Tell us a bit about the work you are/will be doing at CCMAR.
The major question to be addressed in my new position is to determine the main drivers that guide fish larvae to nursery habitats. For this purpose, I will characterize the swimming and sensorial capabilities of fish larvae, their behavioural responses and how they use them to follow nursery cues; study the feeding ecology and physiological condition of fish larvae, and quantify their ingress into nursery habitats.

Also, I am the Principal Investigator of the LittleFish-STP project. The main priority is to study the biology, ecology, life cycle and fisheries of an amphidromous, endemic and important fishing resource in São Tomé e Príncipe, ‘peixinho’ – little fish, Sicydium bustamantei Greeff, 1884. This project intends to make the ‘peixinho’ case study, a big example for similar goby fry fisheries in other tropical islands.

What were you doing before you joined us?
I have been working on the LuandaWaterFront project in collaboration with partners in Luanda in order to characterize and determine the influence of the disturbances or environmental impact on these communities from the responses of the organisms in Luanda Bay.  During the last years, I also had the privilege to collaborate on research activities related to various issues, fish larvae behaviour, climate changes and fisheries, contact with fishing communities, citizen science activities, invasive species monitoring, monitoring of zooplankton in the Guadiana Estuary and Ria Formosa, etc. I also had the opportunity to work on projects in African countries (São Tomé e Principe, Angola and Mozambique).

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Outside of work I enjoy walking in nature, spend time on the beach watching the sea, watch Tv series, listen to music and read books.  I really love to travel and meet new places and cultures.