Dr. Jorge Cortés Núñez doing morphological identification of specimens in Cuajiniquil
The University of Costa Rica, in a recent news article, highlighted the career of GDFCF Board Member and BioMar project co-leader Jorge Cortés Núñez, who has been at the university since 1981. A specialist in coral reefs and marine biodiversity, Cortés is a researcher at UCR’s Center for Research in Marine Sciences and Limnology (CIMAR). Throughout his academic career, he has trained hundreds of professionals and researchers who today stand out nationally and internationally in the field of marine sciences. Cortés is an integral part of the ACG/GDFCF/CIMAR marine bioinventory (BioMar) project, which he co-leads with GDFCF Vice President Dr. Frank Joyce. He has published more than 290 scientific and popular papers, including a recent one, in the journal Biotropica, on the BioMar project, which he co-authored with Joyce. Cortés says scientific research has been a key reason why Costa Rica has been able to position itself so favorably on the world map. “The importance of scientific research in a country like Costa Rica and that it is published is based on the fact that it puts us on the world map as an interesting place. It is no coincidence that the BBC, National Geographic and other companies (such as the Japanese ones) come to make documentaries. That is the reason why so many tourists come. This is a contribution of science that is not appreciated or commented on,” he says. One of the comments on the UCR article said: “Dr. Jorge Cortés is undoubtedly one of the most outstanding scientists in the world in his field and a source of pride for Costa Rica.” We wholeheartedly agree. The full article can be viewed here.