Press releases

A chance encounter on social media between a researcher from the Doñana Biological Station and a researcher from the University of Murcia led to the discovery of the document confirming the introduction of Italian crayfish into Spain. In 1588, Antonio Ugnano, servant of Grand Duke Fernando transported crayfish, which are mistakenly considered native today, from Tuscany to Madrid. Collaboration between the natural sciences and the humanities is essential to describe what nature was like in the past

Clavero, M., Sempera Marín, A. (2025) Effective cooperation between ecologists and historians for conservation: documenting a 16th century crayfish introduction. Biological Conservation https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111405

Rampant price rises are bringing the species nearer to its final demise, according to a study from the Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC). The scientific team highlights the urgent need of a fisheries closure and a commercialization ban for Anguilla species to avoid extinctions

Clavero M, Blanco-Garrido F, Díaz E, Hermoso V (2025) The eel market extinction vortex. Conservation Letters DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13122

The expansion of linear infrastructure, such as roads, railways and power lines, is accelerating, posing a potential threat to biodiversity, especially in regions of high ecological value. An international scientific team, with the participation of the Doñana Biological Station, advocates for the inclusion of populations abundance in environmental impact assessments. They propose comparing conditions before and after construction for a more realistic evaluation.

Rafael Barrientos, Fernando Ascensão, Lenore Fahnig, Fernanda Zimmermann Teixeira, Marcello D’Amico. Population abundance should be an Essential Biodiversity Variable in infrastructure impact assessment. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 115: 108021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2025.108021

Several European countries have recently withdrawn from international treaties and opened the door to the use of explosive weapons, despite their serious humanitarian and ecological impacts. The risks of explosion persist long after conflicts have ended, affecting both humans and other living beings inhabiting an area.

Katarzyna Nowak, Jacopo Cerri, Svitlana Kudrenko, Alexander Kopatz, Izabela Stachowicz, Nuria Selva, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Ilpo Kojola, Nikica Šprem. Weaponizing Europe’s borders imperils wildlife. Science, Doi: 10.1126/science.adz1318

The study, co-led by the Doñana Biological Station – CSIC identifies ecological thresholds to promote biodiversity while maintaining the profitability of olive cultivation

García-Navas, V., Tarifa, R., Salido, T., González-Robles, A., López-Orta, A., Valera, F. & Rey, P.J. (2025) Threshold responses of birds to agricultural intensification in Mediterranean olive groves. Ecological Applications, 35: https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.70057

 This female loggerhead turtle, equipped with a transmitter to track via satellite her movements in the western Mediterranean, laid two clutches of eggs on the Spanish coast within a thirteen-day interval

Rising temperatures and lower oxygen levels in water are causing aquatic insects to become smaller and experience increased mortality. Aquatic insects play a vital role in ecosystems. The combined effects of declining insect numbers and shrinking body sizes could lead to significant disruptions in aquatic ecosystems..

Baranov, V. Losana-García, J., Pascual, J., Fernández Bermejo, S. & Hamerlik, L., Impact of temperature and hypoxia on the size and survival of aquatic insects. Ecological entomology, early view online. https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13469

A combination of late rainfall, high river and sea levels, and the influence of the Montaña del Río dike has slowed the drainage of Doñana’s marshes, which remain significantly flooded at 47% of their capacity. This prolonged inundation will benefit waterbird breeding and vegetation regeneration but also presents challenges, such as the spread of invasive species and cyanobacteria. Despite this season’s rains, temporary ponds remain at risk due to aquifer overexploitation, highlighting the urgent need for long-term conservation efforts.

We feel a responsibility to speak out,” declares the scientists of the Doñana Biological Station (CSIC) in a statement, as they witness daily the alarming and accelerating loss of biodiversity and ecosystem degradation in Doñana and across many regions of the world.

On the occasion of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, to be held in Seville from 30 June to 3 July, the Doñana Biological Station – CSIC has issued an urgent appeal to global political and economic leaders to prioritise biodiversity loss and the climate crisis at the highest levels of decision-making.

Extensive evidence indicates that crayfish were introduced to Spain from Italy in the 16th century, although some authors argue that genetic findings contradict this origin story. A research team from the Doñana Biological Station – CSIC now shows that genetic patterns actually reinforce conclusions drawn from other types of evidence, ruling out the idea that the crayfish is native to Spain.


Clavero, M., Bedmar, S., & Oficialdegui, F. J. (2025). How (not) to use genetic data to assess nativeness and the case of the Italian Crayfish in Iberia. http://hdl.handle.net/10261/393044