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Researcher | i-mar Research Center, Universidad de Los Lagos, Senior Researcher | Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering and Marine Agronomy of Seaweed Holobiont Research NucleiKeynote Theme: Environmental and Biological Drivers of Ecological FunctionAlejandro is based in the i-mar Research Center at the Universidad de Los Lagos, and is also a senior researcher at the Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering and Marine Agronomy of Seaweed Holobiont Research Nuclei. He has over 150 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters spanning coastal ecology, seaweed aquaculture, and the role of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) in sustainable aquaculture development. He is a member of the Chilean Academy of Science and a Past President of the International Seaweed Association (ISAC). He was recognized by the International Foundation for Science (IFS) with “The Silver Jubilee Award” for scientific achievements in seaweed aquaculture, and in 2018 received the award “Honor in Scientia Marina” given by the Marine Science Society of Chile. He currently serves on editorial committees for the journals Aquaculture, Aquaculture Environment Interactions, Reviews in Fisheries Science and Aquaculture, Aquaculture, and Perspectives in Phycology, is Associate editor of the Journal of Phycology and Journal of Applied Phycology, and Editor in Chief of Algal Research. He was previously the Director of Research and Graduate School at the Universidad de Los Lagos and head of i-mar Research Center. As a scientific consultant, he has been able to support development of seaweed culture techniques with the industry, and to promote the use of sustainable environmental technologies for aquaculture with different global stakeholders.
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Presentation: Unwrapping the ecological relevance of microscopic stages of annual Macrocystis pyrifera population dynamic processes in southern Chile
This contribution summarizes the work done over the past 2 decades studying the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera annual populations to understand how alternate and time-separated sporophytic cohorts can maintain a stable population dynamic over time. Microscopic stages (gametophytic and early sporophytic developmental stages). Populations of M. pyrifera have unique characteristics traits in wave-protected sites in southern Chile (40o S). The successful maintenance of sporophytic generations is possible by the survival and sexual reproduction capacity of microscopic stages for 3 to 4 months, allowing coupling time separated sporophytic generations. Sexual reproduction success and fertilization depend on critical environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, salinity, nutrient availability), showing also alternative reproduction capacities (e.g., parthenogenesis, sexual reproductive traits), differentiated interpopulation fertility success and biotic interactions of the early settlement of sporophytic cohorts (e.g. grazing, competition) interactions are highly relevant to sustain in time these kelp populations.
Presentation Slides – Alejandro Buschmann
