Eneko Aspillaga

Postdoctoral researcher
IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB)

PhD thesis supervision

  • Skye Markris Brown, 2025-present. Integrating Acoustic Telemetry and Genetic Connectivity for MPA Management: Coastal Marine Predators in a Transboundary Marine Protected Network. PhD in Ecology, Environmental Sciences and Plant Physiology, Universitat de Barcelona (UB). Supervisors: B. Hereu (UB), R. Pérez-Portela (UB) & E. Aspillaga (IMEDEA-CSIC).
  • Jordi Abad Platas, 2025-present. Evaluating the impact of Marine Protected Areas on the conservation of the biodiversity of rays (Chondrichthyes) in the Balearic Islands using acoustic telemetry. PhD in Marine Ecology, Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB). Supervisors: J. Alós & E. Aspillaga (IMEDEA-CSIC).

MSc student mentoring

  1. Meritxell Vilella Aguilella, 2026 (ongoing). Movement and connectivity patterns of commercially important fish in the Marine Reserve Network of the Balearic Islands (provisional title). MSc in Oceanography and Marine Environmental Management, Universitat de Barcelona (UB). Supervisor: E. Aspillaga (IMEDEA-CSIC).
  2. Lucía de la Fuente Casilda, 2026. Spatial ecology of Seriola dumerili (Risso, 1810) along the coasts of Catalonia and southern France using acoustic telemetry: implications for management. MSc in Oceanography and Marine Environmental Management, Universitat de Barcelona (UB). Supervisors: B. Hereu (UB) & E. Aspillaga (IMEDEA-CSIC).
  3. Camila Vidal Campins, 2024. Modelling movement trajectories to infer behavioural states and variation in the undulate skate, Raja undulata. International Master of Science in Marine Biological Resources (IMBRSea), European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC). Supervisors: D. Villegas-Rios (IIM-CSIC) & E. Aspillaga (IMEDEA-CSIC).
  4. Aurelio Abellán Miñana, 2024. Influence of environmental variables on activity patterns of the dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) assessed through a novel acoustic telemetry approach. MSc in Marine Ecology, Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB). Supervisors: E. Aspillaga & J. Alós (IMEDEA-CSIC).
  5. Daniel García García, 2022. Movement ecology and connectivity of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in a network of marine reserves: Implications for its conservation and sustainable fishing. MSc in Oceanography and Marine Environmental Management, Universitat de Barcelona (UB). Supervisors: E. Aspillaga (IMEDEA-CSIC) & J.L. Riera (UB).
  6. Jordi Abad Platas, 2022. Linking the space use variability of a wild fish population and environmental conditions using high-resolution acoustic telemetry. MSc in Marine Biology, Biodiversity and Conservation, Universidad de la Laguna (ULL). Supervisors: E. Aspillaga & J. Alós (IMEDEA-CSIC).
  7. Jaume Capó Vives, 2021. Effect of social interactions on the chronotypes of a marine fish. MSc in Neurosciences, Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB). Supervisors: E. Aspillaga & J. Alós (IMEDEA-CSIC).
  8. David Casals Blanch, 2021. Movement patterns and spawning behaviour of the dusky grouper, Epinephelus marginatus, in two Mediterranean MPAs and their implications for management. MSc in Oceanography and Marine Environmental Management, Universitat de Barcelona (UB). Supervisors: E. Aspillaga (IMEDEA-CSIC) & B. Hereu (UB).
  9. Ainara Monsalve Massana, 2021. Comparison between aquatic high-throughput tracking technologies, post-processing methods and species’ behaviour. MSc in Marine Ecology, Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB). Supervisors: E. Aspillaga & J. Alós (IMEDEA-CSIC).
  10. Lidia Muñoz Sanchez, 2019. Swimming behaviour of gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata, in experimental sea-cages and the influence of environmental enrichment. MSc in Marine Ecology, Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB). Supervisors: E. Aspillaga & P. Arechavala (IMEDEA-CSIC).

Specialized trainning schools

  1. Marine ichthyofauna monitoring techniques. Underwater visual census of fish communities (6h theoretical and practical course). IMEDEA Scientific Diving Course 2025. Organizer: Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA-CSIC). Esporles (Spain), May 5-9 2025.
  2. Introduction to acoustic telemetry for tracking fish (2h course). Mallorca Science School (MASS 2024): Interdisciplinary Science for Marine and Coastal Conservation in a Changing World. Organizer: Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA-CSIC). Palma (Spain), October 26-27 2024. Link to slides and materials on GitHub.
  3. Marine ichthyofauna monitoring techniques. Underwater visual census of fish communities (6h theoretical and practical course). IMEDEA Scientific Diving Course 2024. Organizer: Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA-CSIC). Esporles (Spain), April 14-19 2024.
  4. Managing acoustic telemetry data (2h course). ETN COST Action Training School: Aquatic Telemetry Basics. Organizer: Inland Fisheries Institute. Olsztyn (Poland), May 29-June 1 2023. Link to slides and materials on GitHub.
  5. Social Network Analysis from positioned telemetry data (2h course). ETN COST Action Training School: Calculating positions in acoustic telemetry. Organizer: Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences. České Budějovice (Czech Republic), May 18-22 2022. Link to slides and materials in GitHub. Link to the lecture on YouTube.
  6. Kostako basabizitzaren ikerketan eta kudeaketan. Ikastaro praktiokoa inter-marealean (24h course, in Basque). Organizer: Udako Euskal Uniberstitatea (UEU). Getaria (Gipuzkoa), July 22-24 2016. Link to course information.

University teaching

  1. Scientific diving techniques for benthic ecosystem studies. MSc in Marine Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona. Period: 2011-2018 (7 years).
  2. Marine Ecology. BSc in Biology, Universitat de Barcelona. Period: 2016-2017 (1 year).
  3. Marine reserves. MSc in Marine Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona. Period: 2016-2017 (1 year).
  4. Management of protected areas. BSc in Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona. Period: 2012-2016 (4 years).

Lectures

  1. Ecology and conservation of predatory fish in temperate rocky reefs. Ecology and Conservation of Marine Apex Predators. MSc in Marine Ecology, Universitat de les Illes Balears. 2h lecture, March 18 2025.
  2. Impacts of fishing and marine protected areas. Ecology of fishery resources in the Mediterranean Sea, Universitat Oberta per a Majors - Universitat de les Illes Balears. 2h lecture, January 31 2024.
  3. Marine conservation: Impacts of fishing, marine protected areas, and movement ecology of fishes. Marine Biology, BSc in Biology, Universitat de Vic. 2h lecture, November 11 2018.
  4. Marine conservation: Impacts of fishing, marine protected areas, and movement ecology of fishes. Marine Biology, BSc in Biology, Universitat de Vic. 2h lecture, December 14 2017.