Professor (Assistant) | USC · Department of Applied Economics | University of Santiago de CompostelaBasic Information Sebastian Villasante

Research interests

Dr Sebastian Villasante is interested in understanding the social adaptation, transformations and vulnerabilities of marine social-ecological systems to global change, and examining trade-offs in managing and conserving living marine resources. In particular, Sebastian has been working on the development and application of quantitative and qualitative models to investigate the spatial conflicts of marine uses of different activities (e.g., commercial and recreational fisheries, aquaculture). Specific topics of research interest include: explicit spatial modeling of marine ecosystem services by using InVEST and Ecopath with Ecosim models, development of new a social vulnerability index to measure the spatial exposure of coastal communities to climate change and other pressures. Sebastian also works closely with a diversity of stakeholders to create windows of opportunities for resilient ecosystem, industries and communities.

Short biography

Dr. Sebastian Villasante is an Assistant Professor at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain). His main research areas include understanding social adaptation, transformations and vulnerabilities of marine social-ecological systems to global change, and examining trade-offs in managing and conserving living marine resources. His works cut across multiple disciplines, from ecology, economics to social sciences, and range from local to global scales.
Sebastian has published over 90 peer-reviewed publications, including papers in leading international journals. Sebastian is also actively involved in international and regional initiatives that bridge science and policy. For instance, he was the founder of the ICES Working Group on Resilience and Marine Ecosystem Services, Coordinator of the Working Group on Monetary Valuation of ecosystem services of the Ecosystem Services Partnership, and co-founder of the Working Group on Small-Scale fisheries in Galicia (NW Spain). He serves as member of the editorial board of Frontiers of Marine Sciences, and as scientific advisors in a number of international and local organizations including Future Earth, International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.

Education

D

egrees

 

Institution Degree Major Dates
Start End
University Santiago de Compostela PhD. Applied Economics July, 2005 July, 2009
University Santiago de Compostela M.A. Fisheries Economics Sep, 2007 Jun, 2008
University Santiago de Compostela DEA Fisheries Economics Nov, 2001 Jun, 2002
University of Buenos Aires BSc Law and Social Sciences Mar, 1995 Dec, 2000

 

R

elated Studies

Institution Description Dates
Start End
The Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics Postdoctoral fellowship June, 2009 Sep, 2009

 

L

anguage Competencies

Spanish (Read Write Speak Understand-mother tongue)
English (Read Write Speak Understand)
Portuguese (Read Write Speak Understand)
French (Read Write Understand)
Italian (Read Understand)

T

itle of Dissertation and Name of Supervisor

“Magnitude and implications of the Common Fisheries Policy on marine social-ecological systems”, MC Garcia-Negro, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Employment Record

W

ork prior to coming to USC

Employer Department Position Dates
Start End
United Nations Environmental Program Environment Research Associated Jan, 2009 Dec, 2009
University of Buenos Aires Social Sciences Researcher Assistant Mar, 2000 Dec, 2000

 

A

t USC

Employer Department Position Dates
Start End
University Santiago de Compostela Applied Economics Assistant Professor Dec, 2016
University Santiago de Compostela Applied Economics Lecturer Jul, 2010 Nov, 2016
University Santiago de Compostela Applied Economics Assistant Researcher Mar, 2002 Dec, 2008

 

W

ork while working at USC (Consultancy)

Employer Department Position Dates
Start End
World Bank The Environment and Trade & Competitiveness Global Practices of the World Bank Group Consultant Dec, 2017 Mar, 2018
University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences Policy Analyst Jan, 2012 Dec, 2012

 

V

isiting research

Institution Supervisor Position Dates
Start End
Natural Capital Project-Stanford University R.Griffin, S. Wood Visiting Researcher Mar, 2018 Mar, 2018
University Federal Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil) P. Lopes Visiting Researcher Sep, 2013 Sep, 2013
The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics and Resilience Stockholm Centre (Sweden) M. Tröell Visiting Researcher Sep, 2011 Sep, 2011
Patagonian National Research Center-CENPAT (Argentina) I. Elías, L. Orensanz Visiting Researcher Jul, 2010 Sep, 2010
The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics and Resilience Stockholm Centre (Sweden) M. Tröell Visiting Researcher Jul, 2009 Sep, 2009
University of British Columbia, Fisheries Centre (Canada) R. Sumaila Visiting Researcher Nov, 2005 Jan, 2006

In bold and italics I highlight the international collaborations.

Awards and Distinctions

A

wards for Scholarship

Granting Agency Project Title COMP Amount ($CDN) Years Investigators
Start End
Beijer International institute of Ecological Economics Marine social-ecological systems in Peninsula de Valdes C 7,500 2009 2009 S. Villasante, G. Macho, I. Elías
University of Santiago de Compostela Researcher assistant C 24,000 2008 2009 MC Garcia-Negro, S. Villasante
Xunta de Galicia (Spain) USC Master Degree in Fisheries Economics NC 5,000 2008 2009 S. Villasante
University of Santiago de Compostela PhD students C 12,000 2005 2008 MC Garcia-Negro

* International collaborators in bold and italics.

P

rizes

Name Type Presenter Amount ($CDN) Dates
Start End
Best PhD Thesis in Economics Prize University Santiago de Compostela 2011
Yamamoto First Distinction (with Prof. Rashid Sumaila) Prize Japanese International Society for Fisheries 1,500 2010
I “INESMA Prize” on marine conservation in Spain Prize INESMA 5,800 2009
Extraordinary merits for PhD students Prize University Santiago de Compostela 2009
Young scientists from developing countries Prize American Fisheries Society 1,200 2008

Leaves of Absence

I took a 4-week parental leave from Dec 26 2008 to January 28 2009 to be primary caregiver to my daughter Sophia (born December 26 2009).