Abstract
Recent results from spectroscopic and imaging surveys to detect and study the properties of active galaxies out to redshifts of 1 are presented. Of particular importance is the nature and evolution of low luminosity AGN (LLAGN, i.e., Seyferts and LINERs), which become increasingly difficult to observe at high redshifts, as the apparent brightness of the nuclear light becomes fainter and difficult to disentangle from the host galaxy light. The GTC will be a powerful tool with which to study these types of galaxies at higher redshifts using both imaging and spectroscopy to detect LLAGN by their spectroscopic signature as well as through color, morphology, and variability. The main goal of this project is to determine the evolution of the AGN luminosity function, which has broad implications for our understanding of the physical mechanisms that power QSOs and Seyfert galaxies, as well as studying the nature of AGN host galaxies and their evolution.
