Germán Zapata Hernández
Senior Researcher
Germán Zapata Hernández is a Chilean Marine biologist specialized in the study of benthic systems. He joined the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) in June 2025 as senior researcher in the program of exploration and conservation of the deep ocean. Germán got his PhD in Biology and applied Ecology in the Universidad Católica del Norte, Chile and through the last five years have developed three postdoctoral projects in diverse research centers both in Chile and Italy. His research lines involve the study of benthic biodiversity patterns, community ecology, application of stable isotopes in ecology and biogeochemistry, scientific diving, and data synthesis. He has more than 15 years of experience doing research in diverse benthic ecosystems in both shallow and deep-waters, mainly along the coast and Chilean continental margin, islands and oceanic ridges, Antarctic peninsula and the last years in the Mediterranean Sea. He is also an enthusiast taxonomist of shallow marine sponges and specialist in beekeeping. During his free time, he likes to travel, explore the nature, practice SCUBA diving, attend concerts, and enjoy expending time with family and friends.
Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/German-Zapata-Hernandez-2?ev=hdr_xprf
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.es/citations?hl=es&pli=1&user=JcGUAIEAAAAJ
Germán's programs
Ocean
Deep-ocean Exploration & ConservationThe Eastern Tropical Pacific conceals extraordinary, vast deep-ocean ecosystems, plunging from oceanic islands to depths of 3,800 meter, most of which remain largely unexplored, presenting real challenges for effective protection and management. Despite their significance, these ecosystems are poorly understood and subject to persistent threats, including overfishing, climate change, pollution, and the prospect for deep-sea mining.