Sergi Sabater was born in Barcelona in 1958, he obtained a B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Barcelona in 1980, and a Ph.D. in Biology from the same University in 1987. He was permanent lecturer at the University of Barcelona’s Department of Biology (Ecology) from 1991 to 2001 and at the University of Girona’s Department of Environmental Science from 2001 to 2003. Since then, he has been Professor of Ecology at the University of Girona. He is Deputy Director of the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA) since 2008. He has worked as a scientific reviewer for several journals and international bodies. He has co-edited the books Concepts and techniques in fluvial ecology (in Spanish, 2009) with Arturo Elosegi, Hydrology and nitrogen buffering capacity of riparian zones (2010), IAHS Benchmark Papers in Hydrology, Burt, T.P., G. Pinay & S. Sabater (eds.), Water Scarcity in the Mediterranean: Perspectives Under Global Change, 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin, Sergi Sabater & Damià Barceló (eds.), and Global Change and River Ecosystems – Implications for Structure, Function and Ecosystem Services, Developments in Hydrobiology 15, RJ Stevenson and Sergi Sabater (eds.). His most recent book (2013) is River Conservation, Challenges and Opportunities. FBBVA, Sergi Sabater & Arturo Elosegi (eds.).
He has published more than 180 papers on ecology in international scientific journals and about 60 other contributions. His H-index is 38. He has taken part in more than 30 research projects and 20 R&D&i contracts with companies and government departments. To date, he has supervised 14 Ph.D. theses and is involved in the supervision or co-supervision of other 5 theses. His research career has been focused on the ecology of fluvial ecosystems. His preferred lines of research are the ecology of river algae and biofilms, the ecotoxicology of biofilms, the metabolism and functioning of fluvial systems, and the effects of global change on fluvial systems, in particular those related with water scarcity and the associated effects of higher nutrient content, hydrological alterations and toxicant occurrence.
He has been PI in the Spanish projects ”Effects of flow interruption on the structural and functional continuity in river systems” (2007-2009, Spanish Ministry of Science and Education; CGL2007-65549/BOS); “Global changes in fluvial systems: effects on biodiversity, the trophic web and the system functioning” (2006-2009; FBBVA Conservation Programs), and “Assessing and predicting effects on water quantity and quality in Iberian rivers caused by global change (SCARCE), Consolider-Ingenio CSD2009-00065, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, 2009-2013). Further, he was PI (2005- 2009) of the European Project “Models for Assessing and Forecasting the Impact of Environmental Key Pollutants on Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems and Biodiversity (MODELKEY)”, and researcher at the ITN “Cause-efect relationships of key pollutants on the European rivers biodiversity: keybioeffects: keybioeffects”. He is the ICRA’s PI in the FP7 project GLOBAQUA, to be started February 2014.
Selected recent SCI publications:
Irene Ylla, Anna M. Romaní, Carles Borrego, Sergi Sabater. 2009. Availability of glucose and light modulate the structure and function of a microbial biofilm. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 69: 27-42.
Joan Artigas, Anna M. Romaní, Ainhoa Gaudes, Isabel Muñoz, Sergi Sabater. 2009. Benthic structure and metabolism in a Mediterranean stream: from biological communities to the whole stream ecosystem function. Freshwater Biology 54: 2025-2036
Marta Ricart , Helena Guasch , Damià Barceló , Rikke Brix , Maria H. Conceição, Anita Geiszinger, Maria José López de Alda, Julio C. López-Doval, Isabel Muñoz, Anna M. Romaní, Marta Villagrasa, Sergi Sabater. 2010. Primary and complex stressors in polluted Mediterranean rivers: pesticide effects on biological communities. Journal of Hydrology 383:52-61.
Dani Boix, Emili García-Berthou, Stéphanie Gascón, Lluís Benejam, Elisabet Tornés, Jordi Sala, Josep Benito, Antoni Munné, Carolina Solà and Sergi Sabater. 2010. Response of community structure to sustained drought in Mediterranean rivers. Journal of Hydrology 383:135-146.
Stevenson, RJ and S Sabater. 2010. Understanding global change in River Ecosystems: Science to support Policy in a Changing World. Hydrobiologia 657:3-18.
Sergi Sabater, Joan Artigas, Ainhoa Gaudes, Isabel Muñoz , Gemma Urrea and Anna M. Romaní. 2011. Moderate long-term nutrient input enhances autotrophy in a forested Mediterranean stream. Freshwater Biology 56, 1266–1280.
Timoner X., Acuña V., von Schiller D. and Sabater, S. Functional responses of stream biofilms to flow cessation, desiccation and rewetting. 2012. Freshwater Biology 57, 8: 1565-78
Ruiz-González, Clara, Lorenzo Proia, Isabel Ferrera, Josep M. Gasol, and Sergi Sabater. 2013. Effects of large river dam-regulation on bacterioplankton community structure. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 84, 2: 316- 331
Acuña, V. , T. Datry, J. Marshall, D. Barceló, C. N. Dahm, A. Ginebreda, G. McGregor, S. Sabater, K. Tockner, M. A. Palmer. 2014. Why Should We Care about Temporary Waterways? Science 343: 1080-1081
Edited Special Issues
“Water Quality and Assessment under Scarcity. Prospects and challenges in Mediterranean watersheds”. Journal of Hydrology. Volume 383, Issues 1-2 (2010), pages 1-146. Edited by Damia Barceló, Sergi Sabater
“Global Change and River Ecosystems- Implications for structure, function and ecosystem services” Hydrobiologia 657. 2010. Edited by R. J. Stevenson & S. Sabater
“Recent Perspectives on Temporary River Ecology”. Aquatic Sciences. Guest Editors: Thibault Datry, David B. Arscott & Sergi Sabater 2011.
“Understanding effects of global change on water quantity and quality in river basins”. Guest Editors: Alicia Navarro, Sergi Sabater, Damià Barceló. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 19, 2012.