Leydi Geraldine Porras-Rivera

Activities of recognition, characterization, evaluation, use, management and conservation of living organisms in their different manifestations and levels of organization, based on curricular processes that seek to privilege the permanent construction of new knowledge, the recognition and adoption of scientific work practices and the generation of responsible, ethical and committed attitudes, to contribute to the knowledge, conservation and sustainable and equitable use of the biological resources of the region and the country.

My doctoral thesis focuses on understanding the effects of chemical pollution on the behavioral and physiological responses of Galaxias maculatus, a native freshwater fish in southern Chile, and its implications for population dynamics. It integrates fieldwork, laboratory experiments, and computational modeling to achieve the following objectives: Reviewing Behavioral Biomarkers: Establishing the global state of the art in the use of behavioral biomarkers for ecotoxicological assessments in freshwater fish. Behavioral Analysis: Evaluating changes in activity, exploration, foraging, and group cohesion in G. maculatus under controlled exposure to 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) at non-lethal concentrations and in natural habitats with chemical pollution. Physiological Correlations: Linking behavioral changes to physiological biomarkers, specifically enzyme activity (EROD and AChE). Ecological Modeling: Using individual-based models (IBM) to infer impacts of altered behavior on fitness, reproduction, and survival, ultimately predicting population-level effects on G. maculatus. This research highlights the use of behavioral and physiological biomarkers to assess sublethal impacts of pollution and informs conservation strategies for freshwater ecosystems.