I am a marine biologist with a diverse academic background, holding M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Marine Ecology, as well as a B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. in Psychology. I have also completed two post-docs, in phytoplankton ecology and environmental psychology. I like to call myself an experimental phytoplankton ecologist, with my research primarily focused on phytoplankton ecology in coastal ecosystems, particularly the Guadiana estuary and the Ria Formosa coastal lagoon (southern Portugal).
My current research interests include:
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effects of anthropogenic stressors, particularly eutrophication and river damming, on estuarine phytoplankton
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tidal freshwater estuarine zones and the estuarine squeeze
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methodological issues in experimental phytoplankton ecology
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human dimensions of environmental problems
In terms of teaching, I lecture on Marine Microbiology, Microbial Ecology, and Advanced Methods in Biological Oceanography at both the B.Sc. and M.Sc. levels. I am also actively involved in supervising several M.Sc. and Ph.D. students.
Keywords: phytoplankton; eutrophication; HABs; dams; experimental approaches; coastal ecosystems
