Orientation
The Doctorate in Ecology and Fisheries is a program oriented to basic and applied research
Justification
The seas and oceans constitute more than any other element of the biosphere, the main planetary ecological resource and, therefore, the study and understanding of the processes that determine their state, is one of the main ecological responsibilities of the human being to contribute to the sustainable use and management of aquatic resources, with the recognition that these, although renewable, are limited. Within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development of the United Nations (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/es/oceans/), goal 14 stands out, the which focuses on the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources.
It is evident that some of these goals, especially those proposed with a horizon of 2020, have not yet been fully achieved, neither in Mexico or on a global scale, since the management and conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems and their fishing resources, It is a huge challenge. Some of the most biodiverse environments are distributed in the world’s coastal areas and provide the greatest amount of ecosystem services, but at the same time they are those that have suffered the greatest anthropogenic impact in recent decades. The problems of the coastal zone include demographic growth in the coastal zone, increasingly larger and more populated urban centers that mean a growing demand for resources to sustain them, such as space, drinking water, food and construction materials, also generating noise pollution. lighting, solid waste and waste water. This urban growth also impacts the economic activities that take place in the coastal area, leading to changes in the activities and lifestyle of local populations, among which the change from traditional fishing activity to activities related to the tourism sector stands out. construction or domestic jobs (Pauly, D. et al, 1998). A global phenomenon that affects all terrestrial ecosystems is climate change, but whose effects are especially evident in coastal zone ecosystems (Bryan-Brown, D.N., et al., 2020; Yáñez-Arancibia A., 2010). The last decade has recorded high ocean temperatures, which has caused coral bleaching in several areas of the world (Gross. M., 2016), including the reef systems off the coast of Veracruz, within the PNSAV (Horta -Puga, G., 2007), which in the short term can mean the loss of habitat, biodiversity and the displacement of species of commercial interest, reducing the availability of the resource for local fishermen, but also for species of birds and mammals, which depend on them. More studies are required at different spatial and temporal scales on the effects of climate change and other ecological variables and the appearance of harmful algal bloom events (Copado-Rivera, et al. 2020), considering the possible direct or indirect effects on health human and the economy of different sectors.
In recent decades there has been a decrease in catch volumes and the number of target species has diversified, leading to the most important fisheries being at maximum exploitation, overexploited, and even unviable. Since the 1990s, world fishing has reached its historical maximums and has stabilized around 90 million tons according to the latest FAO report in 2022, however, aquaculture production has continued to grow at rates of 7% annually, which results in 178 million tons of global fishing and aquaculture being available annually by 2020. Fishing pressure is one of the stressors that significantly impacts the condition ecological conservation of the seas and estuaries, in exchange for increasingly lower per capita production. In parallel, the annual subsidies of more than 20 billion dollars destined mainly for fishermen in first world countries and the immediate subsistence needs of millions of fishermen in developing countries have profoundly changed the diversity and abundance of all ecosystems. of the seas of the world. It is necessary to continue the study of phenomena such as overfishing of commercial species and the effect on ecosystems, especially due to the capture of herbivores, such as parrot fish, which maintain an ecological balance, controlling the overgrowth of macroalgae ( Cipresso P., et al. 2021). Another phenomenon that must continue to be studied due to its effects on coastal ecosystems is colonization by invasive species. Species such as the lionfish, which is a predatory species that competes with local fish species for habitat and food (Edwards, M.A et al., 2014.), has been recorded on the Veracruz coast since the end of the last decade and Despite the eradication campaigns undertaken by governmental and non-governmental entities, its presence continues to be important (SEMARNAT, 2017).
An urgent need to contribute to modifying these negative trends involves the participation of all levels of government, society in general and the academic sector, the latter contributing to the training of highly capable researchers who support these efforts, as is the case of the graduates of our Doctorate in Ecology and Fisheries, who already contribute and will continue to contribute to achieve the fulfillment of the goals set in the SDG objectives of the 2030 agenda. This postgraduate degree, from 2005 to date, has formed 18 PhDs in ecology and fisheries, of which 8 have graduated in the last four years. The majority of our graduates have joined research, management, teaching or have continued with a postdoctorate to pursue an academic career related to the four lines of research and Social Impact (LRSI) of 1) coastal and oceanic ecology, 2) fisheries and aquaculture, 3) management and conservation and 4) Oceanography, in which they were trained during their studies
The doctorate in Ecology and Fisheries at ICIMAP directly affects the PRONACES modality of Basic and Frontier Science, within the Socioecological Systems area, specifically in the topic of Marine Sciences and Fisheries and the subtopic Aquatic Ecosystems (Epicontinental, Coastal or Marine), in the fields of knowledge in the areas of Biology and Chemistry, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Physical and Mathematical Sciences and Earth Sciences. Specifically in the fields of knowledge of Environmental Sciences, Fisheries and Marine Sciences, and in the disciplines of Marine Ecology, Marine Resource Management, Fisheries and Psciculture, Aquatic Resources and Coastal Oceanography.
The relevance of our Doctorate program responds, in large part, to the coastal, marine and especially fishing vocation of the state of Veracruz. This entity presents a high fishing, commercial maritime and industrial activity in accelerated expansion, with significant fishing production at the national level, an aquaculture activity in full growth, added to the coexistence of several of the Coastal and Marine Protected Natural Areas with four urban centers. main and industrialized, and at the same time, a historical lack of human resources in basic and applied research related to the study, rational exploitation, management and conservation of aquatic and coastal environments (INEGI, 2012), where highlights the Veracruzano Reef System National Park (PNSAV) (Official Gazette of the Federation, 2012), as the main study area for ICIMAP academics and the development of research work by our students
Mission
Train high-level researchers who contribute to the generation of scientific knowledge to address problems related to the evaluation, management and conservation of aquatic resources and coastal environments, in order to promote the conservation of its biodiversity, the precautionary use of its resources, the management of its fisheries and the coastal and marine zone, from a multidisciplinary and with a high sense of professional ethics and social responsibility.
Vision
By 2030, it will be a consolidated Doctorate program that is nationally and internationally recognized as a trainer of excellent researchers, capable of generating high-impact, scientific knowledge aimed at solving problems related to the evaluation, management and conservation of aquatic resources and environments. coastal areas, in order to promote the conservation of their biodiversity, the precautionary use of their resources, the management of their fisheries and the coastal and marine zone, through joint work and in synergy with a highly trained academic base and committed to the social complexity in his environment.
Objetives
Train researchers of excellence in the area of ecology and fisheries, capable of carrying out original scientific research and directing basic and applied research projects with a multi and interdisciplinary vision, related to the identification, study and solution of problems in the field of Fisheries. Aquaculture, Oceanography, Coastal and Oceanic Ecology and Comprehensive Management of the Coastal Zone.
