Manuel Maldonado

Dr. Manuel Maldonado is a leading researcher at the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and head of the Sponge Ecobiology and Biotechnology Group within the Department of Marine Ecology at the Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes (CEAB). He obtained his PhD in Zoology from the University of Barcelona in 1993 after Biology studies at Complutense University of Madrid.

• PhD Research: Sponge reproduction, larval ecology, and marine silicon cycling
• Current focus: Sponge biotechnology, silicon isotope fractionation, and deep-sea ecosystem conservation

Research Themes:

• Sponge-mediated silicon cycling in marine environments
• Reproductive biology of deep-sea and Mediterranean sponges
• Symbiotic relationships in sponge ecosystems
• Biogeochemical impacts of sponge populations
• Conservation of vulnerable marine habitats like Ellisella paraplexauroides

Selected Grants:

• SIFS-B (CSIC, 2021-2024): Silicon isotope fractionation by sponges
• DARK-Si (MICIU, 2021-2024): Bioecological implications of dark silica
• LEOV Infrastructure Project (2016-2018): Live organism experimentation facilities

Academic Contributions: Supervised 12 PhD/Master's theses on sponge ecology, silicification, and marine conservation. Published 60+ works including Nature Geoscience and Science Advances articles.