Dra.  Serra Putellas, Maria Teresa

Teresa Serra

Institution: Universidad de Girona
Faculty: Escuela Politécnica Superior
Department: Departamento de Física
Postal Code: 17071
Researcher ID: L-9279-2014
Orcid: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6075-5849
email: teresa.serra@udg.edu
Position: Associate professor

Research Interests

My main interest is to evaluate the processes of sediment and microplastic transport in the coastal zone and their impact on aquatic environments. I study the transport of microplastic particles associated with hydrodynamics and their interaction with suspended sediments. The buffering role of aquatic vegetation, ponds and lagoons to reduce microplastic pollution has also been an objective of my work. The project I am working on as PI is PlastikHUM, focused on the transport of microplastics in wetlands. You can find more information about this project at https://www.udg.edu/ca/projectes/plastikhum. In this project, the horizontal and vertical transport of microplastics in aquatic systems due to different processes (gravity currents, passive sedimentation, turbulence, etc.) has been studied. The importance of the effect of the shape of microplastics on their transport has been studied. It has also been analyzed how different types of bed roughness determine the longitudinal transport of microplastics.

I am also working on an EU COST action (PRIORITY) that deals with the transport of microplastic particles in coastal ecosystems. More information at https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA20101/. I am also working on a project to determine the effect of sediment resuspension processes in polluted coastal lagoons (WINDERS).

My list of publications includes several studies related to flow through aquatic vegetation in unidirectional and oscillatory flow regimes and the transport of sediments and microplastics from plumes or gravity currents and sediment transport in rivers. It also includes the effect of sediment resuspension and its impact on water quality.

I am also interested in finding ecological nature-based solutions (NbS) for wastewater treatment. I have been studying the filtering capacity of Daphnia magna and how it can be applied to a tertiary treatment in NbS. The effects that temperature, light intensity and light hours have on Daphnia magna filtration, swimming and mortality have been investigated, along with how Daphnia magna develops in the presence of typical wastewater chemicals and microplastics as emerging pollutants. I have recently worked on an EU project, INNOQUA (found at https://innoqua-project.eu/.) and am currently working on the LIFE BIODAPH2O project with the aim of scaling up INNOQUA's NbS treatment for wastewater treatment. The impact of discharging water from a WWTP into an urban river during a drought period has been studied and how this impact can be mitigated with the use of the tertiary treatment Biodaph.

Publications in the last 6 years

1. Serra, T., Colomer, J., Soler, M and Pous, N. (2019) Daphnia magna filtration, swimming and mortality under ammonium, nitrite, nitrate and phosphate. Science of the Total Environment. 656: 331-337.
2. Colomer, J., Contreras, A., Folkard, A. and Serra, T. (2019). Consolidated sediment resuspension in model vegetated canopies. Environmental Fluid Mechanics.
3. Serra, T., Müller, M and Colomer, J. (2019) Functional responses of Daphnia magna to zero-mean turbulence. Scientific Reports.
4. Colomer, J., Müller, M.F., Barcelona, A. and Serra, T. (2019) Mediated food and hydrodynamics on the ingestion of microplastics by Daphnia magna. Environmental Pollution. 251: 434-441.
5. Serra, T., Müller, M.F., Barcelona, A. and Colomer, J. (2019) Optimal light-climate for Daphnia-based wastewater treatment. Science of the Total Environment. 686: 151-157.
6. Soler, M., Colomer, J., Folkard, A. and Serra, T. (2020) Particle size segregation of turbidity corrent depòsits in vegetated canopies. Science of the Total Environment. 134784.
7. Pous, N., Hidalgo, M., Serra, T., Colomer, J., Colprim, J. and Salvadó, V. (2020) Assessment of zooplankton-based eco-sustainable wastewater treatment at laboratory scale. Chemosphere. 238. 124683. 60 SCI. (30 out of 274, category: Environmental Sciences) Q1, T1.
8. Colomer, J., Serra, T., Cañabate, D. and Bubnys, R. (2020) Reflective learning in higher education: Active methodologies for tranformative practices. Sustainability. 12(9). 3827.
9. Serra, T., Pascual, J., Brunet, R. and Colomer, J. (2020) The mixing regime and turbidity of Lake Banyoles (NE Spain): Response to Climate change. Water. 12(6). 1621.
10. Serra, T., Barcelona, A., Pous, N, Salvadó, V. and Colomer,J. (2020) Synergistic effects of water temperature, microplastics and ammonium as second and third order stressors on Daphnia magna. Environmental Pollution. 267, 115439.
11. Serra, T., Gracias, N and Hendriks, I.E. (2020) Fragmentation in seagrass canòpies can alter hydrodynamics and sediment deposition rates. Water. 12(12), 3473.
12. Pous, N., Barcelona, A., Sbardella, L., Hidalgo, M., Colomer, J., Serra, T. and Salvadó, V. (2021) Zooplankton-based reactors for tertiary wastewater treatment: A pilot-scale study. Journal of Environmental Management. 278. 111538.
13. Barcelona, A., Colomer, J., Soler, M., Gracias, N and Serra, T. (2021) Meadow fragmentation influences Posidonia oceanica density at the edge of nearby gaps. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 249, 107106.
14. Serra, T., Font E., Soler, M. (2021) Mean residence time of lagoons in shallow vegetated floodplains. Hydrological Processes. 35 (2), e14065.
15. Soler,M., Serra, T., Folkard, A. and Colomer J. (2021) Hydrodynamics and sediment deposition in turbidity currents. Comparing continuous and patchy vegetation canopies. Journal of Hydrology. 594, 125750.
16. Barcelona, A., Oldham, C., Colomer, J. and Serra, T. (2021). Functional dynamics of vegetated model canopies: the minimum patch size effect for canopy restoration. Science of the Total Environment. 795. 148854.
17. Barcelona, A., Oldham, C., Colomer, J., Garcia-Orellana, J. and Serra, T. (2021). Particle capture by seagrass canopies under an oscillatory flow. Coastal Engineering. 169. 103972.
18. Colomer, J. and Serra, T. (2021). The world of edges in submerged vegetated marine canopies: from patch to canopy scale. Water. 13(17), 2430.
19. Serra, T., Morellón, M., Soler, M., Valero-Garcés, B.L., Anselmetti, F.S. and Colomer, J. (2021). Recent pockmark activity in lake Banyoles (NE Spain) severely affected by changes in climate and land us. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies. 37, 100913.
20. Pous, N., Barcelona, A., Sbardella, L., Gili, O., Hidalgo, M., Colomer, J., Serra, T. and Salvadó, V. (2021). Vermifilter and zooplankton-based system for wastewater treatment and reuse. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering. 4, 100153.
21. Magester, S., Barcelona, A., Colomer, J. and Serra, T. (2021). Vertical distribution of microplastics in water bodies causes sublethal effects and changes in Daphnia magna swimming behaviour. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 228, 113001.
22. Serra, T., Soler, M., Barcelona, A. and Colomer, J. (2022). Sediment transport and deposition in sediment replenished artificial floods in Mediterranean rovers. Journal of Hydrology. 609. 127756.
23. Serra, T., Barcelona, A., Pous, N., Salvadó, V. and Colomer, J. (2022) Disinfection and particle removal by a nature based Daphnia filtration system for wastewater treatment. Journal of Water Processes Engineering. 50. 103238.
24. Barcelona, A., Colomer, J. and Serra, T. (2023) Spatial sedimentation and plant captured sediment within seagrass patches. Marine Environmental Research. 188. 105997.
25. Serra, T. and Colomer, J. (2023) Scavenging of polystyrene microplastics by sediment particles in both turbulent and calm aquatic environments. Science of the Total Environment. 884. 163720.
26. Barcelona, A., Colomer, J. and Serra, T. (2023) Stem stiffness functionality in a submerged canopy patch under oscillatory flow. Scientific Reports. 13(1). 1904.
27. Mancini, M., Serra, T., Colomer, J. and Solari, L. (2023) Suspended sediments mediate microplastic sedimentation in unidirectional flows. Science of the Total Environment. 890. 164363. 
28. Mancini, M., Solari, L., Colomer, J. and Serra, T. (2023) Retention of microplastics by interspersed lagoons in both natural and constructed wetlands. Journal of Water Process Engineering. 56, 104559.
29. Barcelona, A., Colomer, J., Serra, T., Cossa, D., Infantes, E. (2023) The role epiphytes play in particle capture of seagrass canopies. Marine Environmental Research, 192, 106238. 88.
30. Soler, M., Colomer, J., Folkard, A. and Serra, T. (2024) Interactions between vegetation, sedimentation and flood inundation levels in wetlands. Marine Environmental Research. 201, 106669.
31. Mancini, M., Colomer, J., Solari, L. and Serra, T. (2024). Shear induced remobilization of buried synthetic microfibers. Environmental Pollution. 361, 124864.
32. Barcelona, A., Serra, T., Colomer, J. and Infantes, E. (2024) Shrimp habitat selection dependence on Flow within Zostera marina canopies. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 305, 108858. ç
33. Soler, M., Colomer, J., Pohl, F. and Serra, T. (2025). Transport and sedimentation of microplastics by turbidity currents: dependence on suspended concentration and grain size. Environment International. 195, 109271.
34. Serra, T., Soler, M. and Colomer, J. (2025). Sedimentation patterns from currents associated to hydrodynamical transport modes. Sedimentary Geology, 476, 106802. 93 SCI. Q1.