Speakers

Martin Zimmer

Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, ZMT, and Bremem University, Germany

Having been trained in terrestrial ecology at Cologne University, Martin Zimmer focused on the soil macrofauna and their contribution to decomposition processes. After a short postdoc in evolutionary ecology (Düsseldorf University), he turned his attention towards the ecology of coastal and intertidal ecosystems (Kiel University). For ten years, Martin Zimmer worked on fauna-microbe interactions, decomposition and organic matter-turnover on sandy beaches and saltmarshes in Europe and the United States. After another short interval (2010-2014) at Salzburg University, where he led the group of Terrestrial Animal Ecology, Martin Zimmer joined Bremen University and the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), where he leads the working group of Mangrove Ecology and the Research Program Area Ecosystem Co-Design. His research focus lies on how the species composition and biotic interactions in coastal vegetated ecosystems drive ecosystem processes under different and changing environmental conditions, and how these translate into ecosystem services, such as coastal protection and blue carbon-storage. Martin Zimmer aims at providing scientific knowledge as background for sustainable management and decision-making towards Nature-based Solutions for climate change-mitigation and resilience of tropical coastal socio-ecological systems.

Moderator

Digna Rueda-Roa

Institute for Marine Remote Sensing at the College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, USA

Dr. Digna Rueda-Roa is an oceanographer and marine biologist with over 20 years of expertise in satellite remote sensing, field observations, and time-series analysis. She has extensive experience working with significant time-series datasets, including the CARIACO Ocean Time-Series and the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network – MBON. Dr. Rueda-Roa is currently a Research Scientist at the Institute for Marine Remote Sensing (IMaRS) at the College of Marine Science, University of South Florida. 

Her research spans coastal and open-sea processes, focusing on the interplay between oceanographic dynamics and biological productivity, the spatial and temporal distribution of organisms, and biodiversity. Dr. Rueda-Roa’s doctoral research characterized the Southern Caribbean Upwelling System and investigated its effects on sardine distribution. She has also applied biological diversity indices and environmental data to identify megaregions among the Large Marine Ecosystems of the Americas. One of her notable discoveries highlights how seasonal winds from the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone aggregate Sargassum in the tropical Atlantic, forming the “Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt”. In recent years, Dr. Rueda-Roa has transitioned to working with very high-resolution satellite imagery to create detailed coastal habitat maps. She is currently co-leading a collaborative project to study the impacts of hurricanes on mangrove ecosystems in two National Estuarine Research Reserves in Florida and Puerto Rico (MCC project, MCC StoryMap). Her work involves analyzing high-resolution time-series habitat maps to assess mangrove degradation and recovery (JBNERR Habitat Maps, RBNERR Habitat Maps).

We will continue with the Networking Fridays during the next months. More information about future sessions as well as presentations and videos from previous sessions can be found here. Please do not forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel.  Twitter Hashtag: #netfridays. Expect some very exciting mornings, afternoons or evenings, depending on where you are…

If you need any additional information please send an email to Patrícia Cuan.