Research activities focus on the evolutionary, ecological and physiological mechanisms that enable organisms and communities to adapt and respond to the environment and its changes. The programme promotes and integrates multi-scale approaches, linking processes across diverse levels of biological organization, from genomes to ecosystems, comprising the molecular and physiological responses of organisms.
Research combines experimental, analytical and modelling approaches, with strong emphasis on quantitative analysis and the integration of complex multidisciplinary datasets, which can include experimental, genetic or observational data obtained through advanced technologies for ecosystem monitoring.
Research activities also contribute to the development of scientific knowledge supporting evidence-based decision-making and environmental policies, with particular focus on ecosystem conservation and restoration under global change.
- biodiversity and ecosystem functioning
- evolutionary processes and population genetics
- organismal and ecosystem adaptation to environmental and climate change
- marine and terrestrial ecology
- plant and animal ecophysiology
- biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management
- ecological restoration and habitat recovery
- ecotoxicology and impacts of pollutants on organisms and ecosystems
- environmental monitoring and global change analysis
- remote sensing and advanced technologies for ecosystem assessment
- molecular biology, genomics and bioinformatics applied to biodiversity
- environmental and marine biotechnology
- environmental safety and biological risk assessment