The Jardí Botànic Marimurtra continues to enrich its scientific and human story through the incorporation of key figures from the history of science. One of the most significant spaces in the third garden, the pond, bears the name Lynn Margulis (1938–2011), in recognition of her research, which profoundly transformed the way we understand life on Earth. Through this garden nomenclature, the aim is also to highlight women’s contributions to science.
This tribute is part of the new nomenclature of the Jardí Botànic Marimurtra, a document that compiles and updates the names of all spaces and paths within the garden, together with brief biographical notes about the honoured figures. The nomenclature, prepared by Josep Maria Camarasa and Cristòfol Jordà Sanuy, can be consulted at marimurtra.cat/toponimia.
Last Friday, 29 May, the Fundació Carl Faust paid tribute to the scientist during an emotional ceremony at the Garden. The event was attended by several members of the foundation’s board, as well as Ricard Guerrero, microbiologist and Margulis’ partner for 28 years, together with other people connected to her career.
The tribute included a visit to the pond that bears her name and speeches at the Casa de Faust, where images from her life and research were projected, recalling both her scientific and human dimensions.
Margulis was a pioneering American biologist, best known for her role in the development of the endosymbiotic theory, initially controversial but now widely accepted. This theory explains the origin of eukaryotic cells through symbiosis between prokaryotic organisms.
Through her studies on symbiogenesis, Margulis highlighted the importance of cooperation and symbiosis as fundamental evolutionary processes, complementary to already known evolutionary mechanisms. Her work profoundly transformed our understanding of the origin and evolution of complex organisms and reinforced the idea of interdependence among living beings.
A naturalist in the broadest sense, she devoted much of her career to observing bacteria and protists. She was also a prominent advocate and communicator of the Gaia hypothesis, formulated by James Lovelock, according to which the biosphere functions as a self-regulating system capable of contributing to the maintenance of favourable conditions for life.
In her later years, Margulis maintained a close relationship with research in the Catalan Countries, studying the microbial ecosystems of Pla de l’Estany and the Ebro Delta, as explained by her husband during his speech.
