Carlos Cardoso is researcher at IPMA and CIIMAR. He received his degree in Chemical Engineering (Biotechnology Branch) at Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon Technical University in 1998 and his PhD in Animal Science, Animal Product Technologies by the Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto in 2011. His research interests cover various areas, from seafood technology and algal biochemistry to nutrition and health risk-benefit assessment. He is associate editor of the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. He is also author of more than 90 scientific publications in indexed peer-reviewed international journals.

I completed a degree in Biology at University of Aveiro in 2010. In 2009, I have joined to the Laboratory of Ecotoxicology Genomics and Evolution, nowadays designated as Blue Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology (BBE), to do my academic internship, under the supervision of the Doctor Vitor Vasconcelos (BBE) and Doctor Susana Loureiro (CESAM & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro). In 2012, I completed my master’s degree in Applied Biology, under the same supervision. Currently, I am working as a technician on LEGE-CC giving technical support on the maintenance and development of the collection by isolating and identifying new strains of microalgae and cyanobacteria using molecular tools.

Graduated in Marine Biology by the Universidad de Oriente (Venezuela) in 2007, acquired the Master degree in Molecular Biology in 2011 by the University of Los Andes (Venezuela), and the PhD in Agri-food Resources by the University of Cadiz (Spain) in 2019. In brief, I have published until now 17 papers in international peer review journals, with a total of 218 citations, h index 8, and i10 index 7. Currently, my main line of research is focused on the generation of transgenic Chlamydomonas reinhardtii strains that express RNAi, to be used in antiviral and antibacterial therapies applied to aquaculture sector.

Chemistry graduation (1985) from Faculty of Sciences and Technology of University of Coimbra and PhD in Chemistry (1999) from Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto. Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, University of Porto since 1987.
Researcher of CIQ(UP), (1987–1994), LAQUIPAI (1994–2007) and, currently, Researcher at CIIMAR. His domain of specialization is Environmental/Analytical Chemistry. He developed Scientific research in the Environmental Chemistry area, namely kinetic and thermodynamic studies of the interactions of metals with soluble or particulate heterogeneous ligands and study the role of particulate heterogeneous ligands on metal speciation. Has work in the area of synthesis and characterization of chitosan derivatives and more recently in the area of phytoremediation.
Currently interested in data science, namely chemometric methods.

Carlos Vale holds habilitation/aggregation in chemical oceanography; former head of department, head of scientific council and deputy director of IPMA, and vice-president at ICES; presently is supervisor of PhDs and mentor of post-docs at CIIMAR and University of Aveiro. Associated with the Master course “Marine Sciences –Marine Resources (ICBAS). Expertise includes behaviour of contaminants in marine ecosystems, interactions with organisms, and impacts of contaminants in evolving environmental systems. He is co-author of more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and 40 book chapters.  

I began my undergraduate studies in Veterinary Medicine at Fundação FEJAL, where I interned in the clinical pathology laboratory of the faculty, focusing on health surveillance for the state service. However, it was in Conservation Medicine that I found my passion for the environmental field, which led me to pursue a degree in Biological Sciences at the Federal University of Alagoas. There, I participated in various extracurricular activities, including an internship in the phycology laboratory, serving as a teaching assistant in Cryptogam Biology, and working on the outreach project “Algae are not trash, they’re treasure,” which promoted awareness and literacy about the importance and numerous uses of algae in schools.

Currently, I am a master’s student in Aquatic Biological Resources at the University of Porto, participating in the BYTPlus program under the project “Are marine forest species changing their functioning with warming?” I intend to continue my academic career by pursuing a PhD in Ecology and Biotechnology.

Carolina Camacho is a Researcher of the “Seafood Safety and Processing” Team of CIIMAR and works at IPMA, I.P. facilities (Lisbon). She holds a PhD in Agroindustrial Technologies (2023; NOVA University Lisbon), a MSc and BSc in Food Science and Engineering (2011; University of Lisbon). She has been working and collaborated in several research projects (17); scientific interests have been focused on the effects of processing and preservation/preservation time on the physical-chemical and sensory parameters that influence the quality of seafood products. Her current research interest is related to innovative technological processes to valorise by-products from seafood processing.

Carolina Castro graduated in Biology in 2009 at Aveiro University and obtained her PhD in 2016 in Biology from the Faculty of Sciences of Porto University. She is currently post-doc researcher at CIIMAR. Her main research interest focus on the nutrition and welfare of marine fish of interest for aquaculture. She is author of 15 scientific publications in international journals.

Carolina Lemos has a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences (1998) and a master's degree in Ecology from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (2003). Since 2007 she is an Environmental Analyst at the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA / MMA). She has experience in the area of environmental licensing, diagnosis and monitoring of impacts on biodiversity and environmental education. She is currently a PhD student in Biology at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, where she studies Offshore Wind Power and possible impacts on marine biodiversity.

Carolina Rodrigues is currently a PhD student at FCUP and CIIMAR. She obtained her Degree in Biology in 2008 and her Master Degree in Biology and Water Quality Management in 2010, at University of Porto. She participated in the project “Chemical war: the role of chemically mediated interactions in the invasiveness potential of non-native Artemia” (PTDC/MAR/108369/2008) from 2011 to 2013 at CIIMAR. Her current research is focused on the contribution of biochemical tools for the assessment of the ecological quality of fluvial ecosystems.

Carolina Ventura Costa is a marine biologist with an interest in deep-sea ecosystems. She graduated in Biology from the University of Aveiro (2018), completed an internship at the University of Plymouth (2019), and earned a Master’s degree in Marine Sciences from the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon (2022). She has a particular interest in the conservation of vulnerable deep-sea habitats (such as sponge gardens and cold-water corals) and the application of ecological modeling to study their biodiversity, distribution, and resilience. In addition to her background in marine ecology, she has experience in scientific data management, having worked as a Data Steward at the Gulbenkian Institute of Science (2022-2024), where she helped implement data management practices aligned with FAIR principles and Open Science.

Catarina is a microbiologist with 19 years of experience in microalgae and cyanobacteria biodiversity, harmful algal blooms, food security and environmental health. Holds a PhD in Biology with an MSc in Microbiology and is currently a researcher in the National Shellfish Monitoring System (SNMB) held at the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA I.P.). Research activities include emerging toxic species and toxins, non-indigenous species, enteric viruses, food traceability and biobanks. National delegate in several international working groups and task force teams of the European Union Reference Laboratories (EURL), International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO).

I’m Catarina Costa, a 22-year-old from Porto, Portugal, with a background in Biochemistry (BSc, UTAD) and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (MSc, FFUP). Driven by a desire for continuous learning, growth, and meaningful connections, I thrive on setting new goals that push me to develop both professionally and personally.

I'm Catarina, I'm 20 years old, I have a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Technology from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto and I intend to pursue a master's degree in Ecology and Environment.

I like a little bit of everything and am interested in several areas, such as biology, chemistry, environment, and informatics.

In my spare time I really enjoy playing video games, reading, walking along the beach, training, and playing the ukulele and the guitar. It is also in these moments that I take the opportunity to expand my horizons in the areas I like the most, always looking to learn a little more every day.

Catarina Gonçalves holds a Pharmacy BSc from School of Health of Polytechnic Institute of Porto (ESS. PPorto) and a Pharmaceutical Chemistry MSc from Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto. She is currently PhD student in Marine Biotechnology and Aquaculture in the Faculty of Sciences – University of Porto. Her PhD research focus on finding novel bioactive compounds produced by cyanobacteria with different biotechnological applications (health, cosmetics and environemtal).

PhD in Marine Sciences, researcher of CIIMAR, invited assistant professor at University of Porto and member of the coordination committee of Portuguese Polar Program. Her major research is on understanding how microbial derived nitrogen machineries interact and to identify the mechanisms regulating their operation. She focus her research on the impact of pollutants in marine N-biogeochemical pathways and in identifying the environmental constraints and controls on microbial Nitrogen pathways distribution including in extreme environments (Arctic/Antarctica). In the context of her research the methodologies she use are mainly biogeochemical measurements, microbiome sample processing and genomic and metagenomic work flow analysis.

Catarina Ramos Oliveira graduated in Marine Biology & Biotechnology in 2017 and obtained an MSc degree in 2020 from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto. Since 2021 she is working on her Ph.D. thesis with the main focus on applying solid-fermentation processes to produce bioactive and nutrient-enriched macroalgae as a source of neutral-carbon feedstuff for aquafeeds. Catarina already presented 8 communications in oral/poster format in national and international conferences and has 3 publications in International Scientific Journals (Q1). Her main research interests focus on aquaculture, fish nutrition, and biotechnology.

Catarina Teixeira is a post-doctoral researcher at CIIMAR. She is a graduate in Aquatic Sciences (ICBAS-UP, 2000), with a MSc degree in Environmental Engineering in 2006 (FEUP), and PhD degree in Biomedical Sciences in 2012 (ICBAS-UP). Her main research interests focus on nutrient pollution in aquatic systems, and on the ecology of N-cycle bacteria, and their application to wastewater treatment systems. She is the author of 30 scientific papers published in international journals, and over 40 oral and poster communications in scientific meetings. She participated in 16 research projects, and has collaborated with different academic institutions as an invited teacher, and as student supervisor.

Dr. Cátia Figueiredo is a marine biologist dedicated to researching climate change and chemical stressors’ impact on marine life, particularly considering Technology Critical Elements. She secured a Ph.D. by studying climate change and Rare Earth Elements’ effects on aquatic organisms. She won support from National Geographic as an early career research grant and now works at CIIMAR/IPMA, co-leading the EMINENT project investigating climate change, pollutants, and bivalve species interactions. With 22 publications, 3 book chapters, and an open science commitment, she presents an h-index of 9.

Cátia Vilas Boas is a PhD student in a government-financed project related to marine biofouling, with expertise in Analytical and Environmental Chemistry. Master in Quality Control since 2017 and BSc graduated in Applied Biology since 2015, Cátia worked at the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) has a grantee researcher in a financed project related to environmental fate evaluation of new non-toxic nature-inspired biocides. During her academic and professional career, Cátia Vilas Boas had the opportunity to submit 2 articles in reputable international journals, disseminate her research in several national and international scientific congresses.

Graduated in Anatomia Patológica, Citológica e Tanatológica (Technician of Pathology, Cytology and Thanatology) at Escola Superior de Saúde-Porto and obtained her PhD in Pathology and Molecular Genetics from ICBAS/FMUP in February 2021. The main research interests are fish endocrinology and endocrine disruption. The latest works focused on the regulation of peroxisomal, estrogenic and lipid signaling pathways by hormones and hormone-mimics using brown trout primary hepatocytes as the model system.

Celso Domingos holds a BSc in Biological Sciences from Estácio de Sá University (2014) and a MSc in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2016). Currently he is a student of the Doctoral Program in Marine Science, Technology and Management (Do*Mar) at the University of Porto, and a Blue Young Talent (BYT) fellow. His main research interests are on taxonomy, systematics and biogeography of sponges, with a focus on glass sponges (class Hexactinellida). He addresses these and other questions of this group using integrative approaches that combine morphological, molecular and ecological data and in the use of this information to support conservation strategies and sustainable use of the natural resources.

He holds a degree in Biological Sciences from Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (2009) and a master’s degree in Oceanography, with an emphasis on Biological Oceanography, from the University of São Paulo (2013). Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography at the University of São Paulo. Worked as a Technical Assistant in the Santos Basin Beach Monitoring Project (PMP-BS), managing the team and the logistics of daily monitoring. Has experience in marine biology, biological oceanography, and ecology, focusing on fish ecology and otolith studies.

Cheila Almeida is a researcher at IPMA dedicated to seafood sustainability from a comprehensive supply chain standpoint, aiming to make both production and consumption of seafood more sustainable. Currently, she contributes to the NEPTUNUS project (https://neptunus-project.eu/), which aims to introduce strategies to minimize environmental impacts through the application of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology in fisheries, aquaculture, and seafood processing sectors.
Cheila is a marine biologist with experience in science communication and research management. As a researcher she participated in projects related to coastal fisheries, marine biodiversity, and the promotion of sustainable seafood consumption. She holds a PhD from Universidade de Lisboa on “Seafood consumption in Portugal: Patterns, drivers and sustainability”.

Christopher is a PhD student currently affiliated with the Aquatic Health Group at CIIMAR.
He has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Biology and a Master’s degree in Biodiversity and Biotechnology both from the University of the Azores. After working for almost 3 years as a lab technician for the genetics department of the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo in São Miguel he decided to persue his PhD in a completely new field of study. His PhD is in the area of animal nutrition and welfare and the theme of the thesis is focused on developing aquafeeds in order to improve stress and disease resistance in Atlantic salmon.

Clara Lázaro is an assistant professor at Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto (FCUP). She holds a PhD in Surveying Engineering from FCUP. She has expert-level knowledge on Satellite Altimetry applied to Oceanography. Currently, her research focuses on studying the sea level variation using Satellite Altimetry and on the development of methodologies for the computation of an improved wet troposphere correction for Coastal Altimetry. Clara has been involved in many national and international research projects. She was nominated in 2014 as a Management Committee Member from Portugal, for the e-Cost Action entitled “Evaluation of Ocean Syntheses” (EOS).

Clara Lopes is graduated in Biology (2012) and holds a MSc in Biotechnology (2014). Since 2016, their work is mainly focused in the presence of microplastics in the marine environment and in the optimization and harmonization of methodologies for sampling, extraction and analysis of microplastics from different environmental matrices.

Clara Vasconcelos is a Professor at the Department of Geosciences, Environment and Spatial Landing and in the Unit of Science Teaching, both in the Faculty of Sciences of Porto University. Her interests are in Science Education and Teaching Methods, Sustainable Development, Environmental Education and Science Communication. She was the European Team Leader of GOAL project (Geoethics Outcomes and Awareness Learning) (2018-2021), an Erasmus Plus Project and the first European Project funded in the area of Geoethics. She is the Vice-Chair of IGEO (International Geoscience Education Organization) (2018-2021), a Commissioner of IUGS in COGEducation. (2015-), the National Co-Coordinator of International Association for Promoting Geoethics- Portugal. (2014-), Member of the Panel of Experts in Education of the European Federation of Geology. (2010-), and a Portuguese Council Member of the IGEO. She is the Editor of the Education in Geosciences Collection of Geoscience (and MDPI open access journal).