Eva Garcia-Vazquez

• PhD in Biology
• Professor at University of Oviedo

Anthropogenic stressors reduce marine biodiversity. Tolerant species may develop in altered areas where they occupy niches that native species are unable to use. Species of biosecurity concern, like invasive aliens or harmful microalgae, are especially successful in disturbed areas. Here, we employed multiple regression approach to investigate the...

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in the marine environment and impact organisms at multiple levels. Understanding their actual effects on wild populations is urgently needed. This study develops a toolkit to monitor changes in gene expression induced by MPs in natural environments, focusing on filter-feeding and bioindicator species from diverse...

Hybridization is relatively common between closely related species that share part of their distribution. Understanding its dynamics is important both for conservation purposes and to determine its role as an evolutionary mechanism. Here we have studied the case of black hakes ( Merluccius polli and Merluccius senegalensis ) in its contact zone. Th...

Maritime traffic accounts for more than 90% of world trade. Noise, pollution, and litter are its drawbacks, affecting especially vulnerable migratory fish. Here, a motivated team of citizen scientists analyzed maritime traffic from three estuaries of the south Bay of Biscay and three from the south of the Iberian Peninsula, where the European eel i...

Nowadays, improved fishing technology and depleted stocks cause fishery shocks in sensitive regions that lead to job losses and added insecurity. In fishery-dependent communities, more and more fishers are moving countries looking for a living. This study aims to know the perception of migrants in Spain about the sustainability of fishing in their...

Microplastics (MPs) disturb the normal activity of aquatic organisms at different levels, causing physiological stress and altering feeding, growth, and reproduction. Alterations of epigenetic patterns due to exposure to MPs have scarcely been studied in invertebrates. In this study, Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels (N = 61) were intermittently ex...

In the marine environment, fish parasites are present in most seafood species. The most common are nematodes of the genus Anisakis, which can parasitize human tissues, causing anisakiasis and allergies—in some cases with a strong reaction, such as anaphylactic shock. This happens when people ingest live or dead larvae present in the muscles or visc...

In the marine environment, fish parasites are present in most species of seafood. The most com-mon is Anisakis spp. a nematode that can parasitize human tissues causing anisakiasis and al-lergies, in some cases with a strong reaction such as anaphylactic shock in sensitive people. This happens when people ingest live or dead larvae present in the m...

Early detection of invasive species is crucial to deal effectively with biological invasions in ports, which are hotspots of species introductions. In this study, a simplified end-time PCR methodology conducted on eDNA from water samples was developed for rapid detection of the invasive seaweed Asparagopsis armata (four hours from water collection...

Introductio Sea cucumbers are increasingly demanded as seafood in different cultures around the world. Holothurians could be potentially exploited in southern Bay of Biscay (Iberian Cantabrian coast) where they are not fished yet. Recent studies show relatively high pollution by emerging pollutants like microplastics (MPs) in the region; perhaps th...

The concept of sustainability is different in industry and in nature. In the case of mobile phones, the constant replacement by new models increases waste to ecologically unbearable limits. To encourage responsible and sustainable consumption, we designed an educational game in a role-play format, called Blue Gold. The objective was to make known t...

La Junta Permanente del RIDEA aprobó en su plan de Actividades para el curso 2022-2023 el ciclo de conferencias “La sostenibilidad de las pesquerías artesanales en el principado de Asturias: ciencia, gestión y participación en una agenda regional hacia el 2030” coordinado por los profesores Yaisel J. Borrell y Tomás E. Díaz González. El ciclo contó...

Mislabelling in the global fisheries sector raises concerns about the identity, safety, and sustainability of seafood products. It puts human health at risk when substitute species are contaminated with heavy metals that may cause chronic diseases and cancer. The aim of this work was to analyse mislabelling in shrimps and prawns sold in the Spanish...

Introduction The majority of studies on marine biosecurity focus on aquatic species, but invaders can also use dry ship compartments for dispersal; this pathway has been less explored than fouling or ballast water. Here we analysed the maritime traffic of the international Port of Gijon (south Bay of Biscay, Spain) as a case study. Methods Main do...

Emerging microplastics (MP) pollution is one of the biggest threats for the oceans today. Consumers could reduce MP pollution adopting R-behaviors such as reducing consumption of plastic, refusing products with MP, replacing them for green products, and recycling. Here we tested the efficiency of online nudges (images and short messages) for promot...

Microplastics (MPs) affect both marine and terrestrial biota worldwide for their harmful effects, which range from physical cell damage to physiological deterioration. In this research, microplastics were quantified from gills, liver and muscle of demersal Benguela hakes Merluccius polli (n = 94), caught by commercial trawling from northwest Africa...

The European eel Anguilla anguilla is a critically endangered catadromous species. There is an urgent need for close surveillance of the populations that are still viable in European rivers. The species is difficult to observe in freshwater because of its bottom-dwelling behavior; the currently employed methods of eel monitoring in Europe based on...

Genome resources have become crucial to assess genome-wide level of variation as well as to detect adaptive variation. This is particularly important for studying diversity in marine species inhabiting regions highly affected by accelerated climate warming and pollution, also known as global change. A greater awareness of the impacts of global chan...

The incorrect labeling, as well as the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in seafood, represent a recurring problem worldwide, not only for natural resources but also for the consumers’ health. Heavy metals can be accumulated through the food chain and transferred to the final human consumer. Despite its toxicology, arsenic does not have a concentrati...

Introduction Microplastics (MP) threaten all organisms worldwide. MP are produced directly as microbeads in cosmetics and hygiene products, or indirectly from breakage of larger plastics. The control of MP requires consumers' engagement to refuse products containing microbeads. Methods We conducted a survey on 572 university students from Mexico a...

The movement of organisms facilitated by anthropogenic activities is a serious threat to marine diversity, especially for endemic species that may be outcompeted from non-indigenous species (NIS). In this study, we have analyzed communities inhabiting the north of the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea, employing environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding. That gu...

Single-use plastics (SUP) coming from the land represent a large fraction of marine plastic debris that threatens the ocean biota today and are one of the main causes of microplastic pollution. Consumer behavior is essential to stop the use and improper disposal of SUP, replacing plastic with alternative eco-friendly products. For the evident plast...

Microplastics (MPs) are increasing in the marine environment as well as inside marine organisms, having an important effect on biological diversity. The trophic transfer of MPs was demonstrated under laboratory conditions, but this study is based on the analysis of preys found in stomach contents. MPs from Merluccius merluccius individuals caught i...

River barriers affect river dynamics and aquatic biota, altering the entire ecosystem. Nevertheless, dams and reservoirs provide goods like water supply and low-carbon energy that are becoming increasingly critical under current climate change. To know to what extent dams and reservoirs are important to the population, we explored social attitudes...

Under current climate warming, dams and reservoirs are main options to ensure water supply in dry regions. However, the presence of these infrastructures encompasses impacts on ecosystem due to the alteration of connectivity and river habitat. We expect that as a result of the relation between water supply as a resource and the population will depe...

Multilingualism can potentially increase empathy and facilitate contact between a given country’s own nationals and immigrants. A proof of concept exercise was conducted with students from the US (N = 112) and Spain (N = 107), and a small nonstudent sample (N = 22) also from Spain. The effect of the number of languages spoken on immigration accepta...

Microplastic pollution affects freshwater and marine biota worldwide, microplastics occurring even inside the organisms. With highly variable effects, from physical damage to toxicity of plastic compounds, microplastics are a potential threat to the biodiversity, community composition and organisms' health. This emerging pollutant could overstress...

Anthropogenic litter is considered a potential vector for the dispersal of non-indigenous species (NIS) in marine ecosystems. Using the bay of Gijon (Southwestern Bay of Biscay) as a case study, we studied the composition and potential transfer of the communities inhabiting three different environment components: 1) natural and artificial substrate...

Accuracy in reporting captures is a key element to achieve fisheries sustainability. However, identification of the catches might be a challenge when two or more species are morphologically similar and caught jointly, like the mixed fisheries of black hakes in East Atlantic African waters. Black hakes (Merluccius senegalensis and M. polli) are toug...

The stalked barnacle Pollicipes pollicipes inhabits rocky shores from the Atlantic coasts of Brittany (France) to Senegal. Because of the culinary traditions of southern Europe, stalked barnacles represent an important target species for local fisheries on the Iberian Peninsula. To manage this fishery sustainably, it is therefore important to asses...

Coastal areas are environments of high diversity and severely threatened by hazards as marine litter and biological invasions. Citizens' knowledge and awareness are drivers of changes needed to improve environment conservation. Density both of litter and IAS Cortaderia selloana were measured from six beaches in southwest Bay of Biscay along with aw...

Due to current marine pollution, microplastics ingestion through seafood is an increasing risk for consumers. In this study, microplastics from mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and table salt employed in popular dishes in Bay of Biscay (Spain) were quantified and analysed by Fourier-Transformed Infrared spectroscopy. Microplastics varied in muss...

Electronic waste sites are rich in heavy metals contained in electronic and electric equipment waste and pose a risk of pollution if metals enter in the environment nearby. The Korle lagoon, located in the center of Accra, is receiving waste effluents from industries, households and the adjacent e-waste burning site Agbogbloshie which is the bigges...

Microplastic (MP) pollution is increasing worldwide and affecting aquatic fauna in different ways, which endangers current aquatic resources in a still unknown extent. MP-induced threats to marine fauna are critical for developing countries, where waste treatment may be not optimal and coastal communities rely heavily on marine resources for dietar...

Simple Summary Microplastic pollution is damaging ecosystems and marine organisms worldwide, and, as this problem is becoming greater, the fate of these marine organisms should be studied. In this study, the physical condition and the DNA integrity of gills of Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) have been studied under four microplast...

The survival of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), an increasingly rare anadromous species, has declined dramatically during its marine phase, with disproportionate impacts on the poorly understood early post‐smolt period. Logistical constraints on collecting oceanic data to inform this issue pose a formidable obstacle. To advance understanding of post...

Non-indigenous species can become a problem for the ecosystem health, especially when their distribution grows to the detriment of native species. In this moment, they can become invasive species. In marine ecosystems, the maritime transport is the principal gate and corridor for the movement of alien species. The genetic identification, using barc...

Current human lifestyle generates enormous amounts of plastics and microplastics that end in the ocean and threaten marine life. Exposure to microplastics seems to threaten human health too. Although the degree of damage is not clear yet, precautionary approach urgently requires a change of societal habits. The objective of this study was to discov...

Microplastics are emerging pollutants that threaten marine resources globally today. Being difficult to see for the human eye, their public perception and risk perception depend upon the information given to citizens. Since the psychosocial theory postulates the importance of knowledge, attitude, and perceived control to undertake pro-environmental...

Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, is a highly appreciated fish in European seafood markets and is one of the most substituted fish species in the world. Fraud have been detected in European markets in the last decade, finding different substitute species sold as G. morhua or Atlantic cod on the label. In this study, we analyzed 252 samples of fresh and f...

Mislabelling of fish and fish products has attracted much attention over the last decades, following public awareness of the practice of substituting high-value with low-value fish in markets, restaurants, and processed seafood. In some cases, mislabelling includes illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, contributing to overexploit subs...

The social value of natural aquatic ecosystems is very important to set management priorities. River connectivity is essential for the conservation of freshwater ecosystems because barriers alter both abiotic conditions and the biotic communities, compromising biodiversity; however, the appreciation of this river feature has been insufficiently con...

Despite high effort for food traceability to ensure safe and sustainable consumption, mislabeling persists on seafood markets. Determining what drives deliberate fraud is necessary to improve food authenticity and sustainability. In this study, the relationship between consumer’s appreciation and fraudulent mislabeling was assessed through a combin...

The status of aquatic ecosystems has historically been monitored by the use of biotic indices. However, few biotic measures consider the presence of non-indigenous species as a sign of anthropogenic pollution and habitat disturbance even when this may seriously affect the metric scores and ecological status classifications of an environment. Today,...

In marine settings, anthropogenic disturbances and climate change increase the rate of biological invasions. Predicting still undescribed invasive alien species (IAS) is needed for preparing timely management responses. We tested a strategy for discovering new potential IAS using DNA in a trans-equatorial expedition onboard RV Polarstern. During on...

Microplastics (MPs) attract ever-increasing attention due to environmental concerns. Nowadays, they are ubiquitous across ecosystems, and research demonstrates that the origin is mainly terrestrial. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are a major source of MPs, especially fibres, in water masses. This review is focused on understanding the evolutio...

Mediterranean coastal lagoons are environmentally important ecosystems whose conservation has been challenged due to anthropogenic impacts that promoted the expansion of non-indigenous and, sometimes, invasive species. Therefore, it is crucial to inventory biodiversity in these areas for the development of strategies of conservation and management....

The correct labeling of seafood is important to protect nature and the rights of consumers. Given the certainty that the resources of the sea are not inexhaustible, only strict regulations and the implementation of sustainable fishing systems and reliable and traceable marketing systems can help ensure the long‐term sustainability of fishery resour...

Conservation and sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems is a priority in environmental programs worldwide. However, these aims are highly dependent on the efficiency, accuracy and cost of existent methods for the detection of keystone species and monitoring of biological communities. Rapid advances in eDNA, barcoding and metabarcoding promote...

Many freshwater non‐indigenous species (NISs) are stocked for recreational fishing, in some cases illegally in protected areas. In this study, fish communities were monitored using environmental DNA, electrofishing and anglers’ catches as the sources of samples in a mountainous Biosphere Reserve in Asturias (northern Spain), where stocking is forbi...

Background: Bioassessment of rivers is a fundamental method to determine surface water quality. One of the groups most commonly employed as bioindicators of aquatic ecosystems are benthic macroinvertebrates. Their conventional assessment is based on morphological identification and entails several limitations, such as being time‐consuming and requi...

The PERCEBES project aspires to answer questions regarding the effects of harvesting on the intertidal community and recovery potential of stalked barnacle populations after harvesting, for which a Human Exclusion Experiment has been deployed over 2 years in 4 regions: coast of Alentejo (Portugal), Atlantic Islands (Galicia, Spain), Western Asturia...

Fish consumption has many health benefits, but may encompass some risks such as allergic reactions. The main responsible of fish allergy is parvalbumins, being one of the most common parvalbumin beta 1 proteins (Pvalb1) in many fish species. IgE-mediated cross-reactivity may occur between Pvalb1 of different species, and there are also cases of spe...

The invasive Crepidula fornicata caused major problems along the European Atlantic coast, especially in France and Netherlands where high densities leads on changes in the habitat, disturb native marine wildlife as well as it originates competition for space and food. Despite its dangerous invasive nature, regular monitoring to alert about its pres...

Aim: Codium fragile, an invasive seaweed, has spread widely during the last century, impacting on local seaweed communities through competition and disturbance. Early detection of C. fragile can help on its control and management. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has proved successful for early detection of aquatic invasive species but its potential use f...

Coastal litter abundance and its effects have increased for years. Waste reduction is the most effective countermeasure to fight against this problem. Littering attitudes may have an effect on people's involvement in coastal cleanups. In this study, coastal litter perception, awareness about its impact and likely sources were investigated in local...

El proyecto de innovación docente “Juegos didácticos para la enseñanzaaprendizaje en ciencias naturales” realizado en colaboración interdepartamental (Ciencias de la Educación-Biología) y en diferentes ciclos universitarios (Grados- Master), se llevó a cabo durante el año académico 2016/2017. Con el propósito de ampliar el repertorio de metodología...

In this work, patterns of geographical genetic diversity in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar were studied across the whole Atlantic Arc; whether these patterns (and thus genetic population structure) were affected by water temperatures was also evaluated. Salmo salar populations were characterized using microsatellite loci and then analysed with referen...

Marine biological invasions threaten global biodiversity nowadays. In this article, we have studied fouling communities from 10 port areas of south Bay of Biscay (Atlantic Ocean) and Gulf of Lion (Mediterranean Sea). A total of 834 individuals were genetically barcoded and corresponded to 95 different species. A total of 76 native species 8 genera...

Marine anthropogenic debris was sampled from two beaches on the remote South Pacific island Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Abundance, composition, and the attached fouling assemblages on stranded litter were analysed. Most litter (n = 172 items found) was composed of plastic material, and 34% of all litter items were fouled. The main fouling species was...

To enable successful management of marine bioinvasions, timely and robust scientific advice is required. This knowledge should inform managers and stakeholders on the magnitude of a pressure (rate of human-mediated introductions), the environmental state of an ecosystem (impacts of non-indigenous species), and the success of management response (pr...

Rivers are a vital resource for human wellbeing. To reduce human impact on water bodies, the European Union has established an essential regulatory framework for protection and sustainable management (WFD; 2000/60/EC). In this strategy, reliable and economic bioindicators are a fundamental component. Benthic macroinvertebrates are the group most co...

COI OTU Table. Raw data obtained with COI marker clustered in family OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units). N_genus: Number of genus per family within sampling points. NA: non-asignment at that level. (XLSX)

18S OTU Table. Raw data obtained with 18S marker clustered in family OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units). N_genus: Number of genus per family within sampling points. NA: non-asignment at that level. (XLSX)

Different environmental factors could induce epigenetic changes, which are likely involved in the biological invasion process. Some of these factors are driven by humans as, for example, the pollution and deliberate or accidental introductions and others are due to natural conditions such as salinity. In this study, we have analysed the relationshi...

Marine litter is often left by beachgoers. Thus, understanding beachgoers' perception and awareness is important. In this study, the amount and type of litter was measured from nine beaches of central south Bay of Biscay (Spain), and a survey about perception and awareness of the beach littering was conducted among beachgoers. The region could be c...

Marine litter has been considered a potential transport vector of non-indigenous species. In this study developed in Tjärnö (Sweden), at the entry of the Baltic Sea, the communities inhabiting coastal litter and natural substrates (N = 5448 macroorganisms) were monitored from eight sites of different ecological conditions. The results showed that l...

Floating plastic debris, such as bottles and fishing gear, is a shelter for different species in the oceans. Litter may therefore help the spread of non-indigenous species (NIS). Here we have challenged the idea of using the abundance of marine litter present in a zone to estimate the risk of NIS introduction. To test this, a targeted sampling of p...

• Biological invasions are a global threat to biodiversity, and many arise from deliberate introductions. • The American freshwater fish Micropterus salmoides and Ameiurus spp. (Ameiurus melas and Ameiurus nebulosus) were introduced to Europe for recreational fishing, Gambusia holbrooki and Gambusia affinis were introduced for mosquito population c...

Background Many fish species have been introduced in wild ecosystems around the world to provide food or leisure, deliberately or from farm escapes. Some of those introductions have had large ecological effects. The north American native rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum, 1792) is one of the most widely farmed fish species in the world. I...

Amplification Plots of control DNAs Plot A: Amplification plot from rainbow trout assay, lines from two samples (one with rainbow trout DNA and the other with the same amoun of rainbow and brown trout DNA) are showed giving the same value for quantification cycles. Plot B: Amplification plot from brown trout assay, lines from two samples (one with...

Biological invasions have increased in recent decades due to globalization and human activities. These invasions are currently one of the main threats to biodiversity, and their early detection is essential for a rapid and effective response. Here, we explored the use of citizen science strategies to create an early alert to detect invasive species...