Professor of Ecology at the University of Murcia (UMU) and at the University of Barcelona (UB), where he has been the director of the Department of Ecology twice. He is a specialist in marine ecology (marine benthos, opisthobranch molluscs and biodiversity conservation) and has coordinated pure and applied research programs. He has published several scientific books and a hundred and a half articles in specialized journals. He has supervised about fifteen theses and translated a number of books on ecology, evolutionary biology and marine biology.

He has headed the consolidated research group of the Generalitat of Catalonia Ecology of marine zoobenthos, the Marine Sciences program of the University of the Mediterranean (MEDCAMPUS), the UNESCO Chair of Environment and Sustainable Development of the UB. He is a member of the Institute of Catalan Studies (IEC) and of several scientific societies. He participates in advisory bodies in the country and abroad, such as the Advisory Council for Sustainable Development and the Council for the Protection of Nature (which he chaired between 2009 and 2021). He has also been rector of the Catalan Summer University (2001-2008) and currently chairs the Foundation. He is the author of several popular books on the environment and science in general, some of which have won awards.

He has received the Narciso Monturiol medal for scientific and sci-tech merit and the Saint George Cross from the Generalitat de Catalunya.