Dra. Doris Soto Benavides Principal Investigator – IP - Integrative Program

Email: dorsoto@udec.cl
Principal Investigator – IP - Integrative Program
Investigador Principal: Integrative Program

Biography

Dr. Doris Soto Benavides holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the Faculty of Sciences at the Universidad de Chile (1978) and a Ph.D. in Ecology from UC Davis in the United States (1988). In 1990, she joined Universidad Austral de Chile in Puerto Montt, where she established the Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, specializing in the study of the environmental implications of aquaculture and the interactions between aquaculture and fishing. During her time there, Dr. Soto mentored a large number of undergraduate and postgraduate students and led numerous scientific projects in collaboration with the public and private sectors.

In 2005, Dr. Soto joined the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Italy, as a Senior Officer, responsible for programs and activities related to aquaculture and the environment, including climate change, on a global level. She led various projects and initiatives in different countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Dr. Soto has published over 50 scientific papers in high-level journals and numerous publications for FAO, including global guidelines and policy recommendations. In mid-2016, Dr. Soto returned to Chile to join to INCAR, under the umbrella of Universidad de Concepción. She is currently based in Puerto Montt, where she leads the area of climate change and aquaculture, as well as the development and implementation of the ecosystem approach in aquaculture.

Academic Titles and Degrees

  • 1988 Doctora en Ecología, Programa conjunto Universidad de California en Davis-San Diego State University, USA.

  • 1979 Licenciada en Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Universidad de Chile.

  • Latest Publications

  • Molinet, C., Astorga, M., Cares, L. & Diaz, M. Hueicha, K., Marín, S., Matamala, T. & Soto, D. 2021. Vertical distribution patterns of larval supply and spatfall of three species of Mytilidae in a Chilean fjord used for mussel farming: Insights for mussel spatfall efficiency. Aquaculture. 535. 736341. 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2021.736341.

  • Soto, D., Chavez, C., Leon-Muñoz, J., Luego, C and Soria-Galvarro, Y. 2021. Chilean salmon farming vulnerability to external stressors: the Covid 19 as a case to test and build resilience. Marine Policy 128 (2021) 104486. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X2100097X
  • Marín S.L., Borja Á., Soto D., Farias D.R. (2021) Salmon Farming: Is it possible to relate its impact to the waste-remediation ecosystem service?. In: Peri P.L., Martínez Pastur G., Nahuelhual L. (eds) Ecosystem Services in Patagonia. Natural and Social Sciences of Patagonia. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69166-0_12
  • León-Muñoz J, Aguayo R, Marcé R, Catalán N, Woelfl S, Nimptsch J, Arismendi I, Contreras C, Soto D and Miranda A. 2021. Climate and Land Cover Trends Affecting Freshwater Inputs to a Fjord in Northwestern Patagonia. Front. Mar. Sci. 8:628454.doi: 0.3389/fmars.2021.628454
  • Camelo, S, Molinet, C and Soto, D. 2021. Recommendations for implementing integrated multitrophic aquaculture in commercial farms at the landscape scale in southern Chile, Aquaculture, 544, 737116,
  • ISSN 0044-8486
  • Cubillos Santander, L., Norambuena Cleveland, R., Soto D., Jacques Coper, M., Simon Rodgers, J. y Carmona Montenegro, M.A. 2021. Manual de capacitación en adaptación al cambio climático para pesca y acuicultura en Chile. Santiago de Chile, FAO and Universidad de Concepción. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb5556es
  • Soto, D., León-Muñoz, J., Garreaud, R., Quiñones R.A. and F. Morey. 2021. Scientific warnings could help to reduce farmed salmon mortality due to harmful algal blooms, Marine Policy,132, 104705, ISSN 0308-597X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2021.104705.
  • Wurmann, C. Soto, D., Norambuena, R. 2022. Regional review on status and trends in aquaculture development in Latin America and the Caribbean – 2020. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular No.1232/3. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb7811en
  • Shellock, RJ, et al….., Soto, D., Spalding, AK, Vadrot, A., Vaidianu, N., Webber, M and Wisz, MS. 2022. Breaking down barriers: The identification of actions to promote gender equality in interdisciplinary marine research institutions, One Earth, 2022, ISSN 2590-3322, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2022.05.006. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590332222002615)
  • Shellock, RC., et al., D Soto. Building leaders for the UN Ocean Science Decade: a guide to supporting early career women researchers within academic marine research institutions, ICES Journal of Marine Science, 2022;, fsac214, https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsac214
  • Soto, D, Arismendi I, Olivos, A., Canales, C, Leon-Muñoz, J., , Niklitscheck E., Paredes F., Sepulveda M., Gomez-Uchida, D., Soria-Galvarro Y. Environmental risk assessment of non-native salmonid escapes from net pens in the Chilean Patagonia. 2022. Reviews in Aquaculture. https://doi: 10.1111/raq.12711
  • Friedman, K.J., Bartley, D.M., Rodríguez-Ezpeleta, N., Mair, G.C., Ban, N., Beveridge, M., Carolsfeld, J., Carvalho, G., Cowx, I., Dean, G., Glazov, E., Leber, K., Loftus, R., Martinsohn, J., Olesen, I., Soto, D., Van Eenennaam, A.L. & Vigar, J.R.J. 2022. Current and future genetic technologies for fisheries and aquaculture: implications for the work of FAO. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular. No. 1387. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc1236en
  • León-Muñoz, J., Aguayo, R., Soto, D., Avendaño-Herrera, R. Nimptsch, J., Wolfl, S., Simon, J., Echeverría, C., Aguayo, M., Salazar, C., Garay, O., and Fox, S. 2023. Landscape dependency of land-based salmon farming under climate change, Climate Risk Management, 40, 100504, ISSN 2212-0963, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2023.100504. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221209632300030X
  • Troell, M., B. Costa-Pierce, S. Stead, R S. Cottrell, C. Brugere, A. Farmery, D. Little, Å. Strand, Pullin, R., D. Soto, et al. 2023. Perspectives on aquaculture’s contribution to the SDGs for improved human and planetary health. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, 54( 2), 251– 342 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jwas.12946
  • Vögler,R., Soto, D., Quiñones, R.A., Martínez, G., D'Ambrosio, L., Alaggia, S., Surroca, A. and F. Pérez. 2023. Vulnerability assessment of the pink shrimp small-scale fishery to climate change in southwestern Atlantic brackish coastal lagoons (Uruguay), Ocean & Coastal Management 245, 2023, 106864, ISSN 0964-5691, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106864 .
  • Molinet, C., Díaz,M., González, A., Henríquez,J., Matamala, T., Boldt, J., Brito, N., Espinoza, K., Lafón, A., Merino, P., Parra, R., Raimilla,V., and D. Soto. 2023. Exploring biodiversity patterns in a marine and coastal protected area: Implications for management within and outside MCPAs, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 294, 108540, ISSN 0272-7714, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2023.108540
  • Norambuena R., Soto, D., Núñez Montaner, L. y Aguilar-Manjarrez, J. 2024. Evaluación del estado de avance de políticas y planes de adaptación al cambio climático en la acuicultura en América Latina y el Caribe. FAO Circular de Pesca y Acuicultura, n.º 1270. Santiago, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc9985es
  • León-Muñoz, J., Aguayo, R., Corredor-Acosta, Tapia, F., Reid. B., and Soto, D. 2024. Hydrographic shifts in coastal waters reflect climate-driven changes in hydrological regimes across Northwestern Patagonia. Sci Rep 14, 20632 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-71008-y
  • Soto, D. and Garcia-Sampaio, F. 2025. Strategic Framework for Adapting Aquaculture to Climate Change – SFACC: a tool to support the development and implementation of strategies to improve aquaculture’s resilience to climate change. 120 pp. FAO publication (in press). FAO Rome.
  • Soto D. 2019. La importancia de los Policy Briefs. Plenaria INCAR 2019. 26-27 de septiembre, Concepción, Chile.
  • Soto D. 2019. Desarrollar matrices de riesgo ambiental generadas por la salmonicultura. Plenaria INCAR 2019. 26-27 de septiembre, Concepción, Chile.
  • Soto D. 2019. Research and management challenge for a compatible aquaculture exploitation whith marine ecosystem conservation. XXXIX Congreso Nacional de Ciencias del Mar, 27-31 de mayo, Iquique, Chile.
  • Quiñones R.A., Soto D., Fuentes, Montes R., León-Muñoz J. 2019. Effects of salmon farming on biodiversity and productivity of the ecosystem of Paragonia: how much do we know and major gaps? XXXIX Congreso Nacional de Ciencias del Mar, 27-31 de mayo, Iquique, Chile.
  • León-Muñoz L., Aguayo R., Vargas Baecheler J., Montecinos A., Garreaud R., Urbina M., Soto D., Iriarte J.L. 2019. Any pas time was better: climate change impact in freshwater inputs to the coastal system of Chilean northern Patagonia. XXXIX Congreso Nacional de Ciencias del Mar, 27-31 de mayo, Iquique, Chile.
  • León-Muñoz J., Echeverría C., Aguayo R., Soto D. 2019. Landscape and salmoniculture in climate change scenarios. Latin American & Caribbean Aquaculture 19 (LAQUA 2019). 19-22 de noviembre, San José, Costa Rica.
  • Soto D. 2019. Key note Speach: Designing aquaculture management areas (AMAs) to better integrate aquaculture within the ecosystem. Ecological intensification: A new paragon for sustainable aquaculture. 28-30 de octubre, Bogor, Indonesia.
  • Soto D., Molinet C., León-Muñoz J., Opazo D. 2019. ¿Está la mitilicultura en riesgo frente al cambio climático? V Seminario de Investigacion aplicada en Mitilicultura, 10 de octubre, Castro, Chile.
  • Soto D. 2019. Cambio climático pesca y acuicultura: Evento dentro del marco de la COP Ciudadana " Cumbre Social por la Accion Climatica. D Soto co organizadora. 10 de diciembre, Santiago, Cerrillos
  • Simon J.W., Soto D. 2019. Investigadores de COPAS Sur-Austral y del Centro INCAR dictaron taller de Adaptación al Cambio Climático en Pesca y Acuicultura en Valparaíso. Taller de Adaptación al Cambio Climático en Pesca y Acuicultura. 07-08 de noviembre, Valparaíso, Chile.
  • León Muñoz J., Soto D., Urbina M., Garreaud R., Aguayo R., Iriarte J.L. 2018. Contribution of fresh water to the Nor-Patagonian coastal system under scenarios of climatic variability (Aporte de agua dulce al sistema costero Nor-Patagónico bajo escenarios de variabilidad climática). XXXVIII Congreso Nacional de Ciencias del Mar, 14-18 de mayo Valdivia, Chile.
  • León Muñoz J., Soto D. 2018. Conferencia de Agua Dulce. Fresh Water Summit. 5 de septiembre, Pucón, Chile.
  • Soto D., León-Muñoz J., Dresdner J., Luengo C., Tapia F.J., Garreaud R. 2018. Assessment of vulnerability to climate change in salmon farming (fattening) in southern Chile. XXXVIII Congreso Nacional de Ciencias del Mar. 14-18 de mayo, Valdivia, Chile.
  • Soto D. 2018. Assessing the vulnerability of salmon farming to climate change in the 8 most relevant communes for activity in southern Chile. X Sesion de Investigación en Cultivo de Salmón. 25 de mayo, Puerto Varas, Chile.
  • Gallardo C. 2018. Validation of bioassays for phenotypic and genomic determination of Caligus antiparasitic resistance X Research sessions on salmon farming. 25 de mayo, Puerto Varas, Chile.
  • Soto D. 2018. Addressing the vulnerability of mussel farming to climate change Research sessions INTEMIT, Castro, Chile.
  • Soto D. 2018. Research needs to address aquaculture vulnerability under climate change. World Aquaculture Congress. 26-29 de Agosto, Montpellier, Francia.
  • Soto D. 2018. Salmon farming vulnerability to climate change in southern Chile and anagment options for a sustianble future. World Aquaculture Congress. 26-29 de Agosto, Montpellier, Francia.
  • Soto D. 2018. The ecosystem approach to Aquaculture: science and managment needs. Science for Ocean Action Conference. 20-23 de noviembre, Bergen, Noruega.
  • Soto D. 2018. Relevance of interdisciplinary research to address the vulnerability of fisheries and aquaculture to climate change. XXV Encuentro Anual de la Sociedad de Ecología de Chile. 25-28 de noviembre, Valdivia, Chile.
  • Soto D. 2018. Climate change and its impacts on fisheries and aquaculture globally and in Chile. SUBPESCA: Seminar climatic change in fishing and aquaculture. 07 de julio, Valparaiso, Chile.
  • Soto D. 2017. Addressing climate change vulnerability of salmon farming in fjords and inner seas of southern Chile: understanding the biophysical -socioeconomic and governance links. Cambio global y respuesta del ecosistema patagónico: desafíos presentes y futuros Coyhaique. 22-24 de octubre, Coyaique, Chile.
  • Soto D. 2017. Implementing the ecosystem approach to aquaculture to address socioeconomic, environmental and governance objectives. Lineamientos para la determinación de la capacidad de carga en fiordos y canales del sur de Chile. 12 de octubre, Puerto Aysen, Chile.
  • Soto D., León-Muñoz J., Dresdner J. 2017. Desarrollo de una matriz de vulnerabilidad del sector salmonicultor ante el cambio climático.Taller sobre vulnerabilidad al cambio climático de la salmonicultura INCAR en colaboración con INTESAL, CORFO, 14 de septiembre, Puerto Montt, Chile.

  • Projects

  • 2022-2023. Risk analysis as a tool for the prioritization of secondary environmental quality standards in the main tributary rivers to the fjord system of northwestern Patagonia, under hydrological drought scenarios. ANID FSEQ210030 Under the leadership of Dr J Leon-Muñoz. D Soto leads Objective 2.

  • 2021- present. Leading project initiative on “changing the focus of aquaculture environmental performance towards an ecosystems scale”_ INCAR, Integrative Program
  • 2022-2023. Contributor to the Future Fish project “to evaluate freshwater aquaculture for environmental and community outcomes”, leading evaluation for freshwater aquaculture performance in Latin America with emphasis on the Amazone basin.
  • 2021-2022. Leading WWF-INCAR collaboration agreement to develop indicators for aquaculture ecosystem performance in Magallanes.
  • IPCC AR6 Report. 2022. Contributor to the IPCC Chapter 6 on climate change impacts on aquaculture and adaptation options
  • 2022-2024. Leading a UN FAO-INCAR Collaboration Agreement to develop a Framework for aquaculture adaptation to Climate Change at global scale.
  • 2023-2024. Contributor to the scientific team (leaded by COPAS Coastal) reviewing and updating the national plan for climate change adaptation in Fisheries and Aquaculture (PACPA) under Subsecretaria de Pesca.