María Capa Corrales

María Capa Corrales is a Full Professor of Zoology at the University of the Balearic Islands' Department of Biology. She coordinates the Balearic Center for Biodiversity and leads biodiversity initiatives under the NextGenerationEU program (€5M budget). Her academic journey includes a PhD in Biological Sciences from the Autonomous University of Madrid (2004), postdoctoral research at the Australian Museum and Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and a Ramón y Cajal research fellowship (2018-2023).

Her research integrates evolutionary biology, marine ecology, and conservation science, focusing on:

• Documenting marine invertebrate diversity across global habitats
• Phylogeography and cryptic species identification
• Functional morphology of sensory organs
• Population connectivity in anthropized environments
• Molecular tools for environmental monitoring

She has secured €1.7M+ through 18 research projects (8 international) and authored 82 publications (60% in Q1 journals like Cladistics and Frontiers in Marine Science).

Scientific Awards & Honors:

• Fulbright Fellowship (2005-2007)
• First Prize, UIB Scientific Outreach Contest
• Honorary Research Associate, Australian Museum

Academic Leadership: Directed 2 PhD theses (1 ongoing), 13 Master's theses, and 6 Bachelor's theses. Coordinates postgraduate programs through EUNICoast alliance and received teaching innovation funding.

Professional Service: Review Editor for Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, editorial board member for Graellsia, and organizer of major conferences like ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting (2,000+ attendees).