The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) hosted on May 2nd the 5th scientific and informative conference ‘A Journey to a Sustainable Future’, focused on the advancements of the largest study on the effects of climate change on the threatened marine and terrestrial biodiversity of the archipelago. With the use of soundscapes recording instruments in the waters of the Canary Islands, the conference allowed for the analysis of the effects of underwater noise.
Throughout the event, it was emphasized how human impact «continues to negatively affect» species, the central axis of the CanBIO project. This initiative, funded equally by the Government of the Canary Islands and Loro Parque Foundation, is being developed by research groups from ULPGC and the University of La Laguna, as reported by CanBIO in a press release.
The opening ceremony of the conference featured the participation of the ULPGC Rector, Lluís Serra; the Vice Minister of Ecological Transition, Fight against Climate Change, and Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands, Julieta Schallenberg; the Vice-Rector of Infrastructure at ULL, Marta Domínguez, and the Director of Loro Parque Foundation and project coordinator, Javier Almunia Portolés.
Researchers from ULL and ULPGC shared scientific advancements on ocean acidification, marine acoustic pollution, and their impact on vulnerable and critically endangered species during the conference. All of this falls under the eight subprojects that make up CanBIO, with a total investment of 3 million euros since 2019, establishing the program as the «major regional commitment» to the study of climate change in the Macaronesia region.
In this regard, among the results obtained in 2025, researchers focused on the increases in acidification compared to previous editions, as well as the increased effects of underwater noise on biodiversity thanks to the soundscapes recording instruments installed by the project in the archipelago’s waters.
RAISING AWARENESS AMONG THE YOUNGEST
On the other hand, at the event held in the Multipurpose Room I of the Basic Sciences Building at the Tafira Campus, fifty primary school students from the Maestro Félix Santana Educational Center also participated. They engaged in educational workshops organized by the educational team of Loro Parque Foundation and the communication department of CanBio, including a display of life-size inflatable replicas of cetaceans designed to raise awareness about marine biodiversity.
In this way, the youngest participants enjoyed clay modeling workshops where they recreated critically endangered terrestrial snail species, promoting knowledge and respect for local biodiversity.
For the youth and adult audience, the project’s communication team designed a thematic escape room, one of the innovative science communication initiatives based on transmedia communication techniques.
This allows science to be approached in a playful, creative, and accessible way for all audiences; while the students provided a musical performance related to the climate change theme to conclude their attendance at the conference.
Regarding CanBio, it is an environmental research program funded equally by the Government of the Canary Islands and Loro Parque Foundation, with an investment of three million euros over its five years of activity. Its purpose is to study climate change, ocean acidification, and their effects on the marine and terrestrial biodiversity of the archipelago.
Various research groups from the University of La Laguna and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, as well as environmental volunteer groups, are involved in this project.
CanBIO started in 2019 and has established a network for monitoring «key» parameters related to climate change, underwater acoustic pollution, and their impact on biodiversity. It has also become an «essential» source of data for climate models in the Macaronesian region, as well as a reference in the protection of marine and terrestrial species against the challenges of global change.
The subprojects that make up CanBIO include: BuoyPAM, MacPAM, CanOA, BioACU, BioMAR, BioTER, SonMAR, and BioModClim, each focused on different aspects of research on the impact of climate change on the ecosystems of the Canary Islands.
