One of the maxims among those who dedicate themselves to the conservation of nature is that “to protect you have to knowAnd this is precisely what researcher Jane Lubchenco has dedicated herself to for most of her life. Her work in marine ecology has been the basis for the design of marine reserves and the protection of ocean biodiversity. For this reason, the BBVA Foundation has awarded him the Frontiers of Knowledge award in the category of Ecology and Conservation Biology.
With his experiments, Lubchenco changed the paradigm on the functioning of marine coastal ecosystems and showed that they were not only governed by predators, but that the interaction of species at the base of the food chain, for example plankton and herbivores, could become much more important. Thanks to his discoveries “it has been possible to build a more informed conservation and reach conclusions of great practical interest, among them, to demonstrate thatit is not necessary to protect the entire sea surface to do so effectively. Their research has shown that the key is to establish networks of protected areas of various sizes and interconnected, “the award jury highlighted.
In addition, their contributions have allowed us to better understand the how and why of coastal outcrops, places very rich in nutrients that concentrate a large number of organisms that come to feed. The outcrops explain the existence of many of the most important fisheries on the planet: “Professor Lubchenco’s perspective on ecological processes has been decisive in understanding that the link between these ecosystems, the marine climate and ecological disturbances iskey to long-term conservation of fisheries“says the award ceremony. Because of this, Lubchenco has been director of the National Atmospheric and Ocean Administration (USA) since 2009.” We have made great strides to end overfishing in US waters and we have worked with colleagues in other countries, also in the European Union, to make this a sustainable activity. If we want to eat fish and for fishermen to continue to have work, we must start fishing responsibly now, “said the researcher.
