Nicolas is a Marine Biologist and Senior Scientist at the Charles Darwin Research Station, where he has worked since 2015. He holds a Master's degree in GIS from Ulster University, for which he received the "Outstanding Contribution to GIS Award" for the best Master's thesis in Science in 2010 from the Government of Northern Ireland (UK); a Master's degree in Biodiversity, Conservation, and Management of Species and Habitats from the University of Alicante; and a postgraduate degree (University Expert) in Remote Sensing from UNED. He has over 60 publications, including peer-reviewed scientific publications, books and book chapters, conference presentations, and scientific reports.

Nicolas has been a tutor/lecturer for Masters level GIS courses at Ulster University since 2011, has experience in over 25 research projects, and has worked as a researcher in the Galapagos Marine Reserve since 2012. He is also an editor for The Oceanography Society, the Galapagos Atlas, and a reviewer for Frontiers in Marine Science. He is a member of several scientific networks: The Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) Pole to Pole of the Americas, the GEO BON Ecosystem Services Working Group, the International Association for Biological Oceanography, the International Network Coordination Action in support of the IUCN Mangrove Specialty Group, and the Marine Anthropause Research Synthesis Project. His research focuses on understanding the complex relationships between natural and anthropogenic factors in coastal and marine ecosystems, including the impacts of climate change and human activities such as fishing and tourism. He is leading research on mangrove ecology, rocky intertidal ecosystems, the impacts of marine tourism on MPAs, modeling the distribution of marine ecosystems, species and fishery indicators (pressure, CPUE, costs, …), and developing a Key Biodiversity Area Index to prioritize areas for marine conservation. He also established a climate change monitoring network in the Galapagos Marine Reserve.