THE TEAM

Joan Mayol, biologist, writer and farmer.

He worked for the Balearic government for 40 years in nature protection, as a technician and politician, with some notable successes (Cabrera National Park Act, protection of the archipelago's small islands).

Collaborator with PIM since its origins as a program of the Conservatoire du Littoral. Professionally retired since 2019.

Frédéric Médail is a professor at Aix-Marseille University, at the Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology (IMBE), and specializes in the study of flora and vegetation in the Mediterranean region. He conducts research in ecology, biogeography and conservation biology, with a particular interest in the study of island systems.
He is president of the Scientific Council of PIM Initiative.
Scholar
IMBE

Engineer, he worked at the Ministry of the Environment, where he held various positions: nature protection project manager in Haute-Savoie, director of the Gorges de l'Ardèche nature reserve, Alpine lakes delegate at the Conservatoire du littoral.
Now retired, he is actively involved in community life. He represents the NGO “Small Island Organization” on the board of directors of PIM. He is president of IFREEMIS, an NGO specializing in the underground environment, and participates in the work of the IUCN on the “Green List” certification.

Graduated in Biology (BSc) and Environmental Biology (MSc) and specialized in Seabirds Ecology (PhD), Georgios Karris joined the PIM Scientific Council as Member. Since 2002, he has been participating and coordinating >20 research and conservation projects for avifauna in Mediterranean insular areas. Additionally, he takes up the position of Associate Professor at the Department of Environment, Ionian University in 2023.
Official website Ionian University
Scopus
Research Gate
Google Scholar

Director of the Conservation Centre of Biodiversity (CCB) and the Germplasm Bank of Sardinia (BG-SAR) of the University of Cagliari, president of the GENMEDA network, deputy president of the scientific council of the Corsican National Botanical Conservatory, regional delegate for the environment and landscape of the Fondo Ambiente Italiano and member of the scientific council of the Mediterranean National Botanical Conservatory, the INITIATIVE PIM and the Centro Regionale di Competenza RESTART.
He is also principal investigator in various international projects (LIFE+, Interreg, ENPI, ENI, Erasmus+) funded by the European Union and private foundations.
Unica-CCB

Elsa Bonnaud is an Assistant Professor at Paris Saclay University since 2011.
She obtained a PhD in Ecology and population dynamics. Her main research areas are focused on predator-prey dynamics, invasive species, disturbed ecosystems, biotic interactions and biological conservation.
She is currently working on the impact of predators both on insular ecosystems and peri-urban areas to understand how global changes can induce disturbances in predator-prey interactions.
Site Elsa Bonnaud

Biologist, specialized in seabird and waterbird conservation, working as senior researcher at ISPRA, Italian research institute for the environment. Based in Bologna. Patnership in many LIFE and other EU projects. Life-long involvement in Medmaravis association and, within his ISPRA duties, in several Marine Strategy activities, waterbird census, flamingo database and museum management. Has joined PIM by order of Augusto Navone.
ispra

Portuguese, born in 1966, Luís is currently the Founder and Managing Director of Nature Returns after being Programme Manager for the Mediterranean at MAVA Foundation and Director of SPEA – the BirdLife partner in Portugal. Luís has 30+ years of comprehensive experience in the sector of nature conservation, on development and implementation of nature/biodiversity conservation policies, programmes and projects, and capacity building, especially on management of NGOs and philanthropy.
LinkedIn

Studying ecological interactions on small Mediterranean islands, involving reptiles study species such as geckos, lizards, colubrid snakes... Former expert officer for the French Governmental organization "Conservatoire du littoral". I was in charge of site governance, awareness, ecological monitoring..., paying particular attention to cultural heritage and to community involvement.
Research Gate

Google Scholar

Conservation biologist with a special interest on entomology, herpetology and island biology. In 2001 he founded Nesos, an association based in Lipari (Aeolian Islands) and involved in the fields of sustainable tourism and biodiversity research. He was also member of PIM Boards of Directors.

Frédéric Médail is a professor at Aix-Marseille University, at the Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology (IMBE), and specializes in the study of flora and vegetation in the Mediterranean region. He conducts research in ecology, biogeography and conservation biology, with a particular interest in the study of island systems.
He is president of the Scientific Council of PIM Initiative.
Scholar
IMBE

Docteur en Écologie (spécialité Ornithologie). Enseignant-chercheur à l’Institut Scientifique (Université Mohammed V de Rabat). Auteur et co-auteur de plusieurs articles, rapports et ouvrages sur la faune marocaine. Coordinateur du suivi de la population du Faucon d’Éléonore de l’Archipel d’Essaouira dans le cadre du Programme des Petites Îles de Méditerranée. Membre des Associations « Nature Initiative de Dakhla ANI » et d’Initiative PIM.

Vincent RIVIERE is managing director of AGIR écologique, a company specializing in biodiversity assessments and ecological engineering work. He has also worked as a consultant for the PIM initiative for several years, as scientific manager. A herpetologist with over 20 years' experience, he is involved in conservation and monitoring projects for protected reptiles and amphibians. He is particularly interested in the European Phyllodactyl, whose island populations he has been monitoring for over 10 years, and continues to explore the ecology of this species within island ecosystems.

Research Professor of the Spanish Research Council at the Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), based on Mallorca (Balearic Islands). Her research focuses on island systems, exploring how different drivers of global change (mostly invasive species and climate change) influence biotic interactions. She is currently coordinating projects in the Balearics Islands, Canary Islands, Galapagos, Seychelles and Svalbard.

If needed :
IMEDEA
Islandlife
Scholar
Research Gate

Dora Aguín-Pombo is an Assistant Professor at the University of Madeira whose research focuses on insect systematics, island biodiversity and biogeography. She is curator of the University of Madeira Insect Collection. Her research combines insect taxonomy, biodiversity assessment and island biogeography, contributing to the conservation of Macaronesian terrestrial ecosystems.

Anne Cadoret is a geographer and a senior lecturer authorised to supervise research at Aix-Marseille University (TELEMMe, CNRS). Her research focuses on environmental conflicts, the governance of coastal and maritime areas, and conservation policies, which she analyses through a systemic approach to the interactions between stakeholders, territorialities and public policies. She is also a member of the scientific advisory boards of the Port-Cros National Park.

Johannes Foufopoulos is a conservation biologist and evolutionary ecologist specializing in insular settings. A professor at the University of Michigan, he has conducted island research on 6 continents and is particularly interested in the ecology and evolution of island biota, as well as the conservation and restoration of island ecosystems.

Ridha Ouni is a Tunisian expert in ornithology and biodiversity, with more than 35 years of experience in the study and conservation of Mediterranean birdlife. He has led numerous research missions, ecological surveys, and environmental impact assessments in Tunisia, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East, and has contributed to many leading scientific publications in the field of biodiversity.

Guillem Xavier Pons Buades is an assitant professor of physical geography at the University of the Balearic Islands. He works in biogeography and coastal geomorphology. He is the president of the Balearic Islands Flora and Fauna Advisory Council. He has conducted field campaigns to identify the biodiversity of terrestrial invertebrates on the islets and their ecological role, as well as their potential interactions with other invasive species, especially Rattus rattus.

Raquel Vasconcelos (Female). Assistant Professor at Life Sciences Department, University of Coimbra (UC) since 2025. Researcher at CIBIO-BIOPOLIS, University of Porto (UP), since 2012. Member of the Conservation Genetics and Wildlife Management (CONGEN) research group. Born in Porto, Portugal in 1980; Biology degree (2003, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon), Research assistant in 12 international projects and Principal researcher in 16 others, PhD in Biology (2011, UP), Post-doctoral researcher (2012–2017), and Junior researcher contract (2019–2024) at CIBIO. Expert in combining molecular techniques with morphological data and ecological modelling to assist conservation planning using island vertebrates (especially reptiles) as privileged models. Supervised 8 BSc and 13 MSc theses and 3 BSc trainees. Academic activity includes participation in 4 Universities of 3 countries: Conservation Genetics module, MSc in Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution (UP); Molecular Biology, BSc in Biological Sciences (University of Cabo Verde); Biogeography in the BSc in Environmental Sciences (University of Namibia); Zoology and Evolution, BSc of Biology and Marine Biology and Global Ethics, MSc in Anthropology, Globalization, and Climate Change (all UC). Author of 2 books, 7 chapters and 75 papers in internationally peer-reviewed journals. Presented 34 invited lectures, 57 oral communications and 45 posters. Google Scholar citations (in June 2026) 1641; H index 22; i10 index 49.