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researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marta-Garcia-Cobo-2
Twitter: NemaMarta

With us at the MEG: I am a PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Alejandro Martínez García at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM). Currently, I’m spending an indefinite period at the Molecular Ecology Group (MEG) to advance on my thesis project, titled “Meiofauna as a model in ecology and evolution. Nematodes as case study”.

Research experience: My previous research has primarily focused on the study of nematode communities in diverse environments, including Posidonia oceanica meadows, deep-sea trenches and canyons, sandy beaches, and caves. In 2021, I collaborated with the Danish Center for Hadal Research (Mauricio Shimabukuro and Ronnie N. Glud) for three months, where I was involved in extracting meiofauna, identifying nematodes, analyzing data, and working on the taxonomy of the nematode’s genus Desmoscolex. I have also participated in various meiofauna sampling expeditions in the Iberian Peninsula organized by Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Fernando Pardos and Nuria Sánchez), which included locations such as Ría de Pontevedra, Portugal, Santa Pola (Alicante), and the Balearic Islands. Recently, I collaborated with the Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Jan Macher) as part of the BEN project on human impacts on coastal ecosystems. Additionally, I took part in the "Cuban Anchialine Fauna 2023" expedition, organized by the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (Dr. Nancy Mercado Salas and Dr. Yander Diez García) and the Italian National Research Council (Dr. Alejandro Martínez García).

Research interest: My research interest lies in exploring the relationship between meiofaunal diversity and morphology with ecological variables. By focusing on Nematoda, I aim to understand their ecological roles and functions within these ecosystems. I am particularly interested in how environmental factors influence nematode community structure, diversity and morphological adaptations.  Specifically, the main objectives of my PhD thesis are:

- Describing the taxonomic and functional diversity of nematodes in discrete environments (caves, lakes, oceanic islands, beaches, seagrass beds).

- Investigating the role of ecology in shaping patterns of taxonomic and functional diversity at various spatial scales.

- Studying the extent to which the ecology of different nematode groups favours the presence of certain morphological characters at different phylogenetic scales, investigating how environmental conditions and ecological niches influence the emergence and persistence of specific morphological characteristics throughout the evolution of nematodes.

Publications (just click here)