Gabriela C. Garcia-Soto
Email: gcgarcasoto@crimson.ua.edu
CURRENT POSITION
Professor/Researcher (Category II).
Courses: Botany I (940403), Biology and Ecology of
Macroalgae (940431). Departamento de Biologia, Facultad Experimental de Ciencias,
Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela. October 2008 to present
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Biology and ecology of macroalgae of the Caribbean. I am particularly interested in red
macroalgae (Ceramiales), their taxonomy and phylogeny. I have been working with taxonomic
identification of this group since 2005, based merely on anatomical features and I want to
incorporate molecular tools to my research to obtain a more accurate identification of the taxa.
EDUCATION
2011 to present. PhD. student. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama,
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA.
July 2011. Magister Scientiarum in Aquatic Ecology. Division de Estudios para Graduados,
Facultad Experimental de Ciencias, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
March 2007. Licentiate in Biology. Departamento de Biologia, Facultad Experimental de
Ciencias, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
PUBLICATIONS
Garcia G. and J. Barrios. 2011. Presencia de Centroceras gasparrinii en Venezuela: descripcion
y comparacion morfoanatomica con C. clavuatum sensu stricto (in press).
Garcia G. and N. Ortiz. 2011. Macroalgas epifitas asociadas a rodofitas de Cabo San Roman,
Peninsula de Paraguana, Estado Falcon, Venezuela. Bol. Inst. Oceanogr. Venezuela 50 (1): 9-29.
García, G. y M. Solé. 2010. Herbario y Ficoteca de Macroalgas: Manual de Administracion y
Procedimientos. Fundación La Salle de Ciencias Naturales. Colección de Cuadernos Flasa. Serie
Ciencia y Tecnología. EDIMAR Contribution Nº: 363.
Garcia G., Ortiz N. y J. Barrios. 2009. Nueva adicion a la ficoflora de Venezuela: Griffithsia
caribaea Feldmann (Ceramiaceae, Rhodophyta). Bol. Inst. Oceanogr. Venezuela 48 (1): 53-56.
DISTINCTIONS
Publication Mention of the Undergraduate Thesis titled: “Taxonomic Characterization of
Epiphytic Macroalgae associated to Marine Benthic Macroalgae at the Intertidal Zone of Cabo
San Román, Venezuela” (November, 2006)
Honorific Mention. Research work presented as a promotion requisite (Category II-Assistant):
“Adiciones el Genero Centroceras Kutzing de Venezuela: descripcion morfoanatomica y analisis
comparativo con C. clavulatum (Agardh) Montagne sensu stricto. (July, 2010).
Honorific Mention. Dissertation presented as a requisite to obtain the Degree of Magister
Scientiarum in Aquatic Ecology. “Variacion espacio-temporal de las comunidades de macroalgas
del Malecon de Zapara, Estado Zulia, Venezuela” (July, 2011)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Member of The Phycological Society of Latin American and the Caribbean (since 2007 to the
present)
Member of The Association of Graduated in Sciences of Zulia State (AEC) (since 2008 to the
present)
Member of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) (since 2011 to present)
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Graduate Teaching Assistant. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama.
August 2011 to May 2012 (Fall-Spring)
Professor/Researcher. Courses: Botany I (940403), Biology and Ecology of Macroalgae
(940431). Departamento de Biologia, Facultad Experimental de Ciencias, Universidad del Zulia,
Maracaibo, Venezuela. October 2008 to present
October 2004 to October 2005. Lab Assistant (Botany I). Departamento de Biologia, Facultad
Experimental de Ciencias, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Co-Principal Investigator. CONDES Project CC-0448-08: Comparative anatomical study on
specimens of “Centroceras clavulatum” (C. Agardh) Montagne (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta).
Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela. 2007-2008.
Co-Principal Investigator. CONDES Project CC-0612-08: Taxonomic studies on ceramiaceous
epiphytic species of the rocky intertidal, San Román Cape, Falcón State. Maracaibo, Zulia,
Venezuela. 2007-2008.
Research Assistant. Herbario y Ficoteca MOBR- EDIMAR, Fundación La Salles de Ciencias
Naturales. May-July 2006.
PARTICIPATION IN CONGRESSES
IX Congreso Latinoamericano de Botánica, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (June, 2006).
Posters:
Taxonomic characterization of marine benthic macroalgae of the intertidal zone of Cabo
San Román, Venezuela
Taxonomic characterization of epiphytic macroalgae associated to marine benthic
macroalgae at the Intertidal Zone of Cabo San Román, Venezuela
XVIII Congreso Venezolano de Botánica (XVIII Venezuelan Botanical Congress),
Barquisimeto, Lara, Venezuela (May, 2009). Poster:
Comparative anatomical study on specimens of Centroceras clavulatum (C. Agardh)
Montagne (Ceramiaceae, Rhodophyta)
64th Annual Meeting of the Phycological Soceity of America, Michigan, USA (July, 2010).
Poster:
The Genus Ceramium Roth in Venezuela with emphasis on species bearing
pseudoperiaxial cells.