Current Project: 2020-2023
RLA 7/025 – Strengthening Capacities in Marine and Coastal Environments Using Nuclear and Isotopic Techniques.
Participating Institutions:
Instituto del Mar del Perú – IMARPE
Research Areas::
- Ocean Acidification.
- Chemical Contamination.
- Eutrophication.
- Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and Marine Biotoxins.
- Microplastic contamination.
Instituto Peruano de Energía Nuclear – IPEN.
Research Areas::
- Chemical Contamination.
Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruiz Gallo (UNPRG).
Research Areas::
- Chemical Contamination.
- Ocean Acidification.
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH).
Research Areas::
- Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and Marine Biotoxins.
THE PROBLEM
Peru is a country committed to ocean research. The Pacific Ocean represents an important source of goods and services and provides food for millions of people. In addition, the Peruvian Coastal Upwelling System has unique characteristics associated with its high productivity and fisheries, but also has conditions similar to those associated with climate change such as low oxygen, represented by a very intense Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ) and a condition of "old" waters with a high CO2 content and low pH. This determines that it is an ideal laboratory to understand and project climate change scenarios and their effects on organisms sensitive to alterations in the carbonate system.
Contributing to a healthy ocean and the sustainability of its resources is a commitment for Peru, and participating in the RLA7025 project brings it directly closer to this end. Indeed, through a multidisciplinary group of various research institutions, it seeks as a country to improve its capacity to report on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), in particular Goal 14 associated with marine life.
INFORMATION FOR ACTION
Peru is closely linked to the marine environment and is committed to responsible and sustained management of the ecosystem. In this context, in recent years the Institute of the Sea of Peru - Imarpe leads marine research in the field of algal blooms, environmental variability, and recently in microplastics and acidification. These are aimed at the implementation of monitoring and studies at the country level that allow knowing the environmental variability in relation to eutrophication and the carbonate component, designing appropriate experiments and knowing the impact that these changes may have on the ecology of the Humboldt ecosystem. Likewise, the line of research on microplastics and marine pollution, as well as research projects such as the study of Coastal Upwelling and climate change, will contribute to SDG 14. On the other hand, with regard to Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) Decades of research precede it, to which is currently added an observation network for early warning, implemented in Lima and in regional offices such as the Imarpe Coastal Laboratory - Santa Rosa (Lambayeque).
For its part, the Instituto Peruano de Energía Nuclear (IPEN) has experience in the application of nuclear and isotopic methodologies through which different materials have been characterized and in whose context it seeks to strengthen marine-coastal and multiple stressor studies. This associated with laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art methodologies for dating and characterization of materials.
The Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruiz Gallo (UNPRG) from the Lambayeque region contributes by bringing science closer to fishing activity. It seeks to develop experiments for the study of organisms of commercial interest and marine biodiversity, as well as their responses to environmental stressors. This information will be valuable for decision making and resource management.
On the other hand, the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH) through its laboratories and the Quality Management System of the Laboratory for Quality Control and Food Safety of CITEacuícola UPCH, will contribute to aspects of Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) with the chemical analysis of marine toxins, in particular in the measurement of marine lipophilic toxins, essential in the early detection of these events and decision-making in the aquaculture and fishing field.
Country Members:
Michelle Ivette Graco. Biologist, Doctor in Oceanography.
Instituto del Mar del Perú- IMARPE.
Role in the Project: Counterpart Peru/ Responsible Oceanic Acidification (AO) component
Contact info: mgraco@imarpe.gob.pe / +51-985052929
She is a researcher at Imarpe and coordinates the functional area of Chemical Oceanography and Geology of the General Directorate of Oceanographic Research and Climate Change. She is also a professor at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in the Master of Marine Sciences. Her field of research is marine biogeochemistry, Eastern Rim Upwelling Systems (EBUEs) and climate change. Her area of specialization is: Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZ), nitrogen, carbon and sulfur cycles, biogeochemical role of EBUEs, particularly of the Humboldt Ecosystem off Peru and in recent years in the field of marine acidification , in which it seeks to implement projects at the national level and in cooperation with international institutes that help understand the Peruvian sea, but also one of the most interesting laboratories in the context of global variability and change. She has led research projects, among which the following stand out: National Project for the Integrated Study of Coastal Upwelling, Project KOSMOS 2017, 2020 Imarpe – GEOMAR and with IRD in the framework of Mertox and the study of the mercury cycle and H2Sense for the development of sensors of low cost-DGT. She is the author of several national and international publications and a CONCYTEC researcher.
Member of networks such as Remarco, LAOCA, GOA ON and SOLAS.
Alex Edwin Alcántara Rubira. Bachelor of Chemistry, MSc. Analytic chemistry.
Centro de Innovación Productiva y Transferencia Tecnológica Privado Acuícola de la Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia – CITEacuícola UPCH.
Role in the Project: Researcher of the HAB component
Contact info: alex.alcantara@upch.pe, aalcantara.ru@gmail.com / +51956786179
Degree in Chemistry from the Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal, with studies completed in the Master's Degree in Analytical Chemistry from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. He currently works as Head of the Laboratory and the Quality Management System of the Quality Control and Food Safety Laboratory of CITEacuícola UPCH. His experience in HAB arises from the implementation of the method of marine lipophilic toxins by LC-MS/MS in 2015. In 2017 he received training on the control and analysis of marine toxins by LC-MS/MS in the European Union Reference Laboratory for Marine Biotoxins – EURLMB and the Technological Institute of the Marine Environment – INTECMAR, Spain. On the other hand, in 2018 he participated as a speaker at the Ibero-American Congress of Chemistry and the XXIX Peruvian Congress of Chemistry with the theme: "Marine Biotoxins", in that same year the article titled: " First report of okadaic acid and pectenotoxins in individual cells of Dinophysis and scallops argopecten purpuratus from Peru”.
Sergio Ronal Germán Bances Ugaz. Biologist, Master in Environmental Engineering.
Instituto del Mar del Perú- IMARPE- Laboratorio Costero del Imarpe -Santa Rosa Chiclayo.
Role in the Project: Harmful Algal Blooms component researcher.
Contact info: sbances@imarpe.gob.pe / +51-959039870
Researcher at the Coastal Laboratory of Imarpe Santa Rosa - Lambayeque, in charge of two regional projects such as the "Evaluation of the Environmental Quality of the Coastal Marine Zone of Lambayeque" and "Monitoring of Potentially Harmful Phytoplankton in the concession area of Lagunas - Chérrepe and in the Natural Bank of fan shells on Isla Lobos de Tierra”, is also part of the national observation team for Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), whose events occur in northern Peru.
His research fields are environmental sciences and climate change. Area of specialization: Marine Phytoplankton, especially ecology, sampling and taxonomy of HAB-producing species. He has participated in numerous national and international research cruises aboard Imarpe ships such as BIC "Humboldt", "José Olaya Balandra", "Luis Flores Portugal" and the RV / ATLANTIS that was in charge of the Old Dominion University. He also investigates environmental quality indices of the coastal marine zone through quantitative analytical techniques that objectively describe the areas of greatest contamination.
Author and co-author of several national publications:
http://biblioimarpe.imarpe.gob.pe/simple-search?query=sergio+Bances ; https://repositorio.unprg.edu.pe/handle/20.500.12893/6039
Natalie del Carmen Bravo Senmache. Degree in Biology with mention in Fishery Biology.
Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruíz Gallo.
Role in the Project: AO component researcher- Monitoring and coordination activities with associations of artisanal fishermen in Lambayeque and Piura: Pimentel and Sechura respectively.
Contact info: nataliebrsm@gmail.com, nbravos@unprg.edu.pe /+51-921707396
She has a degree in Biology with a mention in Fisheries Biology, graduated from the Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruíz Gallo. Currently, she works as a specialist in the Fisheries Biology and Oceanography Laboratory of the Faculty of Biological Sciences of the Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruíz Gallo. Oriented towards the study of ocean acidification in the northern coastal zone of Peru, she has been trained and has received training on monitoring the parameters of the carbonate system and conducting multi-stress experiments since 2018 at the regional and international. She is a member of the Latin American Ocean Acidification Network-LAOCA, the Global Ocean Acidification Observation Network-GOA-ON, and the Peruvian Oceanography Network under the leadership of Dr. Wilmer Carbajal. LABOCEAC – Laboratory of Oceanography and Coastal Acidification of the UNPRG and since 2017 conducts monthly monitoring of the carbonate system in the Lambayeque region.
Wilson Joaquín Carhuapoma Bernabé. Bachelor of Chemistry..
Instituto del Mar del Perú- IMARPE.
Role in the Project: Responsible for the eutrophication component/ co-responsible for Ocean Acidification (AO)
Contact info: wcarhuapoma@imarpe.gob.pe / +51 990592558
Degree in Chemistry from the Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal 1999-2003. He has followed master's studies in Marine Sciences at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia: Faculty of Sciences and Philosophy, Master's in Marine Sciences.
Since 2013 he has been working as a Chemical Analyst in oceanographic research at the Instituto del Mar del Perú - Imarpe.
Among the scientific technical works in which he has participated are: the carbonate system: the "Verification of UV/vis spectrophotometer for the analysis of nutrients in seawater" (2019), the Verification of Fluorometer for the analysis of chlorophyll-a ” (2019), the “Total Alkalinity Analysis Protocol in Seawater” (2019), the “Potentiometric pH Analysis Protocol in Seawater” (2019) and “Total Alkalinity Uncertainty Calculations” (2020 ).
He is co-author in various publications related to nuclear techniques.
Jorge Antonio Fupuy Chung. Master in Ecology and Conservation.
Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruiz Gallo – UNPRG.
Role in the Project: AO component researcher- Biological resources and fishery.
Contact info: jfupuy@unprg.edu.pe / +51-976389507
Research Professor at the Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruiz Gallo and coordinator of the fisheries laboratories of the Faculty of Biological Sciences. He develops research in the coastal zone in the oceanographic, chemical, biological and climate change areas, and also develops strengthening training with artisanal fishermen. In recent years in the field of marine acidification, in which he seeks to implement projects at the national level and in cooperation with national and international institutions that help understand the Peruvian sea. He is the author of several national publications and a CONCYTEC researcher. (https://ctivitae.concytec.gob.pe/appDirectorioCTI/VerDatosInvestigador.do?id_investigador=20633).
He is a member of REMARCO, the Peruvian Network of Oceanography and LABOCEAC – Laboratory of Oceanography and Coastal Acidification of the UNPRG.
María del Carmen Igarza. Doctor in Natural Sciences.
Postdoc Fondecyt- IMARPE.
Role in the Project: External Collaborating Researcher/ Eutrophication.
Contact info: maria.igarza.t@upch.pe / mari.igarza.tagle@outlook.com
She has a Doctorate in Natural Sciences from the University of Oldenburg (Germany), a Master's in Marine Sciences from the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru) and a degree in Biological Sciences with a specialty in Hydrobiology and Fisheries from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos ( Peru). She is a specialist in Marine Sciences with an emphasis in Chemical Oceanography and Marine Geochemistry. She currently participates in a National Fondecyt project for the study of extreme events on the subject of hypoxia in coastal areas, Paracas Bay.
Virginia Elisa Lacherre Calderón. Journalist. Master in Public Management.
Instituto del Mar del Perú- IMARPE.
Role in the Project: Responsible for the communications component
Contact info: imagen@imarpe.gob.pe /+51- 999169408
She is a collegiate journalist. She has completed a Master's Degree in Interactive Communication with a mention in Audiovisual Production at the Federico Villarreal National University and a Master's Degree in Public Management from the Government Institute of the Universidad San Martín de Porres. She has a Master's degree in Maritime, Port and Fisheries Administration from the National Merchant Marine School "Almirante Miguel Grau". She has a specialty in corporate communication and sustainable development, corporate reputation and crisis management, digital communication for public management and State protocol.
She is responsible for the Communications and Institutional Image Unit of the Instituto del Mar del Perú - Imarpe and for developing communication strategies and content aimed at the dissemination and dissemination of research in aquatic sciences.
She is a member of the GTTE Environmental Education, Communication and Social Empowerment of the Multisectoral Commission for the Environmental Management of the Coastal Marine Environment (COMUMA) of the Ministry of the Environment.
Pablo Antonio Mendoza Hidalgo. MSc chemist. Radiochemistry.
Instituto Peruano de Energía Nuclear – IPEN.
Role in the Project: Dating Component- Analysis of Pb-210 for dating in marine sediment.
Contact info: pmendoza@ipen.gob.pe / +51-953920790
Researcher in the area of nuclear analytical techniques specializing in neutron activation analysis and gamma radiometry analysis of environmental samples. He is in charge of the Analytical Techniques Laboratory (TEAN) of the IPEN Research and Development Directorate, oriented towards the application of nuclear techniques in the multielement analysis of various sample matrices, as well as radiological impact studies in coastal areas and in marine sediments of Antarctica in cooperation with various research institutions (INGEMMET, IGP and INVEMAR of Colombia). He has participated in 18 publications in journals indexed to the SCOPUS base on various topics as well as the generation of technological innovation with a utility model patent issued by INDECOPI. He is a professor in the Faculty of Chemistry at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (2019). He is qualified by CONCYTEC as a RENACYT researcher, group: Carlos Monge with level III.
Paula Ofelia Olivera de Lescano. Chemical Engineer.
Instituto Peruano de Energía Nuclear – IPEN.
Role in the Project: Characterization of sediment by nuclear techniques, Fluorescence RX / neutron activation.
Contact info: polivera@ipen.gob.pe; paula.ofelia@gmail.com /+51 1 4885050 Anexo 2237 (Centro Nuclear)
She is a scientific researcher and chemical analyst, specialist in nuclear techniques, especially X-Ray Fluorescence analysis. Professional member of the Research and Development Department and member of the Teaching Staff of the Higher Center for Nuclear Studies (CSEN) of the Peruvian Institute of Nuclear energy. Research Lines: Characterization of archaeological materials (Archaeometry), environmental (soil, sediments, vegetables, water), minerals, food, among others. She has participated as a counterpart, principal investigator or guest investigator in 8 Research Projects sponsored by the IAEA. She is the author and co-author of 56 scientific articles related to nuclear technology. She teaches basic nuclear physics, radiochemistry and basic nuclear chemistry, radiation detection and nuclear instrumentation, notions of radiation protection and nuclear safety. Her training is in Chemical Engineering from the San Agustín de Arequipa National University, 1977. She graduated from the I Master of Science with a mention in Nuclear Energy from the National Engineering University of Lima, Peru, 1980. Currently, she is responsible for the Laboratories of X-Ray Spectroscopy and Carbon 14 Dating of IPEN.
David Point. PhD Researcher.
IRD- Francia.
Role in the Project: External Collaborating Researcher/ Pollution.
Contact info: david.point@ird.fr
He is a marine biogeochemistry researcher, specialist in trace elements and in particular mercury and dimethyl mercury in both the water column and sediment, the role of ZMO and MO in mercury cycling, and the impact on food webs. He currently works on an active line of technological innovation DGT, for use in environmental characterization for mercury and other compounds of interest such as sulfur. He develops projects in cooperation with Imarpe-Fondecyt.
Sara Regina Purca Cuicapusa. Fishery Engineer. Doctor in Oceanography.
Instituto del Mar del Perú- IMARPE.
Role in the Project: Microplastics Peru component coordination.
Contact info: spurca@imarpe.gob.pe / +51-945237263
She works as a scientist at Imarpe, in the functional area of coastal marine research, with the issue of plastic pollution in the sea. She coordinates the Fishing Rights Project: “Evaluation of the presence of macro, meso and microplastics along the Peruvian coast and Lake Titicaca”. She has participated in more than 20 publications related to the effect of the intra-seasonal-decadal variability of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the marine ecosystem off Peru. She is a postgraduate professor at the Postgraduate School of theUniversidad Nacional Federico Villarreal - EUPG-UNFV and the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. She won the award for women in science 2017, sponsored by L'oreal-Peru, National Academy of Science, UNESCO and CONCYTEC.
Sonia C. Sánchez Ramírez. PhD. in Natural Sciences.
Instituto del Mar del Perú- IMARPE.
Role in the Project: Responsible for Harmful Algal Blooms component.
Contact info: soniasan@imarpe.gob.pe / +51-945350746
She is a Researcher at Imarpe and responsible for the Phytoplankton and Primary Production Laboratory of the General Directorate of Oceanographic Research and Climate Change. Her field of research is the Ecology of Phytoplankton and Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) in the coastal ecosystem (bays) and outcropping, responsible for research in these environments. Area of specialization: Taxonomy, Collection Methodologies and Phytoplankton Analysis. She is the National Focal Point of the Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms in South America (Grupo FANSA); Member of the Intergovernmental Panel on HAB (IPHAB XIV) IOC-UNESCO. She is part of the INACAL Group (Hydrobiology Section) for the development of the Peruvian Technical Standard. She has led research projects, among which the following stand out: National Project for the Integrated Study of Physical, Chemical and Biological Processes in Coastal Edge ecosystems and interactions with HAB; Projects financed by Fishing Rights- PRODUCE, FINCYT, with universities and national institutions as partners. She has organized various training courses, she is the author of national and international publications and a CONCYTEC researcher. http://directorio.concytec.gob.pe/appDirectorioCTI/BuscarInvestigadores.do?tipo=investigadores&origen=cabBusqueda&apellidos=sonia%20c.%20sanchez%20ramirez&grupo=undefined&nivel=undefined)
She is a member of networks such as FANSA, IPHAB, CBP, Remarco.
Federico Augusto Velazco Castillo. Geological Engineer, MSc. Environmental Sciences.
Instituto del Mar del Perú- IMARPE.
Role in the Project: Technical manager-pollution component-sediments.
Contact info: fvelazco@imarpe.gob.pe / (01) 208-8650 Anexo 835
He is a researcher with a Master's degree in Environmental Sciences. He is responsible for the Marine Geology Laboratory of the Chemical Oceanography and Geology Research Functional Area – General Directorate of Oceanographic Research and Climate Change. He is a specialist in the field of marine geosciences; he develops activities in the specialties of sedimentology, geochemistry, paleoceanography and marine geomorphology. He has experience working on board, in prospecting the seabed with indirect methods, with direct sampling techniques (dredgers, corers), through direct observation (scientific diving), installation of arrangements with sediment traps; laboratory and office work; for studies on organic matter sedimentation processes, biogeochemistry in shallow and offshore environments, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, and benthic habitats.
Progress and Challenges
In this context, the Instituto del Mar del Perú, together with the Instituto Peruano de Energía Nuclear, the Universidad Pedro Ruiz Gallo and the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia will address topics of great relevance for the sustainability of the oceans: marine acidification, microplastics, pollution, eutrophication and harmful algal blooms. This through the measurement of indicators in marine-coastal systems, but also with the use of nuclear techniques for peaceful use that contribute from the national level to the regional and global scale.
In order to advance towards the goal of SDG 14, specifically 14.1.1 and 14.3.1, Peru joins the RLA7025 project with the experience of a national institution such as Imarpe, which contributes to the management of resources and the investigation of the environment, its climatic variability and currently, climate change. Through the Laboratory of Chemical Oceanography and Geology, and the Laboratory of Phytoplankton and Primary Production of the General Directorate of Research in Oceanography and Climate Change, it will participate in the implementation of the observatory for measuring pH and total alkalinity to study the carbonate system under international standards, as well as aspects of contamination in the area of microplastics, eutrophication and harmful algal blooms (HAB), associated with studies of sediments and changes in oxygenation conditions and organic matter. On the other hand, there is the Instituto Peruano de Energía Nuclear (IPEN), which will allow progress in the contamination component, through the study of sediments, dating and characteristics through nuclear tools. For its part, the Pedro Ruiz Gallo University will make it possible to link the environment, pH and fisheries in an area of Peru of great importance for the scallop shell resource and the Universidad Pedro Ruiz Gallo through specialized laboratories in the investigation of toxins associated with HAB such as CITEaquaculture is a key aspect for human health.
In this way, Peru as a country hopes to contribute to the 2030 agenda and to the SDG 14 in particular, as well as to strengthen the REMARCO network by adding its capacities, strengths and actions to those of other regional and international networks on the topics of acidification, microplastics, deoxygenation. “Everyone is needed to achieve these ambitious goals. The creativity, knowledge, technology and resources of the whole society are needed to achieve the SDGs in each context (UNDP)”. In this sense, Peru is committed to learning to manage, both for the sustainability of the Peruvian sea and for the global ocean.