Since the beginning of its creation in the early 1980s, the Marine Benthos Research Group UPV/EHU has focused their investigations on studying the effects of human activities on marine rocky communities. This multidisciplinary team, formed by phycologists and zoologists, has participated in numerous investigations to assess the health of coastal ecosystems.

Main lines of research:

• Marine rocky benthos ecology (seaweeds and invertebrates).
• Environmental impact assessment (industrial and domestic pollution, oil spills, climate change, etc.).
• Recovery of benthic communities in polluted systems in response to the application of environmental quality restoration measures.
• Development of biological element indicators for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive.
• Development of methods for the optimisation of pollution assessment.
• Environmental monitoring.