giménez, M., Maestre, R., Oro, D. 2010. Trawling moratoria influences longline seabird bycatch in the Mediterranean: new insights from a small scale fishery. Marine Ecology Progress Series 420: 241–252.
* Louzao, M., Pinaud, D., Péron, C., Delord, K., Wiegand, T., Weimerskirch, H. 2011. Conserving pelagic habitats: seascape modelling of an oceanic top predator. Journal of Applied Ecology 48: 121–132.
* Navarro, J., Coll, M., Louzao, M., Palomera, I., Delgado, A., Forero, M.F. 2011. Comparing ecosystem modelling and isotopic approach as ecological tools to investigate trophic metrics in the Mediterranean Sea. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 401: 97–104.
* Louzao, M., Navarro, J., Forero, M.G, Igual, J.M., Genovart, M., Hobson, K.A., Oro, D. 2011. Exploiting the closest productive area: geographical segregation of foraging grounds in a critically endangered seabird. Marine Ecology Progress Series 429: 291–301.
* Louzao, M., Arcos, J.M., Guijarro, B., Valls, M., Oro, D. 2011. Seabird-trawling interactions: factors affecting species-specific to regional community utilisation of fisheries waste. Fisheries Oceanography 20: 263–277

Non-SCI Publications (book chapters, spreadings, scientific-technical documents)

*Oro, D., Genovart, M., Louzao, M., Igual, J.M. 2003. Estudi comparat entre les poblacions de baldritja Puffinus mauretanicus de Mallorca/Pitiüses i Menorca. IMEDEA-Conselleria Medi Ambient (Illes Balears). Technical report.
* Louzao, M., Oro, D. 2004. Resultados preliminares sobre la captura accidental de aves marinas en las Islas Baleares. IMEDEA-Conselleria Medi Ambient (Illes Balears). Technical report.
* Arcos, J.M., Louzao, M., Oro, D. 2004. Management of the Mediterranean fisheries and impact on the marine ecosystem: how to account for top predators? Rapp. Comm. int. Mer Mèdit 37:307
* Louzao, M., Arcos, J.M., Hyrenbach, D.K., Abelló, P., Gil de Sola, L., Oro, D. 2004. Preliminary results of the foraging habitat of the Balearic Shearwater off the eastern Iberian Peninsula. Anuari Ornitologic Balear 19:61-67.
* Louzao, M., Arcos, J.M., Oro, D. 2006. Biología de la Conservació d’un ocell críticament amenaçat: la baldritja Puffinus mauretanicus. A.O.B. 21:43-49.
* Louzao, M., Arcos, J.M., Oro, D. 2007. La relació entre la pesca i les aus marines: el punt de vista de la baldriga balear. Plomes 2: 8-10.
* Genovart M., Juste J., Oro D., Bertorelle G., Louzao M., Forero M.G., Igual J.M. 2007. Identidad y Estructura Genetica de la Pardela Balear. En: Ramírez, L. & Asensio, B (eds). Proyectos de investigación en Parques Nacionales 2003-2006. Pp: 197-210. Naturaleza y Parques Nacionales. Serie Investigación en la red. O.A.P.N. Ministerio de Medio Ambiente.
* Oro D., Louzao M., Forero M.G., Arcos J.M, Genovart M., Juste J., Igual J.M. 2007. Investigaciones aplicadas a la conservación de una especie en peligro de extinción (la Pardela Balear en el Parque Nacional de Cabrera): Requerimientos ecológicos, demografia y dinámica de poblaciones. En: Ramírez, L. & Asensio, B (eds). Proyectos de investigación en Parques Nacionales 2003-2006. Pp: 211-224. Naturaleza y Parques Nacionales. Serie Investigación en la red. O.A.P.N. Ministerio de Medio Ambiente.
* Arcos, J.M., Louzao, M. & Oro, D. 2008. Fisheries Ecosystem Impacts and Management in the Mediterranean: Seabirds Point of View. Pages 587-596. In: J. Nielsen, J. Dodson, K. Friedland, T. Hamon, N. Hughes, J. Musick, and E. Verspoor (Eds). Proceedings of the Fourth World Fisheries Congress: Reconciling Fisheries with Conservation. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 49, Bethesda, Maryland.
* Oro, D., Louzao, M., Genovart, M. 2009. Pardela Balear – Puffinus mauretanicus. En: Enciclopedia Virtual de los Vertebrados Españoles. Salvador, A., Bautista, L. M. (Eds.). Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid. http://www.vertebradosibericos.org/.
* Louzao, M., Arcos, J.M., Laneri, K., Belda, E., Guallart, J., Sánchez, A., Giménez, M., Maestre, R., Oro, D. 2009. Evidences of the incidental capture of the Balearic shearwater at sea. In Paterson A., Bermejo A., Muñoz G., Arcos J.M. & Valeiras X (Eds). Estatus y conservación de las aves marinas en la Península Ibérica, GIAM 2009. SEO-BirdLife (in press).
* Genovart, M., Oro, D., Juste, J., Louzao, M., Bertorelle, G. 2009. Shearwaters from Menorca, ¿yelkouan or mauretanicus? In Paterson A., Bermejo A., Muñoz G., Arcos J.M. & Valeiras X (Eds). Estatus y conservación de las aves marinas en la Península Ibérica, GIAM 2009. SEO-BirdLife (in press).

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