Press releases

A new study shows a common pattern in the distribution of species globally. The discovery will help to understand life on Earth -including how ecosystems respond to global environmental changes

REFERENCE: Bernardo-Madrid R, González-Suárez M, Rueda M, Revilla E, Rosvall M, Carrete M, et al. A general rule on the organization of biodiversity on Earth’s biogeographical regions. Nature Ecology & Evolution. 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02724-5

Understanding trophic relationships is key to predicting species range shifts and protecting ecosystems. Researchers analyzed over three million localizations from approximately 3,000 bears, representing 14 European and Turkish populations

REFERENCE: P.M. Lucas et al.. (2025) Trophic interactions are key to understanding the effects of global change on the distribution and functional role of the brown bear. Global Change Biology DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70252

The role of the microbiota may determine the ability of mosquitoes to transmit disease. Bacteria from the families Burkholderiaceae and Erwiniaceae were predominantly identified. On the other hand, bacteria of the genus Wolbachia, which block virus replication in other mosquito species, were rare.

Marta Garrigós, Mario Garrido, María José Ruiz-López, María José García-López, Jesús Veiga, Sergio Magallanes, Ramón Soriguer, Isabel Moreno Indias, Jordi Figuerola, Josué Martínez-de la Puente. Microbiota composition of Culex perexiguus mosquitoes during the West Nile virus outbreak in southern Spain. PLos One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314001

A study conducted by the Doñana Biological Station – CSIC and the University of Seville analyses how individual plants in various populations establish their interactions with the animals that consume their fruits. On average, a sigle individual attracts 70% of the diversity of frugivores animals present in its community, yet only a very small fraction of individuals play a central role in the network of interactions.

Quintero, E., Arroyo-Correa, B., Isla, J., Rodríguez-Sánchez, F., Jordano, P. (2025). Downscaling mutualistic networks from species to individuals reveals consistent interaction niches and roles within plant populations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(7), e2402342122. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2402342122

Since 2004, the Doñana Biological Station has used remote sensing to monitor changes and trends in the Doñana Natural Area at a landscape scale. Research continues to integrate new techniques and expand its capabilities. Doñana stands out for its potential to become an international calibration and validation site for remote sensing products.

1. Coccia, Cristina, Eva Pintado, Álvaro L. Paredes, David Aragonés, Daniela C. O’Ryan, Andy J. Green, Javier Bustamante, and Ricardo Díaz-Delgado. 2024. “Modelling Water Depth, Turbidity and Chlorophyll Using Airborne Hyperspectral Remote Sensing in a Restored Pond Complex of Doñana National Park (Spain).” Remote Sensing 16 (16). 2996. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16162996

2. Gómez-Giráldez, Pedro J., Jordi Cristóbal, Héctor Nieto, Diego García-Díaz, and Ricardo Díaz-Delgado. 2024. “Validation of Gross Primary Production Estimated by Remote Sensing for the Ecosystems of Doñana National Park through Improvements in Light Use Efficiency Estimation.” Remote Sensing 16 (12). 2170. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16122170

3. Gómez-Giráldez, Pedro J., Marcos Jiménez, Ma Pilar Cendrero-Mateo, Shari Van Wittenberghe, Juan José Peón, Adrián Moncholí-Estornell, Jesús Delegido, Jose F. Moreno, and Ricardo Díaz-Delgado. 2024. “The Spafleximp Project: Spanish Flex-S3 Mission Calibration and Validation Plan Implementation.” In IGARSS 2024 - 2024 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 296–300. doi: https://doi.org/10.1109/IGARSS53475.2024.10640946 .

A study by Ebro Delta Natural Park and the Estación Biológica de Doñana – CSIC highlights the severe decline of the European eel in recent years. The impacts of an invasive crab and inaction in fisheries management worsen the crisis of the European eel, considered a Critically Endangered species since 2008.

Franch N, Capdevila P, Fanlo H, Queral JM, Clavero M (2025) Recent ael decline in a large Mediterranean wetland. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70046

A study conducted by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) and the Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC) has detected mosquitoes in Spain infected with Sindbis virus, a microorganism primarly hosted by birds and which can occasionally infect humans. The finding provides key information on the circulation of this virus in southern Europe and paves the way for further research to assess its potential impact on public health in Spain


Rafael Gutiérrez-López, María José Ruiz-López, Juan Ledesma, Sergio Magallanes, Cristina Nieto, Santiago Ruiz, Carolina Sanchez-Peña, Ulises Ameyugo, Juan Camacho, Sarai Varona, Isabel Cuesta, Isabel Jado-García, María Paz Sanchez-Seco, Jordi Figuerola, Ana Vázquez. First isolation of the Sindbis virus in mosquitoes from southwestern Spain reveals a new recent introduction from Africa. One Health, Volume 20, 2025, 100947, ISSN 2352-7714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100947

In a recent study published in Nature Sustainability, a scientific team led by the Doñana Biological Station emphasizes the untapped potential of tree crops for biodiversity conservation, socio-economic development, and climate change mitigation.

Carlos Martinez-Nuñez, Elena Velado-Alonso, Jacques Avelino, Pedro J. Rey, G. Martijn ten Hoopen. Guy Pe’er, Yi Zou, Yunhui Liu, Philip Antwi-Agyei, Adrien Rusch, Charles Staver, Tharaka S. Priyadarshana, Denis J. Sonwa, Damayanti Buchori, Lucas A. Garibaldi, Elena D. Concepción, Owen T. Lewis, Ivette Perfecto, Ignasi Bartomeus. Tailored policies for perennial woody crops are crucial to advance Sustainable Development. Nature Sustainability. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-024-01483-8

This new study predicts that, without the Montaña del Río dike currently limiting tidal and river flooding, sea level rise would result in the inundation of the marshes with estuarine water during spring tides. These changes could have negative consequences, including the alteration of the aquatic plant community and the spread of invasive species, which would require a specific adaptation plan.

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Inês Couto, Ana Picado, Marisela Des, Alejandro López-Ruiz, Manuel Díez Minguito, Ricardo Díaz-Delgado, rita Bastos, João Miguel Dias. Climate Change and Tidal Hydrodynamics of Guadalquivir Estuary and Doñana Marshes: A Comprehensive Review. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12081443

Researchers from the Estación Biológica de Doñana and the Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles conducted a five-week scientific expedition into one of the least-explored rainforests of central Africa. The grey parrot is an endangered species, mainly due to decades of heavy trapping to supply international pet markets.