Professor of Ecology at the University of Cádiz, with more than 30 years of experience in the study of plankton in aquatic ecosystems. His research has been mainly focused in the physical-biological coupling in the strait of Gibraltar, he also participated in the circumnavigation expedition Malaspina 2010, a seven months research cruise which allowed the collection of floating microplastics around the world and was the starting point for the UCA marine litter lab. He was the former director of the “Andalusian Center of Marine Science and Technology” (CACYTMAR), general manager of the Marine Science and Technology Area at the spanish ministry of Science, general coordinator of the International Campus of Excellence of the Sea (CEIMAR) and the director of the Doctorate School for Marine Studies (EIDEMAR).