09 Mar SECOS Millennium Institute Researchers Awarded 2026 Fondecyt Postdoctoral Projects
The projects, led by Nicole Castillo (UdeC) and Matías Barceló (UC), address key challenges in coastal socio-ecology—from the effects of extreme climate events on mollusk aquaculture to socio-ecological restoration and the values of nature.
Two researchers from the SECOS Millennium Institute in Coastal Socio-Ecology have been awarded funding in the 2026 Fondecyt Postdoctoral Competition of Chile’s National Agency for Research and Development (ANID). The awardees are Nicole Castillo, a SECOS postdoctoral researcher at the University of Concepción (UdeC), and Matías Barceló, a former SECOS fellow affiliated with Universidad Santo Tomás (UST).
The Fondecyt Postdoctoral Competition aims to stimulate scientific productivity and future leadership among researchers who have recently completed their doctoral degrees. It supports the development of two- to three-year research projects across all fields of knowledge. The program also seeks to facilitate researchers’ integration into academic or other professional sectors and to foster interaction and collaboration with established research groups such as those that make up the SECOS Millennium Institute.
Understanding the Response of Mussels to Extreme Climate Events
The project awarded to Nicole Castillo focuses on understanding how extreme events associated with intense rainfall in northern Patagonia—of varying duration and intensity—affect Mytilus chilensis (the Chilean mussel) during its seed stage. The proposal, supported by SECOS researchers Ricardo Barra (UdeC), Cristian Vargas (UdeC), Pilar Haye (UCN), and Nicolás Segovia (UCN), will evaluate the physiological responses of these organisms, their recovery capacity following such events, and potential differences between individuals from natural banks and those from aquaculture systems.
“For me, receiving this grant brings enormous joy and strong personal and professional motivation. It is the result of a great deal of work and also the beginning of new challenges for the coming years. I am very grateful and motivated, and I especially value the support of SECOS, which will be fundamental for carrying out this project,” the researcher explains.
Castillo emphasizes that the study has both ecological and productive relevance:
“We are interested in understanding how these organisms respond physiologically and what their recovery capacity is, which is key not only from an ecological perspective but also for aquaculture, since mussels represent a very important productive activity in the region.”
Nature’s Values and Socio-Ecological Restoration
Meanwhile, the project led by Matías Barceló addresses socio-ecological restoration from an emerging perspective in Chile: the values of nature, with a particular emphasis on relational values, that is, those that arise from the relationships between people and their natural environment.
“Receiving this grant represents a significant step forward for socio-ecological restoration in Chile, especially regarding the values of nature, a theoretical approach that is beginning to consolidate in the country,” explains Barceló.
The research, carried out with the support of SECOS researcher María José Martínez, aims to understand how individuals and communities value nature, recognizing the diversity of perspectives that exist. The goal is to strengthen restoration initiatives that contribute to a more sustainable future for blue and green forests at the land–sea interface.
“Through this approach, the project will contribute an integrated perspective on the human–nature relationship, which is essential for advancing sustainability,” he adds.