Tell us a bit about the work you are/will be doing at CCMAR.
At the CCMAR, I will contribute to the development of a marine biodiversity data network for the Atlantic coast of Africa. More specifically, I will use environmental DNA (eDNA) to assess the marine biodiversity of this important but still little-studied region. These results will help us to promote and conserve the biodiversity of this region, but also to understand, predict, and mitigate future climatic/oceanographic changes along the west African coast.

What were you doing before you joined us?
Before joining CCMAR, I was working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, where I used next-generation sequencing to improve the knowledge and stock management of one of the most commercially relevant fish resources in Portugal, the European sardine. Before that, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher at CIBIO-InBIO (University of Porto), where I used both morphological and molecular approaches to obtain a more comprehensive knowledge of marine biodiversity in Atlantic and East-Atlantic ecosystems, with a special focus on small invertebrates’ taxa with low dispersal capabilities.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Outside of work, I love to spend my time in nature, especially in places near the sea, doing activities like hiking, birdwatching, snorkelling, or taking long relaxing walks. I also like to read books (thriller, mystery, romance, fantasy, popular science) and learn different dance styles (African and Latin).