Eco-morphodynamics of coastal systems
Encontros Espresso at IIM-CSIC, on December 19, with Ana Vila Concejo, a Full Professor in Coastal Geomorphology at the University of Sydney.
(link available on the day)
The "Encontros Espresso" (Espresso Get-Togethers) are a format of talks held at IIM with the aim of getting to know each other better, getting to know better the activity that takes place in our center and exploring the world of marine science, encouraging scientific-technical discussion and strengthening links between groups where both research and technical staff can participate to share their work, experiences and results.
These are events designed specifically for our staff, but everyone is welcome to join in via streaming.
This new format will begin at 10:00 a.m. in the IIM-CSIC Meeting Hall and will include complimentary coffee ("Espresso") to encourage a smooth flow of communication.
On this occasion, the seminar will be given by Ana Vila Concejo, a Full Professor in Coastal Geomorphology at the University of Sydney, with a distinguished career in research on coastal systems and eco-morphodynamics.
Eco-morphodynamics of coastal systems
‘Eco-morphodynamics’ arises when studying coastal systems where certain species may dominate some of the feedbacks between hydrodynamics and morphological responses. Most eco-morphodynamic studies focus on coral reefs, but they also include oyster reefs, saltmarshes and mangroves, and even seagrasses.
Coral reefs provide significant ecosystem services including food security and coastal protection to people and property, aside from representing a major tourist attraction. Corals around the world are irreversibly transforming due to unprecedented rapid environmental change.
This multi-disciplinary presentation focuses on recent advances in understanding how coral reefs interact with waves and sediments under climate change. The last part of the presentation includes some recent research on how we apply eco-morphodynamics to ecosystem restoration using examples of oyster reefs and Posidonia in Australia.
Ana Vila Concejo
Graduated in Marine Geoscience from the University of Vigo (Spain), where she completed an MSc on urban estuarine beaches. In 2004, she completed her PhD at the University of Algarve (Portugal). She moved to Australia in 2005 and has been working at the University of Sydney since 2007, where she has consolidated a successful career in Coastal Geomorphology, becoming a Full Professor in 2023. Her research has mostly focused on tidal inlets, beaches in estuaries and bays (BEBs), and coral reefs. Her research on eco-morphodynamics includes coral reefs, oyster reefs, and other ecosystems contributing to Nature-Based Solutions. She has published over 100 contributions to the literature and has an extensive international network of collaborators.
At the University of Sydney, she co-leads the Geocoastal Research Group, and she is also Deputy Head of the School of Geosciences, Co-Director of the Marine Studies Institute, and Deputy Director of One Tree Island Research Station on the Great Barrier Reef. She is part of the Science Advisory Committee of the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, and between 2020 and 2024, she was a member of the Australian Research Council (ARC) College of Experts.
In 2016, she co-founded the international network for Women in Coastal Geoscience and Engineering (WICGE), which she co-chaired until 2023. WICGE now has over 600 members globally, and she is part of the Advisory Committee. She is also the co-host of the successful podcast Coast2Cast, where she interviews coastal scientists and engineers from all over the world.