Job Type
Research
Natural Resource Management
Decision Making & Policy
Subject Area
Biological Oceanography, Marine Ecology
Policy, Law, Economics, Management
Activities
Growing up in
Brazil, I was fascinated by the oceans from an early age, and even before
graduating in marine biology, I was involved in marine research through
internships with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama where I
collaborated in damselfish community ecology research under Dr Ross Robertson.
I earned a bachelor's in Marine
Biology from the University of Algarve in 1997, and moved to the Azores islands
the same year where I pursued a career researching marine mammal behavior and
ecology. I immediately integrated a EU LIFE project, which resulted in the
definition of the EU Natura2000 SACs in the Azores.
My work further contributed to the
regulation of the whale watching activity in the Azores and the creation of the
Azores Cetacean Stranding Network (RACA). Until 2005 I integrated several
projects with national and EU funding, in which I started developing innovative
ways of obtaining and combining environmental, social and physiological data
from marine animals, with special emphasis on cetaceans. In pursuing those
goals, I started utilizing modern biologging and biotelemetry tools, in
combination with other standard tools, to record data on animal's movements,
physiology and the environmental conditions they encounter.
In 2005 I funded a consultancy in
science & technology with other partners, and assumed the role of Managing
Director until 2006. During that period I led several projects bridging
science, governance and blue literacy. Among other projects, during that period
I led UNESCO Biosphere Reserve candidacies (Corvo & Graciosa, 2007), and
the development of science contents and multi-media exhibit of the Madeira
Whale Museum (Machico, Portugal).
Over the years, I have contacted and
worked with many individuals and institutions around the world, in the scope of
my research and official assignments, creating a strong international partner
network. Through the course of my life, either for career development or by
personal reasons, I lived or spent prolonged periods of time in different
countries (Angola, Brazil, Portugal, Panama, UK, US, Norway) and conducted
research missions in central North Atlantic (Azores, Madeira and Iberian
shelf), North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Barents Sea and Arctic around the Svalbard
archipelago, Falklands islands in the South Atlantic. I earned my PhD in Marine
Sciences in 2014 which involved a strong collaboration with Dr Gordon Waring at
the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, where I interacted
and started long-term collaborations with other lead researchers in marine
mammal science. The research leading to my PhD involved creating the first
long-term cetacean satellite telemetry program in Portugal, further cementing
my proficiency in using technological innovation to advance ecological science.
My recent research at the Okeanos Institute of Marine Sciences has focused on
physiological and ecological drivers of cetacean movement, and the effects and
management of human stressors and threats to the marine environment.
Sea regions of study
North Atlantic Ocean
South Atlantic Ocean
Skills
Established Researcher with 25+ years of experience in grant writing, innovation strategy and multi-stakeholder project leadership. Proven record securing and managing multi-million euro public and private funding (Horizon Europe, Interreg. ERDF, LIFE, National Geographic, Azores 2020 Operational Program). Experienced in bridging the academic and private sectors through tailored consulting. Fluent in Portuguese and English, and proficient in written and conversational Spanish (Castilian). Excellent grant and report writing skills. Good public speaking skills and extensive experience in engagement and negotiation with diverse stakeholders.
Working language(s)
English
Portuguese
Spanish
