Miguel B. Araújo Lab

Thinking big: the case for experimental macroecology

Thinking big: the case for experimental macroecology Click on the article title to read more.

I am deeply honoured to have been elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, an institution with a unique place in the history of biology and whose mission remains essential to understanding, communicating and protecting biodiversity.

PLoS Biology - The integration between biogeography and ecology has been historically limited due to the lack of data on biotic interactions across large spatial scales. The emergence of new methods and high-quality ecological network data at biogeographical scales are paving the way for a deeper integration of biogeography and ecology. This Essay examines this integration through three interconnected research areas: the effects of biotic interactions on species distributions; the influence of environmental gradients on biotic interactions; and the effects of biotic interactions on the environment. Recent progress and primary challenges are discussed, and suggestions provided on how to advance understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes across scales.

Biotic interactions biogeography: A framework for understanding how species interactions shape biodiversity patterns across scales Biogeography and ecology have long developed in parallel. This Essay explores how new data on species interactions across large scales now allow their integration, opening fresh insights into how biodiversity is shaped (and reshaped) across Earth.

Cerimónia de encerramento do projeto Natura Connect em Universidade de Évora

We are launching the Biodiversity Futures Working Groups at the Biodiversity Futures Lab.

The call supports small, focused synthesis groups addressing frontier questions in biodiversity science, with up to €10,000 in catalytic support and two in-person meetings at the Lab.

We welcome proposals from researchers at any career stage, anywhere in the world.

Deadline: 30 June 2026, 23:00 CET
Details: https://www.maraujolab.eu/2026/05/09/2026-announcement-biodiversity-futures-working-groups/

2026 Announcement - Biodiversity Futures Working Groups At a glance Up to €10,000 in catalytic support per working group Two in-person meetings (3-5 days each) at the Lab Open worldwide to researchers at all career stages Simple single-stage application process First deadline: 30 June 2026 What the programme is for The hardest questions

How general are aquatic food-web responses to climate change — and how contingent on local species pools? You can't answer that from one site. New Ecography paper led by Miguel Matias proposes PondNet, scaling up the Iberian Pond Network we built together to a global experiment.

PondNet – towards a global network of experiments on the effects of climate change on aquatic ecosystems Global change is reshaping the distribution of biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems. Predicting the long-term consequences of such changes remains a challenge due to a need for a clear unde...

On 22 May, the International Day for Biological Diversity, we will organise the final Portuguese seminar of the European project NaturaConnect, under the theme Portugal’s contribution to a trans-European conservation network for nature and people

Natura Connect biodiversity and nature restoration seminar On 22 May, the International Day for Biological Diversity, the Biodiversity Futures Laboratory, through its section at the Biodiversity Chair at the University of Évora, will organise the final Portuguese seminar of the European project

Portuguese crowd in the Species on the Move 2026 Conference (Taiwan). With Nuno Gomes, Catarina Frazão Santos, Laura Antão, Inês Martins, Maria Dornelas, Catarina Santos.

As oceans warm, many marine species are expected to shift towards cooler waters. But there is a crucial catch: suitable future habitat is not enough if species cannot actually reach it.

In this study, we show that oceanographic connectivity can strongly restrict the future range expansion of marine forest species such as seagrasses and brown macroalgae. Across 467 species, accounting for dispersal through ocean currents substantially reduced projected expansions, even where climate conditions appeared favourable. Under higher-emissions scenarios, habitat losses reached about 50% for seagrasses and 58% for brown macroalgae.

The message is simple: predicting biodiversity responses to climate change requires more than mapping future habitat suitability. We also need to consider whether the ocean will actually allow species to move.

This has clear implications for conservation planning, restoration, and the design of marine protected areas in a warming world.