Dr. Javier Sellanes

Qualifications
2002 Ph.D., Oceanography, Universidad de Concepción, Chile.
1995 Degree in Science, mention Hidrobiology, Universidad de la República, Faculty of Sciences, Montevideo, Uruguay. 2002-2004. Postdoctoral position. Centro de Investigación Oceanográfica en el Pacifico Sur-Oriental, FONDAP-COPAS.

Present positions
Since 2007: Associate Researcher Centro de Investigación Oceanográfica en el Pacifico Sur-Oriental, FONDAP-COPAS.

Since 2005: Associate Researcher. Facultad de Ciencias del Mar. UCN. Coquimbo. Chile

Research interest
Shelf and bathyal benthos ecology. Methane seep chemosynthetic communities. Taxonomy of mollusks. Sediment biogeochemistry.

Experience (recent)
Principal Investigator, Project Fondecyt 1061217 “Megafauna of the first methane seep area discovered off Chile: trophodynamics, biological aspects and relationships with the Patagonian tooth-fish (Dissostichus eleginoides) fishery off Concepción (~36ºS)”, Associate Researcher Project Fondef D04I1111 “Hidratos de gas submarinos, análisis de los escenarios de exploración y producción como contribución a la matriz energética nacional” Principal Investigator: Dr. Juan Díaz-Naveas, PUCV, Chile. Co-investigator Project Fondecyt 1061214 “Trace metal geochemistry within the Oxygen Minimum Zone off the central-south Chile margin (36°S): the use of Cd, Co, U and Mo as proxies of paleoproductivity in sediments”, Universidad Católica del Norte, Chile. Co-Investigator Project FIP 2005-61 ”Characterization of the seafloor between the III and X regions” PUCV, Chile.

Five relevant publications

• Milessi AC, Sellanes J, Gallardo VA, Lange CB (2005) Osseous skeletal material and fish scales in marine sediments under the oxygen minimum zone off northern and central Chile. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science. 64: 185-190
• Sellanes J, Krylova E (2005) A new species of Calyptogena (Bivalvia, Vesicomyidae) from a recently discovered methane seepage area off Concepción Bay, Chile (~36ºS). Journal of the Marine Biological Association UK, 85 (4): 969-976
• Sellanes J, Neira C. (2006) ENSO as a natural experiment to understand environmental control of meiofaunal community structure. Marine Ecology, 27: 31-43
• Sellanes J, Quiroga E, Gallardo VA (2004) First direct evidences of methane seepage and associated chemosynthetic communities in the bathyal zone off Chile. Journal of the Marine Biological Association UK, 84 (5): 1065-1066
• Sellanes J, Quiroga E, Neira C, Gutiérrez D (2007) Changes of macrobenthos composition under different ENSO cycle conditions on the continental shelf off central Chile. Continental Shelf Research 27: 1002-1016.

Additional Publications:

• Neira C, Sellanes J, Soto A, Gutiérrez D, Gallardo VA (2001) Meiofauna and sedimentary organic matter off central Chile: respon Holmes A, Oliver PG, Sellanes J (2005) A new species of Lucinoma (Bivalvia: Lucinoidea) from a methane gas seep off the southwest coast of Chile. Journal of Conchology 38 (6): 673-682
• Houart R, Sellanes J (2006) New data on recently described Chilean trophonines (Gastropoda: Muricidae), with the description of a new species and notes of their occurrence at a cold-seep site. Zootaxa 1222: 53-68
• Levin LA, Gutiérrez D, Rathburn AE, Neira C, Sellanes J, Muñoz P, Gallardo VA, Salamanca MA (2002) Benthic processes on the Peru margin: A transect across the oxygen minimum zone during the 1997–98 El Niño. Prog. Oceanog. 53: 1-27
• Neira C, Sellanes J, Levin LA, Arntz WE (2001) Meiofaunal distributions on the Peru margin: relationship to oxygen and organic matter availability. Deep-Sea Research I 48: 2453-2472
• se to changes caused by the 1997-1998 El Niño. Oceanologica Acta 24 (3): 313-328
• Oliver PG, Sellanes J. (2005) New species of Thyasiridae from a methane seepage area off Concepción, Chile. Zootaxa 1092: 1-20
• Quiroga E, Quiñones R , Palma M , Sellanes J, Gallardo VA, Gerdes D, Rowe G (2005) Biomass size-spectra of macrobenthic communities in the oxygen minimum zone off Chile. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 62: 217-231
• Schwabe E, Sellanes J (2004) A new species of Lepidozona Pilsbry, 1892 (Mollusca: Polyplacophora: Ischnochitonidae) found on whale bones off the coast of Chile Iberus 22 (1): 147-153
• Thiel M et al. (2007) The Humboldt Current System of northern-central Chile: Oceanographic processes, ecological interactions and socioeconomic feedback. Oceanography and Marine Biology Annual Review 45: 195-334.
• Vilvens C, Sellanes J (2006) Description of Otukaia crustulum new species (Gastropoda: Calliostomatidae) and Margarites huloti new species (Gastropoda: Trochidae: Margaritinae) from a methane seep area off Chile. Nautilus 120 (1): 15-20

Synergistic Activities (Recent)
2007/10: VG 07 cruise onboard Agor Vidal Gormaz. Organized by PUCV (Chile). Characterization of chemosymbiotic fauna associated to gas seepage and exploration of potential seep sites off Chile.
2006/9: SeepOx cruise onboard Agor Vidal Gormaz. Organized by (Chile) and ONR-NRL (USA). (specific work: characterization of chemosymbiotic fauna associated to gas seepage).
2004/10: Gas Hydrates cruise onboard Agor Vidal Gormaz. Organized by PUCV (Chile) and ONR-NRL (USA). (specific work: characterization of chemosymbiotic fauna associated to gas seepage).
2004: Local Project, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile. In collaboration with Dr. Praxedes Muñoz, UCN, Dr. Laurent Dezileau, Université de Montpelier, France and Dr. James Moffet, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA.
2001/03-05: PUCK Cruise onboard FS “Sonne”. Proyect: “Relationship between productivity and environmental conditions at the Chilean continental slope”. Chief Scientist: Dr. Dierk Hebbeln, University of Bremen.
1998/01: Participation in a Research cruise “Panorama” from Callao, Peru to Valparaiso, Chile. Cruise leader Dr. Lisa Levin.