Imanol Miqueleiz (BIO'14) researches in New York on the conservation of biodiversity in freshwaters

Imanol Miqueleiz is former student the Biology program (2014) and holds a Ph.D. (2020) from the School of Science at the University of Navarra, and this academic year he is pursuing a two-year scholarship at Cornell University (Ithaca, New York). This scholarship, awarded by the Ramón Areces Foundation, is for programs of study in the Life Sciences and the subject.  

"The project aims to increase information available worldwide on freshwater biodiversity and its threats, while exploring opportunities to conserve it more efficiently," says Miqueleiz.

Big Data applied to biodiversity conservation

Miqueleiz works at Peter McIntyre's laboratory , at the department of Natural Resources and Environment at Cornell University, on issues related to the conservation of freshwater biodiversity, through data analysis. "It consists of analysing the information we have on freshwater vertebrate species (where they live, whether they are at risk of extinction) and putting it together with the information we have on threats (for example, the effect of climate change on rivers) and what opportunities there are to conserve them (through protected areas).

Imanol's research revolves around four axes. On the one hand, in the coming years, the young man from Navarre intends to update a global database of freshwater vertebrates and make it public so that other scientists can use this information for their research. On the other hand, Miqueleiz plans to use statistical models to try to predict the potential issue of fish species in the world's rivers.

Another important aspect he envisages is a global analysis of the most biodiverse single freshwater sites in order to try to protect them, as well as to calculate the cost of protecting these natural areas. "I hope to ensure that freshwaters do not fall by the wayside in conservation efforts and that their importance for both biodiversity conservation and human well-being is highlighted.