University graduate wins GBIF 2021 International Young Investigator Award

Biologist Julen Torrens Baile (Pamplona, Spain, 24 years old) has received the Young Researchers Award granted every year by the Global Biodiversity Information Infrastructure (GBIF), an international data network funded by governments around the world and whose purpose is to provide free and open access to biodiversity data.

This international organization organizes an annual competition for young researchers in two categories -any master's or doctoral student from a country belonging to the GBIF network can participate- and rewards the most original and innovative work in the use and analysis of data downloaded from GBIF, as well as the impact of the research carried out in the field of bioinformatics and biodiversity conservation.

Julen's work - entitled "Improving predictions of Species Distribution Models through temporal analysis of distribution data" - is based on improving species citation data to produce distribution models of invasive species so that a more accurate prediction of potential locations where a species could become invasive can be made.

"By obtaining more specific and reliable results of the potential distribution maps of invasive alien species, we can know more precisely which areas are suitable for these species. In this way, very valuable information is obtained for the proper management of invasive species that cause so many problems in ecosystems," says the young Navarrese.

Julen's proposal suggests a data preprocessing protocol to increase the quality of the biological information and improve the reference information by performing a previous analysis of the citations. Thus, the aim is to estimate the presence of these species "using chains of presence and absence data over different years to study the dynamics of the populations of these species in the areas where they have been introduced".

For Torrens, it is very important to properly manage these exotic species because their impact is very high in different spheres. "They cause the extinction of native species, the degradation of the ecosystems themselves or negative impacts on human welfare. They also cause social and economic damage, such as losses in agricultural or forestry production, damage to human or animal health and enormous costs associated with their management," he adds.

Julen Torrens will receive a cash prize of 5,000 € and shares recognition with Michael Belitz, a doctoral student at the University of Florida. Torrens becomes the second Spaniard to win this award and follows in the footsteps of Nora Escribano, also from Navarre and a former student of the Faculty of Science, who received this award in 2017.

Julen Torrens Baile has a degree in Biology (2020) and a Master's degree in Computational Methods in Science (2021) from the School of Science of the University of Navarra.

Julen's work is part of the actions of LIFE iNVASAQUA, a European governance and communication project whose ultimate goal is the communication, training and dissemination of information on aquatic Invasive Alien Species (IAS) in Spain and Portugal.