Minister Diana Morant visits the Doñana Biological Station and the ICTS Doñana to learn about their scientific work
On August 26 and 27, the Spanish Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant, visited the headquarters of the Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC) in Seville and the Doñana Biological Reserve (ICTS Doñana), with the aim of gaining first-hand insight into the research carried out by this leading center, both in Doñana and around the world.
During her visit, Minister Morant was accompanied by the Spanish Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Universities, Juan Cruz Cigudosa; the President of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Eloísa del Pino; the Director of the EBD-CSIC, Eloy Revilla; as well as the Deputy Directors Javier Bustamante, Manuela G. Forero, and José Antonio Godoy.
On Tuesday, the Minister met with the center’s management team and its scientific and technical staff, who had the opportunity to share their questions and suggestions. She then toured several of the station’s facilities, including the GIS and Remote Sensing Laboratory, the Stable Isotope Laboratory, the Climate Chambers, and the Scientific Collections.
On Wednesday, Morant and her team traveled to the Doñana Biological Reserve. The visit began with a presentation by Deputy Director Javier Bustamante, who outlined the origins of the Reserve, its evolution into a Singular Scientific and Technical Infrastructure (ICTS), and the scientific and technical work currently carried out there. The group then visited several key sites within the Reserve, such as the Eddy-covariance tower for CO₂ exchange at “Fuente del Duque,” the hydrometeorological station at “Honduras del Burro,” the Castañuela Laboratory, the centuries-old cork oaks of the San Agustín pine forest, and the Santa Olalla lagoon. The day concluded with a visit to the Iberian lynx breeding center El Acebuche.
Throughout her visit, the Minister emphasized the importance of strengthening the role of scientific evidence. “Denying science is the greatest challenge we could face,” she told the press. “What we need are public policies aligned with scientific evidence. The Doñana Biological Station has contributed an enormous amount of scientific evidence. More than 150 projects are currently underway here, supported by over 30 million euros in competitive funding—proof of the excellent work carried out by this team, which has once again regained the seal of excellence. It is through science that we can light the way toward a hopeful future,” she concluded.
