Dr. Francisca C. García

Research Scientists

Research Scientist

Social Profile:

Research Interests

My research interest is to explore how changes in temperature shape natural communities and the impact of these changes on ecosystem functioning and in the carbon cycle. I am also interested in how microbial communities may adapt and respond to those changes by mitigating the damaging effects of warming.

Selected Publications

  • Diel dynamics of dissolved organic matter and heterotrophic prokaryotes reveal enhanced growth at the ocean's mesopelagic fish layer during daytime.
    Morán XAG, García FC, Røstad A, Silva L, Al-Otabi N, Irigoien X, Calleja LLM 
    Science of the Total Environment, 804, 150098 (2022)
  • Temperature responses of a Red Sea cyanobacterium-heterotrophic bacteria co-culture
    Labban AH, Palacio AS, García FC, Huete-Stauffer TM, Hadaidi G, López-Urrutia A, Alonso-Sáez L, Hong O, Morán XAG. 
    Front. Microbiol, 12 (2021)
  • Differential thermal tolerance between algae and corals may trigger the proliferation of algae in coral reefs.
    Anton A, Radle JL, García FC, Rossbach S, Ellis JI, Weinzierl M, Duarte CM. 
    Global Change Biology, 26 (8), 4316-4327 (2020)
  • Abrupt declines in the productivity of marine phytoplankton driven by warming and biodiversity loss.
    Bestion E, Barton S, García FC, Yvon‐Durocher G.
    Ecology letters, 23 (3), 457- 466 (2020)
  • Changes in temperature alter the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
    García FC, Bestion E, Warfield R, Yvon-Durocher G. 
    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115, 43 (2018)
  • Diel dynamics and coupling of heterotrophic prokaryotes and dissolved organic matter in epipelagic and mesopelagic waters of the central Red Sea: Heterotrophic prokaryotes dynamics in the Red Sea.
    García FC, Calleja LLM, Al-Otabi N, Røstad A, Morán XAG. 
    Environmental Microbiology, 17(10), 4133-4142 (2018)
  • Unveiling the role and life strategies of viruses from the surface to the dark ocean.
    Lara E, Vaqué D, Sà EL, Boras JA, Gomes A, Borrull E, Diez-Vives C, Teira E, Pernice MC, García FC, et al.
    Sciences Advances. 3(9) (2017) 
  • The allometry of the smallest: superlinear scaling of microbial metabolic rates in the Atlantic Ocean.
    García FC, García-Martín EE, González Taboada F, Sal S, Serret P, López-Urrutia A. 
    ISME Journal, 10, 1029–1036 (2016)
  • Seasonality in molecular and cytometric diversity of marine bacterioplankton: the re-shuffling of bacterial taxa by vertical mixing.
    García FC, Alonso-Sáez L, Morán XAG, López-Urrutia A. 
    Environmental Microbiology, 17, 4133–4142 (2015) 
  • Automated clustering of heterotrophic bacterioplankton in flow-cytometry data.
    García FC, López-Urrutia A, Morán XAG.
    Aquatic Microbial Ecology, 72, 175–185 (2014)

Education

  • Ph.D., Biological Resources and Biodiversity. Spanish Institute of Oceanography. University of Oviedo, Spain. 2015
  • M.Sc., Oceanography. University of Cádiz, Spain. 2009
  • B.Sc., Environmental Sciences. University of Cádiz, Spain. 2009
  • B.Sc., Marine Science. University of Cádiz, Spain. 2008

Professional Profile

  • 2016-2021. Postdoctoral Research Fellow. College of Life and Environmental Sciences. University of Exeter. 
  • 2016. Postdoctoral fellow. Red Sea Research Center. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.

KAUST Affiliations

  • Red Sea Research Center (RSRC)

  • Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE)

Research Interests Keywords

Marine Microbial Ecology Microbiology Metabolic Ecology Size Structure Biodiversity Ecosystem Functioning Trait-based Ecology Climate Change Ecology and Evolution