Jean R.S. Vitule, is Associate Professor of Ecology and Applied Ecology in the Federal University of Parana (UFPR) and he is the coordinator of the “Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação” (LEC – Ecology and Conservation Lab of Tecnology Sector of the UFPR). His interests are in Invasion Biology and Biotic Homogenization processes and patterns, with a special focus on aquatic biodiversity and fishes. He is interested in the ecology and management of invasive species and uses aquatic organisms, and especially fishes to test ecological concepts on biological invasions and biodiversity. His research is focused mainly in the Atlantic Rain Forest Rivers and Streams and in the Upper Paraná River floodplain. He was one of the first researchers to study the impacts of non-native African sharptooth catfish Clarias gariepinus in Brazil.
Prof. Vitule is at the C·I·B as a fellow during July and August 2015. During this time he is working on a review of African sharptooth catfish invasions in South Africa and Brazil and is developing collaborative projects on invasive fishes in Brazil and South Africa.
“For me it’s a great honour to be here and learn more about the aquatic biodiversity and invaders of South Africa. Biodiversity here is different, but problems with biological invasions, landscapes and abiotic factors are very similar from those of my region in southern Brazil. I think we have a long way to go and with this fellowship opportunity it will be much more attractive and productive.”
