Caring about the future

  • Final event of the COACH project

    Published in 27/9/2022

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    The final event of the COACH project ("COoperative approACH applied to conservation and management of cockles") will take place on September 27, 28 and 29. All results generated on the biology, habitat, distribution and fishing of cockles in the Ria de Aveiro will be shared with stakeholders. The support tool for management and conservation actions created by the COACH team (an open access platform available on the Internet) will be officially launched and accompanied by a demonstration of its use. The third day of the event, which coincides with the celebrations of the World Maritime Day, will be dedicated to environmental education in a unique approach of knowledge transfer, in the field, between scientists, fishermen and students.

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  • BlueNIGHTs Project celebrates the European Researchers' Night in Torreira

    Published in 26/9/2022

    Researchers from CESAM & DBio (Daniela Figueiredo, Ana Hilário, Ascensão Ravara and Clara Rodrigues) and from INET-md & DeCA (Paulo Rodrigues) propose a programme for the European Researchers' Night outside the city, on September 30th, in the fishing village of Torreira (municipality of Murtosa). The activities take place within the European project "BlueNIGHTs - A touch of Blue in the EU Researchers' Nights for a more Sustainable Use of the Ocean" where other activities are planned until the end of 2023. See the PROGRAM

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  • First presential meeting of COASTAL project held at University of Aveiro

    Published in 23/9/2022

    The meeting of the project COASTAL – MiCrofluidic sensOrs for rApid detection of marine toxins in SusTainable AquacuLture, funded by EEAGRANTS, took place on 19 and 20 September at the University of Aveiro. This meeting allowed to assess the status of the various tasks of the project, enabling the different partners to present the work developed during the first months and to plan the next activities to be developed. The COASTAL project gathers a multidisciplinary team of experts in the field of micro and nanofabrication of biological and chemical sensors, electrochemistry and analytical chemistry, who are working on the development of new approaches for the detection of PST (Paralytic Marine Toxins) in bivalve molluscs. The project promoter is the University of Aveiro with the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) playing the role of partner in Portugal. The following Norwegian entities also participate in this project: the SINTEF MiNaLab and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU).

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  • CESAM hosts a SOLAS seminar, 19th October 2022, on-line

    Published in 23/9/2022

    Time: 15:00-17:00 UTC+1, Wednesday, 19th October 2022 | Online Register here Frameworked on the international network SOLAS, CESAM will host a Seminar that features 3 keynote presentations addressing different aspects of the ocean-atmosphere exchange of aerosol particles, namely the impact of coastal pollution and anthropogenic stressors on marine ecosystems, and the abundance and properties of marine aerosols.  Surface Ocean - Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) project is an international research initiative aiming to understand the key biogeochemical-physical interactions and feedbacks between the ocean and atmosphere.    

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  • CESAM hosts the OYSTER workshop

    Published in 23/9/2022

    On 29th and 30th of September, a workshop for will be held at the University of Aveiro for the early-career researchers members (MSc, PhD students and young researchers - PhD up to 5 years) of OYSTER – EuroMarine (Orienting Young ScienTists of EuromaRine) to address their problems faced in academic life. Location and Date: 29th September - 10:15 AM - Meeting and Translation Room – Central and Rectory Building - Building nº25, University of Aveiro Sign up here: https://forms.office.com/r/fcJeqmeQk8 until 27th September We will be 9 members from several countries/institutions that belong to EuroMarine: Spain, France, Italy, Poland, Finland and Portugal of course.  Created in 2018, OYSTER is an independent working group funded by the EuroMarine network. OYSTER is dedicated to promoting and supporting opportunities for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) in marine science. The aims of OYSTER are:     - ENGAGE with and represent early career scientists within the EuroMarine network;     - CONTRIBUTE towards the cohesive outreach and capacity building of early career scientists across EuroMarine member organisations;     - DEVELOP initiatives to support and integrate young researchers within the European marine landscape. Join OYSTER members and bring your issues and concerns as ECR in marine science! We want to hear from you to work for a better marine-science career for ECRs!

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  • CESAM coordinates two "Twinning" projects funded by Horizon Europe

    Published in 27/9/2022

    Two projects coordinated by CESAM, with a total European funding of over 2.5 million euros, aim to enhance the skills and the research profile of the University of Aveiro in two research areas. Both projects are framed within the Widening - Widening Participation and Spreading Excellent actions of the horizontal and transversal pillar of Horizon Europe programme. These actions aim to enhance networking activities between the research institutions of the Widening countries (as Portugal) and top-class leading counterparts at EU level by linking it with at least two research institutions from two different Member States, building on the huge potential of networking for excellence through knowledge transfer and exchange of best practice between research institutions and partners.  The project EPIBOOST - BOOSting excellence in environmental EPIgenetics, coordinated by Joana Pereira, researcher at CESAM & DBio, integrates in the consortium two internationally recognized organizations in the scientific area of the project: the University of Ghent, Belgium, and the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain, to tackle the challenges arising from the uptake of epigenetics in Environmental Assessment frameworks, particularly concerning the aquatic compartment. The project FONDA - FOstering Nitrogen Deposition Assessment over Portugal, coordinated by Alexandra Monteiro, researcher of CESAM & DAO, focuses on the area of modelling and mapping of atmospheric emissions, particularly of ammonia. The project involves the formation of a strategic partnership with the R&D institution TNO, in the Netherlands, and the University of Berlin (FUB), in Germany.

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  • CESAM participates in the celebrations of the International Day of the Microorganism

    Published in 15/9/2022

    September 17th, Saturday, 5:30 p.m, at Centro de Ciência Viva of Aveiro. In the scope of the ccelebrations, the Centro de Ciência Viva of Aveiro organizes the Science Coffee "Microorganisms: heroes or villains" with the participation of the Professors Adelaide Almeida and Artur Alves and the Researcher Tânia Caetano from CESAM & DBio. In this event, the fundamental role that microorganisms play not only in the life sciences, but also in our daily lives will be highlighted.

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  • INTERNATIONAL GULL MEETING, 27-29 October 2022, University of Aveiro

    Published in 9/9/2022

    The 13th International Gull Meeting (IGM 2022) will take place in the University of Aveiro, Portugal, from 27 to 29 of October – Get prepared! The Meeting main goals are to share information and scientific knowledge about Seagulls from around the world. Seagulls are intelligent, versatile, and opportunistic birds. They are commonly seen in beaches, fishing ports and more recently in urban areas. There is a lot to be said, discuss and reveled about Seagulls. We will accept all contributions from amateur to high-scientific: HERE (deadline: 23rd of September). Registrations HERE (deadline: 30rd of September). PROVISIONAL PROGRAM: 27 Oct. Presentations (morning and afternoon) 28 Oct. Morning: Gull watching around the city – Aveiro fishing harbour, Barra and Costa Nova beach; Afternoon Presentations 29 Oct. Whole-day excursion: Gull watching along the central Portuguese coast (Aveiro, Vagueira, Praia de Mira, Figueira da Foz + Closure dinnerCONTACT: Rute A. Costa rutealexandra@gmail.com rute.costa@ua.pt

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  • CESAM photography exhibition

    Published in 26/9/2022

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    Biodiversity will be celebrated during the month of September! In collaboration with the Municipality of Aveiro and Veolia, the photography exhibition “Olhares sobre a Biodiversidade” organized by the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), of the University of Aveiro, will be inaugurated next Saturday, September 3, and will be hosted at the Ecocentro Municipal de Aveiro, until the final of October.  We invite the entire academic community to visit the exhibition and bring their families and friends to discover the fantastic world of Biodiversity. More details: Universidade de Aveiro (ua.pt)

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  • Waders´s paradise

    Published in 31/8/2022

    Since 2006, that CESAM researcher, José Alves, spent part of the spring and summer in Iceland to study the black-tailed godwit and other nesting birds. The work developed with this and other wader species allows to understand the environmental changes that the planet is undergoing. You can see the full report, in Portuguese, in the Público newspaper HERE. Video: https://youtu.be/9W6XYrsqMLg  

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  • 3rd EpiLipidNET action meeting, 21 - 23 September, University of Aveiro

    Published in 9/9/2022

    The 3rd EpiLipidNET COST Action meeting and the Young Researchers and Innovators Workshop will be held at the University of Aveiro, September 21-23.EpiLipidNET Cost Action, coordinated by CESAM researchers, aims to build and maintain a multidisciplinary pan-European network of researchers, clinicians and enterprises working in the field of lipidomics and epilipidomics to boost a hub of research excellence, advanced knowledge and technology transfer, to promote high level of training for young researchers and facilitate clinical translation.The 3rd EpiLipidNET COST Action meeting aims to bring together a multidisciplinary pan-European network of experienced and young researchers working in the area of lipid research. With many new ideas emerging from the EpiLipidNET network, this first face-to-face event will provide the opportunity to exchange knowledge and find interesting collaborations. Deadline for registration: 15 September 2022More details HERE.

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  • CESAM scientists track cetaceans from the sky

    Published in 25/8/2022

    The team from the University of Aveiro (CESAM and CPRAM-ECOMARE) carried out the aerial census campaign of cetaceans in the Portuguese continental coast, as part of the international initiative "Small Cetaceans in European Atlantic waters and the North Sea" (SCANS IV). The team has already fully traveled the first replica of the routes throughout the coastal and offshore area. Several species of cetaceans were observed, including the harbor porpoise, common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, and common whale, among others. The campaign took place throughout the month of July.In Portugal, the initiative is funded by the Environmental Fund (Ministry of Environment and Climate Action) in collaboration with the Portuguese Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF).More details HERE.

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  • CESAM student wins award for best poster

    Published in 9/9/2022

    Catarina Malheiro, a PhD student at CESAM & DBio, won the best poster award at the "Smart and Circular Agriculture towards Sustainability" Congress, which took place in Porto on July 21-22, with the title: "Valorization of agricultural wastes as a sustainable approach to improve soil productivity and health: a case study with tomato".The PhD student, supervised by CESAM researchers Susana Loureiro and Rui Morgado, develops research oriented towards innovative and sustainable agricultural practices.

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  • New CESAM project approved to prevent the spread of forest fires

    Published in 29/8/2022

    Starting in October and lasting for 18 months, a team of CESAM researchers will be dedicated to the FoRES research project - Development of Forest Resilience to Fires under a Climate Change Scenario. This project aims to reduce the potential for forest fire spread and is funded by the EEA Grants environment programme. More details: Universidade de Aveiro (ua.pt)

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  • CESAM coordinates the European project A-AAgora

    Published in 23/8/2022

    As part of Horizont Europe’s Mission “Recover our ocean, seas and waters by 2030”, the University of Aveiro leads the project “A-AAgora - Blueprint for Atlantic-Arctic Agora on cross-sectoral cooperation for restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems and increased climate resilience through transformative innovation”, whose consortium of 30 partners is coordinated by Dr. Ana Lillebø, Vice-Rector of the UAveiro and Principal Researcher of CESAM & DBio.Additional information: Universidade de Aveiro (ua.pt)

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  • Documentary with CESAM brand: Monday, July 18, at 10:45 pm on RTP 1

    Published in 15/7/2022

    CESAM has partnered with Play Solutions Audiovisuais to produce a documentary for RTP: “ECOMARE. Research and rescue of marine species”. Leaving a cleaner ocean full of biodiversity for the next generations is the mission of ECOMARE, CESAM and UNIVERSIDADE DE AVEIRO. In its five years of existence, almost 2 thousand animals have been admitted to ECOMARE, half of which have been successfully treated and returned to nature. The Center for Environmental and Sea Studies (CESAM) of the University of Aveiro is the scientific partner of this documentary, in which several researchers from CESAM and the University of Aveiro participate. More information at: https://www.ua.pt/pt/noticias/11/76166  

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  • CESAM participates on COST ACTION FAIRNESS

    Published in 14/7/2022

    Bruna R.F. Oliveira, researcher at CESAM and DAO of the University of Aveiro, was nominated national representative in the management committee of the COST Action CA20108 FAIRNESS - FAIR NEtwork of micrometeorological measurements. The FAIRNESS action intends to improve standardization and integration between databases/sets of micrometeorological measurements that are part of research projects or local/regional observational networks established for special purposes (agrometeorology, urban microclimate monitoring). This objetive is line with Bruna's research in the framework of the project ModelEco. During last week, the first summer school of the FAIRNESS took place in Volos, Greece, dedicated to gap filling of measured data. All scientists and researchers interested in this topic can participate in the action, having only to fill in the form in the e-cost platform.

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  • Documentary with CESAM brand: Monday, July 11, at 10:45 pm on RTP1 (10:30 pm on RTP Internacional)

    Published in 11/7/2022

    CESAM has partnered with Play Solutions Audiovisuais to produce a documentary for RTP: “Portuguese sardines – a natural richeness”. “Fishing and managing sardine stocks in Portugal are inseparable, and the future of fishing for this species will always depend on the good state of conservation of its populations.” The documentary features the participation of researchers Ricardo Calado (www.cesam.ua.pt/ricardocalado) and Fernando Ricardo (www.cesam.ua.pt/fernandoricardo), both from CESAM.   More information at: https://www.ua.pt/pt/noticias/11/75921

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  • CESAM offers 15 Research Initiation Fellowships

    Published in 7/7/2022

    CESAM has an open call until July 13, for 15 (fifteen) Research Initiation Fellowships (BII) in the scope of the special support "Verão com Ciência" awarded to CESAM by FCT. This support aims to stimulate the initiation of scientific activity, contributing to the promotion of scientific and technological culture and to the diffusion and dissemination of scientific and technical knowledge among higher education students. The fellowship will have a duration of 1 month with a mandatory starting date of September 1, 2022. Consult HERE.

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  • CESAM participation in the MOB LAB Congress

    Published in 6/7/2022

    The researcher Alexandra Monteiro was invited to participate in MOBLAB CONGRESS - Annual Congress of the Intelligent Mobility, that takes place on the 6th and 7th July, in Museu do Carro Eléctrico, in Porto. The CESAM researcher will participate in the panel that adresses the answer of the maritime transports to the environmental challenges: How can the port industry leverage the development of the blue economy? https://www.mobmagazine.pt/moblab-congress/#oradores

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  • Cycle of Cinema and Ecology

    Published in 1/7/2022

    In a joint organization of CESAM and the Núcleo de Estudantes de Biologia (NEB), coordinated by Fernando Morgado of the Department of Biology of the University of Aveiro, the "Cinema and Ecology Cycle - extension of Cine Eco of Seia- International Environmental Film Festival of Serra da Estrela, will take place from 12-15 July 2022, at CESAM, University of Aveiro. The sessions will start at 9.30pm and will take place in the Amphitheater of the Department of Environment and Planning. More info.

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  • Photo exhibition to celebrate biodiversity

    Published in 29/6/2022

    The Exhibition Gallery of the Auditório Mestre Hélder Castanheira (Bookstore), at University of Aveiro, hosts the photographs submitted to the photo contest that happened to mark the International Day for Biological Diversity, promoted by the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, at the University of Aveiro. The exhibition, with free entrance, will be open to the public from July 4th to 22nd. The photographs were submitted to the photography contest, aimed at the general public, which ran until May 11, promoted by the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, to mark the International Day for Biological Diversity. The photographs cover the theme of biodiversity, portraying the natural heritage, including terrestrial and marine ecosystems, habitats, species of wild fauna and flora, raising awareness in the community for the preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity, as well as respect for all species. Photo contest to mark the International Day for Biological Diversity There were 80 photos submitted to the contest, 13 to Category A (12 years old and under) and 67 to Category B (12 years old and under 18, and adults). The jury, made up by CESAM members: Amadeu Soares, Isabel Lopes, Nelson Abrantes, Joaquim Pedro Ferreira, and by a member of the Communication and Image Services of the University of Aveiro: Hélder Bernardo, evaluated in blind-tasting and distinguished the following works: Category A 1st prize: Natural Fragility, Paulo Sérgio Pinto 2nd Prize: Black redstart, Berta Correia 3rd prize: White-browed Albatross returns home through the fog, Francesco Ventura Honorable Mentions Puffin, Filipe Martinho Serendipity, Sofia Morgado Will you give me a ride?, Ana Hilário Category B 1st prize: The light leaf, Miguel Monteiro Pimenta 2nd Prize: Flowers at the sunset, Maria Carolina Carvalho Antunes 3rd prize: Hidden from Nature, Maria Beatriz Nobre Ramos da Fonseca   Honorable mentions Ladybug's protective power, Beatriz de Nogueira Carvalho The forest elf shelf, Tomás Domingues Baptista The award ceremony took place on the International Day for Biological Diversity, May 22, at the Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro.

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  • What lives in the mud? A Safari in the Aveiro Lagoon

    Published in 28/6/2022

    More than sixty youngsters, from 3 to 10 years old, and students from the Centro Escolar de Vale de Ílhavo, visited the tidal flats - the intertidal zone - of the Aveiro region. The activity, which took place on June 27th, aimed to raise awareness of the natural treasures of this ecosystem and its vulnerability. In particular, the activity, led by a team from CESAM at the University of Aveiro, aimed to awaken children's interest in natural sciences. Read more here.

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  • Series of science coffees with Teresa Rocha-Santos

    Published in 27/6/2022

    On June 28th, at 3pm, Teresa Rocha-Santos will be in zoom for another session of the cycle of science coffees, promoted by Fábrica Centro Ciência Viva, dedicated to the theme: plastic pollution from macro to nano. Zoom

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  • Seminar organized by the ASAEC research group

    Published in 27/6/2022

    The Analytical Sensors and Applied Eco-Chemistry (ASAEC) research group of CESAM and Chemistry Department of the University of Aveiro organized the Seminar «Free Drugs», «Superbugs», and other Emerging Contaminants in the Environment: Occurrence and Implications. Diana S. Aga is the invited key note speaker and the seminar which will be held on June 29th 2022, 11:00 (Lisbon time), at the University of Aveiro (Anf. 22.3.21).   Who is Diana S. Aga? Diana S. Aga is the Henry Woodburn Professor of Chemistry and the Director of RENEW (Research and Education in eNergy, Environment and Water) Institute at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. Aga, PhD, is an internationally recognized environmental and analytical chemist, and a devoted mentor who has encouraged and helped to launch the careers of a new generation of diverse scientists in her field. Aga’s research has had a far-reaching impact on the analysis of emerging contaminants such as antimicrobials and other pharmaceuticals, endocrine-disrupting chemicals and engineered nanomaterials, as well as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides in a wide range of biological and environmental samples. In the Department of Chemistry, Aga leads a team that has collaborated with colleagues at UB, other universities and industry on projects that focus on detecting known and unknown contaminants, removing them from municipal and agricultural wastewater, developing new technologies to degrade POPs, and understanding the impact of environmental pollutants on humans and wildlife. Her work is local and global, ranging from studies on the bioaccumulation of pollutants in fish and common terns in the Great Lakes region, to research investigating the presence of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, antibiotics and antibiotics resistance genes in waters in the U.S., Asia and Europe. She has been involved with action plans and various activities by the World Health Organization and other international institutions to combat antimicrobial resistance, one of the greatest threats in modern medicine and public health.

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  • International Day of Women and Girls in Science

    Published in 11/2/2022

    February 11th is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, this year focus on the following topic: “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Water Unites Us". CESAM marks this date with a video containing the testimony of female researchers from the various research areas of CESAM. On the UN International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we recall the importance of continuing to promote full and equal access and participation of women and girls in education, training and science and technology, engineering, and mathematics. Science and gender equality are both vital for the achievement of internationally agreed development goals. However, women and girls continue to be excluded from participating fully in science. According to UN, a study conducted in 14 countries found that the probability for female students of graduating with a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree and Doctor’s degree in science-related field are 18%, 8% and 2% respectively, while the percentages of male students are 37%, 18% and 6%. Women are agents of change! Can we imagine the world without the contribution to the science of Marie Curie or Jane Goodall? To inspire new generations to choose academic and professional paths in science, CESAM made a video with the testimony of female researchers in various areas and professional stages. It can be seen here. It is with pride that CESAM actively contributes to gender equity. Together, caring about the future.

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  • CESAM at the United Nations Oceans Conference

    Published in 27/6/2022

    From June 27 to July 1, Lisbon will host the United Nations Ocean Conference. The conference aims to encourage the international community to find solutions for sustainable ocean management, bringing together more than 7000 people, including scientists, politicians, organizations, companies and activists. The declining health of the oceans and the pressing need to reverse this process, including combating water acidification, pollution, illegal fishing, and loss of habitats and biodiversity are on the agenda. The Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies is present at the side event One Sustainable Ocean | Ocean Science & Business2Sea. This free event focuses on the future of the ocean, sustainability, circular economy and innovation, and is aligned with United Nations goal 14 for sustainable development: Life below water. One Sustainable Ocean | Ocean Science & Business2Sea can be visited from 8:30am to 6pm at the Pavilhão de Portugal.

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  • Mas afinal...? na Rádio Terra Nova com Bruno Nunes

    Published in 8/2/2022

    Can we throw unused medicines in the trash? Wednesday (9 February), 10:40 am at Manhãs Novas da Rádio TerraNova: centova.radios.pt/proxy/404?mp=/stream

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  • International Conference on Air Quality and Modelling at University of Aveiro

    Published in 23/8/2022

    On next September (from the 27th to the 30th), an international conference on air quality and modelling - 21st International Conference on Harmonisation within Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling for Regulatory Purposes (HARMO21), organized by the Research Group Emissions, Modelling and Climate Change (GEMAC), DAO/CESAM, will take place at the University of Aveiro. HARMO21  is aimed towards model developers, model users, environmental protection agencies and legislation experts. This conference is distinguished by its focus on common tools and methodologies. The first announcement has already been released, with the important dates, and it can be found at: http://harmo21.web.ua.pt/ This event, usually attended by over 100 scientists from around the world in this field, aims to provide the ground where model users and decision-makers can bring their requirements to the attention of scientists and search together for better regulatory tools and indicators for the diverse impacts of air quality. The series of Harmonisation conferences started in 1991 (see www.harmo.org) and is a natural forum for discussing modelling issues related to the European Union air quality directives. European networks such as the FAIRMODE network and COST Actions can use the conference in order to expose their work to a wider audience.  

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  • Training school (TS): The 3 Rs in amphibian ecotoxicology

    Published in 4/2/2022

    The training school (TS): The 3 Rs in amphibian ecotoxicology will be held in a hybrid format, from 22 to 23 March, 2022, at the University of Aveiro. This event will be organized within the COST action PERIAMAR (CA18221) and the research project Gogofrog (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030718). The TS is open to graduate and post-graduate students (PhD and MSc) and professionals with a background on amphibian ecotoxicology and risk assessment, or related fields, and it is limited to 20 participants. Applications should be sent to Isabel Lopes (ilopes@ua.pt)  and Sérgio Marques- (sergio.marques@ua.pt) , with a motivation letter and a Short CV, by February 23. The TS has no registration fees. PROGRAMME

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  • Tânia Melo and Felisa Rey are the guest editors of Marine Drugs special issue

    Published in 3/2/2022

    Tânia Melo and Felisa Rey are the guest editors of Marine Drugs special issue "Lipidomic Studies for the Characterisation of Marine Lipids” Marine Drugs (IF: 5.118) is an international peer-reviewed open access journal, published online by MDPI. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July   More info.

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  • World Wetlands Day 2022

    Published in 4/2/2022

    According to the Ramsar Convention, wetlands are “areas of marsh, fen, peatland, or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish, or salt including areas of marine water, the depth of which at low tide does not exceed 6 meters”. Wetlands play a vital role for people and the planet, helping combat climate change through carbon sequestration and climate regulation, contributing to the supply and improving the quality of brackish and freshwater, and supporting biodiversity. However, wetlands (including coastal wetlands, such as seagrass meadows and salt marshes) are under threat, mainly due to human activities. Land-use changes, pollution, salinization, urbanization, and invasive species, associated with climate change impacts, have contributed to the degradation of these areas, with negative consequences for biodiversity, ecosystem services and human health. This year an appeal is launched to invest financial, human, and political capital to save the world’s wetlands from disappearing and to restore those we have degraded. To mark World Wetlands Day 2022, we highlight the GLOW - The Global Wetlands Project - A global index to improve coastal wetland health, an international project of which CESAM is a partner. GLOW aims to build a new index of coastal wetland health (including seagrass meadows, mangrove forests and saltmarshes), which can be applied at the global scale, and use it to inform protection and restoration. Ria de Aveiro coastal lagoon is one of the six global partner sites of the GLOW project. Learn more about the GLOW project here and here. Video https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.108141 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.107694

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  • Study:Stopover use of an internationally important wetland, the Tagus estuary, by a long-distance migratory shorebird

    Published in 1/2/2022

    This new study compares the stopover ecology of Dunlins (Calidris alpina) between spring and autumn migrations at a key wetland of the East Atlantic Flyway, the Tagus estuary (Portugal). Dunlins are long distance migratory shorebirds, using the Tagus estuary both as a non-breeding area and as a stopover area during spring and autumn migrations. During spring, ca. 30,000 dunlins use the Tagus estuary as a stopover site for an average period of 7.5 days. Population size and stopover length of autumn migrants is unknown, but numbers recorded in a long-term monitoring program based on monthly high-tide counts suggest that similar populations may be involved in spring and autumn migration periods. In this study, plasma metabolite levels and haematological parameters were combined to compare refuelling rates and physiological state of dunlins within and between migratory periods. Additionally, as a proxy for site quality, food availability and feeding performance of migrants were assessed and compared in spring and autumn. Refuelling rates and haematological profiles of dunlins were overall similar during spring and autumn, suggesting similar migratory strategies and providing no support for the hypothesis that time constrains are greater during spring. Most dunlins stopping over at the Tagus estuary are likely to follow a skipping migratory strategy, flying short-to-medium distance bouts while fuelling at moderate rates along a network of stopover sites. Early-autumn migrants, however, display higher fuel deposition rates and enhanced blood oxygen-carrying capacity, which suggests they may behave as jumpers rather than skippers. This study was carried out by Teresa Catry (CESAM-UL), José Pedro Granadeiro (CESAM-UL), Jorge Sánchez Gutiérrez (University of Extremadura) and Edna Correia (CESAM-UL), as part of the project MigraWebs (FCT, PTDC/BIA-ECO/28205/2017). Journal article: Catry T, Granadeiro JP, Gutiérrez JS, Correia E (2022) Stopover use of a large estuarine wetland by dunlins during spring and autumn migrations: Linking local refuelling conditions to migratory strategies. PLoS ONE 17(1): e0263031. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263031

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  • Diana Madeira is one of the editors of Frontiers research topic

    Published in 28/1/2022

    Diana Madeira is co-editing a Frontiers research topic together with Dr Carolina Madeira (NOVA University of Lisbon) and Prof. Piero Calosi (University of Quebec at Rimouski, Canada) entitled: Marine Omics in a Changing Ocean: Modelling Molecular Pathways and Networks to Understand Species Acclimation and Adaptation Abstract submission deadline: 31 March 2022 Manuscript submission deadline: 30 June 2022 More information.

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  • Advanced Course Experimental Design and Analysis of Multivariate Data

    Published in 28/1/2022

    Using real data case studies, develop skills to understand the theoretical background of multivariate experimental design and data analysis techniques and the practical use of appropriate software. No prior experience is required in the use of multivariate data analysis methods. Beginner to intermediate level course. The course, which runs from February 28 to March 4, 2022, is free of charge and registration is required by February 18th.  Programme

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  • BP4BP – Tamarillo breeding: better plants for better products, January 28th

    Published in 27/1/2022

    Glória Pinto will act as key note speaker in the final workshop of the project: BP4BP – Tamarillo breeding: better plants for better products. This event will take place on January 28th, online. Participation is free but the registration is mandatory. Poster

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  • Ocean Break | 2 February

    Published in 27/1/2022

    2 Feb | 03.00pm | ZOOM (ID: 820 3792 0208 | Password: 007533) [More information only available in Portuguese]

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  • Student from CESAM/UA awarded at the REDIBAL congress

    Published in 27/6/2022

    Elisabet Rodríguez Cruz, student of the Doctoral Program Marine Science, Technology and Management (Do*Mar) from the University of Aveiro (UA), was awarded at the XIV Reunião Ibérica sobre Microalgas Nocivas e Biotoxinas Marinhas (REDIBAL), held at IPMA-Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere, in Lisbon (Portugal) between June 1st and 3rd, with the best oral communication in the harmful microalgae area. REDIBAL brings together experts from Spain and Portugal to discuss and present new results on the problem of harmful microalgae proliferation and the consequent contamination of living marine resources by biotoxins.

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  • Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus - 5th Edition - February 18

    Published in 4/2/2022

    CESAM is accepting applications by researchers holding a PhD who wish to have CESAM as their host institution in the competition Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus - 5th Edition. Researchers who wish to have CESAM as Host Institution (CESAM-UA or CESAM-FCUL) should send the following documentation until February 18 to cesam@ua.pt: - CV; - Brief description of the research activities to be developed, including required resources and framework within CESAM mission and goals. PLEASE NOTE, this application does not replace the online application through FCT’s dedicated online platform (https://myfct.fct.pt).

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  • Mas afinal...? na Rádio Terra Nova com Oscar Pelayo

    Published in 25/1/2022

    26 Jan, 10:40, Manhãs Novas at Rádio TerraNova: centova.radios.pt/proxy/404?mp=/stream

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  • 3rd edition of the advanced course in Bioinformatics for Microbiologists, 14-18 February

    Published in 20/1/2022

    In a collaboration between the Department of Biology/CESAM of the University of Aveiro and the Faculty of Dental Medicine/CIIS of the Portuguese Catholic University, the 3rd edition of the advanced course in Bioinformatics for Microbiologists will be held from February 14th to 18th. Among others, the following topics will be covered: - Phylogenetics (Artur Alves and Sandra Hilário, Dbio & CESAM-UA) - Introduction to R (Cátia Fidalgo, Dbio & CESAM-UA) - Metagenomics (Marta Alves, UCP) - Interactomics (Nuno Rosa, FMD, Universidade Católica Portuguesa) - Genome analysis (Marta Tacão e Micael Gonçalves, Dbio & CESAM-UA) - Metabolomics (Paulo Cardoso, Dbio & CESAM-UA) The course will be held in person at the U. Aveiro with theoretical sessions, "hands on" sessions and case studies. Applications must be made by February 4th, by sending the registration form by email to csoliveira@ua.pt Poster

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  • The history of dozens of seabird species in highlight on SAPO - interview with José Pedro Granadeiro

    Published in 19/1/2022

    Get to know the history of dozens of seabird species that live or are passing through Portugal by José Pedro Granadeiro in an interview on SAPO. In this interview, José Pedro Granadeiro tells the history of dozens of seabird species that live or pass through Portugal, addressing climate change and its effects on birds, such as migration, food availability and even divorce among monogamous species. Read the full story at: https://bit.ly/3Fyw8Ta Photo: José Pedro Granadeiro e Pinguins-saltadores-da-rocha (Eudyptes chrysocome) (Falkland Islands)

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  • International Symposium on Olfaction and Electronic Nose

    Published in 13/1/2022

    28 May-1 June, Aveiro More info here.

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  • Ocean Break | 21 January

    Published in 20/1/2022

    21th January 2022 | 12:30 - 13:30 | https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/89210750100 Daniela Rodrigues (PhD student, DBio) Ingredients diversification towards more sustainable aq­uafeeds for marine organisms - black soldier fly as a case study Fish and livestock are the main sources of protein in most countries. Livestock production accounts for 70% of all agricultural land use and it is expected to more than duplicate until 2050. The rise in the consumption of animal products will require enormous resources, with animal feed likely being the most challenging. Potential bottlenecks are mainly due to associated costs incurred from the limited availability of natural resources, ongoing climate changes and, the food-feed-fuel competition. In the case of aquaculture, extra effort is being put into the search for ingredients enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) for aquafeeds. Insects can contribute to this demand due to their well-balanced nutritional profile (i.e. protein and fat content) and, low carbon footprint. However, for marine aquafeed, the lack of PUFA can pose a challenge. The capacity of the black soldier fly (BSF) Hermetia illucens to be reared under different substrates, as well as its ability to modulate its biochemical profile by adjusting to its feeding substrate is already well established. Successful attempts have been performed to improve the lipid profile of H. illucens supplying algae or finfish as feeding substrates, thus allowing the encapsulation of PUFA and consequently making possible the inclusion of BSF meal on the formulation of aquafeeds of marine fish and shrimp.

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  • Sónia Rodrigues, Susana Loureiro and Astrid Avellan are among the guest editors for the special issue of the Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances

    Published in 13/1/2022

    Sónia Rodrigues, Susana Loureiro and Astrid Avellan are among the guest editors for the special issue of the Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances: Biogeochemical cycles of nano-sized pollutants at the biota interface. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September  More info

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  • Mas afinal...? na Rádio Terra Nova com Miguel Oliveira

    Published in 12/1/2022

    [Only available in Portuguese]

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  • UAU – Ciência sem Limites: “Ação Climática”, 5 January, 05h25pm, RTP3

    Published in 5/1/2022

    Today's episode of UAU- Ciência sem Limites, broadcasted on RTP3, at 05:25pm, is dedicated to Climate Action and includes the participation of CESAM researchers. This episode will also be broadcast at other times and available on RTP Play. Watch the trailer: "CLIMATE ACTION"

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  • Fátima Jesus is one of the guest editors of Toxics special issue

    Published in 3/2/2022

    Fátima Jesus is one of the guest editors of Toxics special issue: " "Ecotoxicity of Contaminants in Water and Sediment" Toxics (IF: 4.146) is an international peer-reviewed open access journal on all aspects of the toxicity of chemicals and materials, published quarterly online by MDPI. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June  More info

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  • Do*Mar Doctoral Programme s Summer School endorsed by the Ocean Decade

    Published in 22/6/2022

    The Summer School on oceanographic observation, promoted by the Doctoral Program in Marine Science, Technology and Management (Do*Mar), was endorsed as an activity of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. This activity will take place from July 10 to 19, 2022, at the University of Aveiro. Each year, UNESCO endorses activities and/or actions that fall under the goals of the United Nations Decade of Oceans Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 (Ocean Decade). The decade offers a unique opportunity for nations to jointly produce science needed to support sustainable ocean development. Through the Global Stakeholder Forum you can submit an Activity idea for official endorsement, making it part of global efforts to create the ocean we want. Decade Activities are standalone initiatives such as events, exhibitions, conferences, training opportunities, publications or products specially-developed for the Ocean Decade. To be officially endorsed, Activities only need to show how they contribute to the Decade Challenges or to specific Programmes, Projects or Contributions. Ideas can be submitted at any time at: https://www.oceandecade.org/sign-up/ Learn more about the Do*Mar Summer School.

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  • Ulisses Azeiteiro is a co-editor of the book "Amazonia Towards 2050: Addressing Land Use, Local People and Biodiversity Conservation Issues"

    Published in 4/1/2022

    The Amazon region, which spans across  Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, an overseas territory of France, plays a key role as  host of the world´s largest pool of biodiversity. But it is also a region characterised by wide spread environmental degradation, partly related to land use and economic activities which endangers this biodiversity, and the well being of localpopulations. There is a pressing need to continously monitor, document and report on experiences which focus on matters related to land use and biodiversity conservation, along with their many ramifications. It is for this reason that the book "The Amazon Region: Addressing Land Use and Biodiversity Conservation Issues" is being prepared. This book intends to bring together a valuable collection of case studies and conceptual approaches that outline the present state of the Amazon region, and describe examples of initiatives, projects, practices as well as innovative thinking and policy-making, which may help towards a better understanding of the many problems the region faces. By means of a combination of scientific information on ecological aspects and papers dealing with socio-economic issues, the book intends to support future policy-making in an area whose problems and local and regional in nature, but whose impacts may influence the world´s environment balance. It will be produced as part of the world´s leading peer-reviewed book series on sustainability: https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.springer.com%2Fseries%2F13384&data=04%7C01%7C%7C143238f77f5844da976c08d8dd62b9df%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637502763407858532%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=JongGXCpLoCPEp8vSkH%2Bk%2BME3NFCezC1kVWEnV3L5Cc%3D&reserved=0. This book fills a gap in the literature on the Amazonia and the many threats it faces, from deforestation and uncontrolled agriculture, to the abuse of the rights of indigenous people.The list of topics the boook includes (but is not limited to) the following themes: * Amazon and land use issues * Biodiversity conservation * Issues related to indigenous people * Ecological threats by fires * Territorial management * Natural resources management * Food security * Poverty and social justice * Sustainable development prospects Expressions of interest to contribute to the book, consisting of a 200 words abstract with all contact data from the authors, should be sent to Andréia Setti at: andreiasetti@gmail.com. The deadline for abstracts is 10th January 2022. Full papers are due by 20th February 2022. Further details will be shared with the selected authors.

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  • Webinar: Desbloqueadores de conversa para cientistas - Estratégias e suportes de comunicação de ciência com diferentes públicos-alvo, 6 Jan, 21h00

    Published in 4/1/2022

    [Only available in Portuguese]

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  • Irina Gorodetskaya speaks about climate change in Polar regions and Iberia as a Lead Author of IPCC AR6 report

    Published in 3/1/2022

    Irina Gorodetskaya gives a series of interviews in Portugal and a keynote talk at the XIII Conferência Polar Portuguesa as a Lead Author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report Working Group 1: “Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis.” The researcher alerts that changes in climate may be much faster than predicted and some changes are even irreversible! "One of the most frightening [points of no return] is the complete loss of the West Antarctic ice sheet." Learn more at: Visão Verde (06/10/2021): “Temos de estar muito preocupados”: Os avisos da ‘nossa’ investigadora climática do IPCC” on Polar regions climate change  Público (28/09/2021): “Como vai ser o clima no futuro? Um novo atlas interactivo mostra-lhe” Sustainability at Meta: “Together for Climate” about the challenges brought on by climate change and how communities and businesses in Spain and Portugal can respond. SIC notícias (06/12/2021): “Investigadores portugueses estudam efeitos das alterações climáticas nos Pólos” Keynote Speaker at XIII Conferência Polar Portuguesa: “Cryosphere and Polar regions in the IPCC 6th Assessment Report and COP26: Key Issues and the Cost of Inaction”

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  • The best of CESAM 2021: People who jointly care for the future

    Published in 31/12/2021

    This year we faced significant challenges and changes. Once again, CESAM researchers were tested and proved resilient, defying adversity with innovative projects and receiving well-deserved public recognition. More than 40 researchers were awarded and/or distinguished in academia. Several works were highlighted in the national and international media. In the Call for R&D Projects in All Scientific Domains, of the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), six projects were approved with funding in the order of 1.5 million euros, and CESAM was the research unit and associated laboratory of the University of Aveiro with the most grant awarded. Through the FCT's Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus - 4th Edition, CESAM welcomes 14 more researchers (40% of the total number of all units of the University of Aveiro). CESAM also attracted 37 young researchers in the FCT's Call for Ph.D. Research Grants 2021. More than 700 scientific articles indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) have been published. Authors from other countries collaborate in 60% of these publications, increasing the impact and internationalization of research. In 2021, CESAM renewed the title of Associated Laboratory for 10 years, meaning that FCT continues to recognize us as a research center of excellence! It was an election and an anniversary year. The integrated members of CESAM elected a new scientific coordinator for 2021-2025, Amadeu Soares. On July 15, CESAM celebrated 20 years in a well-attended ceremony with many partners and friends. We launched a commemorative video, the commemorative graphic image, and 3 dialogues, which had the presence and interventions of 4 ministers of the Government of Portugal. Long live CESAM! Caring about the future!

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  • CESAM researchers warn about global warming severity and its impacts on Público

    Published in 28/12/2021

    [Only available in Portuguese]

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  • Merry Christmas and a Successful 2022!

    Published in 23/12/2021

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  • David Carvalho, in an interview to Expresso, talks about global warming

    Published in 21/12/2021

    [only available in Portuguese]

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  • Newton Gomes participates in the BioTechPharma Summit

    Published in 21/12/2021

    Considered the world's largest Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical event, the BioTechPharma Summit took place in Porto, from November 29th to 30th. Newton Gomes, CESAM researcher and co-founder of InnerCore, a spin-off incubated at the University of Aveiro Incubator, acted as key note speaker.

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  • Christmas cards

    Published in 23/12/2021

    Download your favorite post card here.  

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  • 2022 Alternet Conference

    Published in 16/12/2021

    The 2022 Alternet Conference will be held 14-17 June 2022 in Ghent, Belgium. The theme of this conference will be: "Transformative Changes for Biodiversity and Health." Changes in land and sea use, overexploitation, climate change, pollution and invasive alien species mean that nature is rapidly disappearing, posing significant challenges to human and ecosystem health. Nature is as important to our mental and physical well-being as it is to our society’s ability to cope with global change, health threats and disasters. Protecting and restoring biodiversity and functioning ecosystems is therefore essential to building our resilience. The call for transformative change is an absolute necessity to halt and eventually overcome the biodiversity and climate crisis. This is now recognised and integrated into many member states and EU’s biodiversity strategies, as well as at the global level by IPBES and the CBD.  Where and why do the benefits of biodiversity for ecological and human health arise and how can they be achieved? How and where can transformative change enable these benefits, including ensuring justice and equity?  How can human-nature health solutions be developed? How can the adoption of these transformative biodiversity and human health solutions by society and communities be achieved, for example by transforming food systems?  The Alternet 2022 conference aims to address these questions by focusing on what interdisciplinary biodiversity research can contribute to the transformative change agenda in biodiversity and health. It will offer new perspectives on research and policy as well as practice, highlight information needs and develop partnerships to advance our knowledge on biodiversity and health.  Given the breadth and depth of current and impending crises and the links between human health and biodiversity, it is time for a radical transformation of socio-ecological structures towards a vision of sustainability and resilience – one that enhances the well-being of humans and the biosphere as a whole. Mobilising scientific research, interdisciplinarity and co-construction with stakeholders and decision-makers is the way forward. Alternet bridges disciplines and connects science and policy to the challenges of societal sustainability because we believe that the greatest innovation for societal impact can be achieved by science through unusual collaborations in practice. Come and contribute to our conference, present your research results, participate in the exchanges and initiate projects to chart new routes to transformative change. Open Calls Call for Parallel Sessions We invite you to respond to the Call for Sessions for the upcoming 2022 Alternet Conference. Please send the following information concerning your proposed session(s) by email to secretariat@alterneteurope.eu. Name and Institutions of Chairs and Co-Chairs Session title Session abstract Type of session: presentation, workshop, other Intended outputs Duration (2-3 hours) Open: 15 December 2021 Deadline for submissions: 31 January 2022

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  • Irina Gorodetskaya study is awarded

    Published in 21/6/2022

    Irina Gorodetskaya co-authored scientific paper, Atmospheric River Signatures in Radiosonde Profiles and Reanalyses at the Dronning Maud Land Coast, East Antarctica, published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, has received the AAS Esteemed Paper Prize.

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  • Sessão Pública: Pradarias Marinhas @Ria de Aveiro

    Published in 16/12/2021

    [Only available in Portuguese]

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  • North-South Prize 2020 awarded to a network that includes CESAM researchers

    Published in 16/12/2021

    The work done by the Network of Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change (MedECC) was awarded the North-South Prize 2020. Ana Isabel Miranda, Myriam Lopes, Alexandra Monteiro, Sandra Rafael, Sílvia Coelho and Carlos Borrego are part of this Network as national experts. Read more here.

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  • Ocean Break | 17 December

    Published in 14/12/2021

    17th December 2021 | 12:30 - 13:30 | Room 9.1.1 (DEMaC) Daniel Escobar Ortega (PhD student, University of A Coruña) A giant polychaete on the NW Iberian Peninsula: taxonomic identity and preliminary data on its reproductive biology The presence of a giant polychaete (3 metres long) has been recently recorded by fishermen in the Ria de Arousa (Galicia, NW Spain). Since polychaetes are highly appreciated as bait for recreational fishing in other regions of the world, representing a marine resource of elevated economic value, this finding may open up a new opportunity for the local bristle worms fisheries. The present study aims to gain some insights into the biology of this largely unknown species, getting information that helps to the sustainability and management of this fishery. First of all, as the taxonomic identity of giant polychaetes have been the object of considerable debate, we used molecular techniques to confirm the identity of the species present in NW Spain. On the other hand, we studied the reproductive cycle of this species. The results of this study will be shown in this presentation.

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  • Webinar: Development of integrated strategies for the prevention of pitch canker of pine, December 15th

    Published in 9/12/2021

    Glória Pinto participates in the Final Webinar of the Operational Group Development of integrated strategies for the prevention of pitch canker of pine, which will take place on December 15, via zoom. Programme

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  • Daniela Figueiredo is the guest editor of Water special issue

    Published in 9/12/2021

    Daniela Figueiredo is the guest editor of Water special issue “Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms (HCBs) in Freshwaters – an Increasing Global Concern”. Water (IF: 3.103) is an international peer-reviewed open access journal on water science and technology, including the ecology and management of water resources, published online by MDPI. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June   More info.

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  • Vera Rodrigues participates in the final conference of the Lectures for Future project

    Published in 7/12/2021

    The final conference of the Lectures for Future project will take place on December 9, and will be attended by Vera Rodrigues, who will address air quality in urban spaces. Programme and zoom link here. As part of this project, Vera Rodrigues has produced a series of 4 digital sessions on air quality in urban space. The first session explores the impact of green infrastructure on air quality in urban space, the second session presents the modeling approach developed to assess the potential benefits of green infrastructure on air quality; while the third session demonstrates the application of the modeling tools to a case study in the urban area of Porto. The last session demonstrates the contribution of green infrastructure in urban space in the promotion of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more here.

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  • Café de Ciência with Catarina Eira - O boto na costa portuguesa: um mamífero marinho em declínio

    Published in 7/12/2021

    18 Nov '21 | 18h00 > 19h00 | Free entrance at Fábrica Centro Ciência Viva de Aveiro More info.

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  • CESAM/DBIO students awarded at the national meeting of the Sociedade Portuguesa de Ecologia

    Published in 6/12/2021

    [Only available in Portuguese]

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  • CESAM researchers are among the most cited scientists worldwide

    Published in 2/12/2021

    The World's Top 2% Scientists list has compiled two lists, featuring 15 CESAM researchers as the most cited in 2020 and 6 with the greatest impact throughout their career.

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  • Ocean Break | 2 December

    Published in 2/12/2021

    2 December | Caroline Ferreira | ZOOM

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  • Ocean Break | 24 June

    Published in 21/6/2022

    24th June 2022 | 12:30 - 13:30 | Room 9.1.1 (DEMaC) Felisa Rey (Researcher, DQ) Photosynthetic animals, a source of inspiration for biotechnological applications Marine environments represent a box of surprises, revealing unlikely combinations such as the one observed between photosynthetic animals and alga organelles. Long-term kleptoplasty, the capability to retain functional stolen chloroplasts (kelptoplasts) for several weeks to months, has been shown in a handful of Sacoglossa sea slugs. Macroalgae are not just a food source for these organisms, which sequester functional algal chloroplasts while digest other cellular components. This evolutionary strategy allows these animals to obtain energy through heterotrophic – digestion of the algae - and autotrophic – kleptoplast photosynthesis – pathways. Kleptoplasty must involve communication mechanisms at cellular and molecular level to ultimately allow sea slug cells to engulf and incorporate plastids, instead of digesting them. Understanding the communication pathways will allow to replicate kleptoplasty for biotechnological applications.  

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  • SPECO launches video about the LTER Ria de Aveiro

    Published in 29/11/2021

    The Ria de Aveiro is one of four national LTER sites, from the English acronym Long-Term Ecological Research, in which long-term research is carried out. SPECO - Sociedade Portuguesa de Ecologia launches now the LTER videos. We highlight the Ria de Aveiro (https://youtu.be/XKkSa0PNVq4) coordinated by the researcher Ana Lillebø.  

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  • Study: Albatross divorce rates found to climb during times of warm sea surface temperature

    Published in 29/11/2021

    Francesco Ventura and José Pedro Granadeiro are among the scientists from two Portuguese universities who discovered a relationship between warming sea water temperature and the prevalence of divorce in a population of albatrosses.  The research, conducted in the Falkland Islands, demonstrated for the first time a direct influence of the environment on the divorce rates of a monogamous species. This finding highlights how environmental conditions, particularly changes linked to global warming, can affect the living world in ways we sometimes can't imagine, with consequences for wildlife populations.   Jounal article: Ventura F, Granadeiro JP, Lukacs PM, Kuepfer A, Catry P. 2021 Environmental variability directly affects the prevalence of divorce in monogamous albatrosses. Proc. R. Soc. B Biol. Sci. 288, 20212112. (doi:10.1098/rspb.2021.2112) On the Media: Altmetric – Environmental variability directly affects the prevalence of divorce in monogamous albatrosses Photo Credit: JP Granadeiro

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  • Paulo Baganha acted as key note speaker at the Conference to Celebrate 35 years of the Blue Flag Programme

    Published in 26/11/2021

    [Only available in Portuguese]

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  • Ecomare: SOS Marine Animals at the IV Presentation Session of the EEA Grants Projects

    Published in 26/11/2021

    On December 2 nd, at 02h30pm, the Directorate-General for Maritime Policy will organize the IV Presentation Session of Projects funded by EEA Grants 2014-2021, under the Blue Growth Programme in the area of Ocean Literacy. This event, in digital format, aims to present the projects that provide, through campaigns and activities, the society's awareness of the major issues facing the Ocean. Catarina Eira will participate to present the Ecomare: SOS Marine Animals project. Check the Agenda. Free registration, but mandatory.

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  • Seminários: Introdução aos recursos naturais vegetais

    Published in 26/11/2021

    [only available in Portuguese]

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  • Webtalks: Emerging Contaminants in the Environment: Behaviour and Screening Methodologies

    Published in 24/11/2021

    The webtalk "Emerging Contaminants in the Environment: Behaviour and Screening Methodologies" will take place on December the 6th at 14h. Certificates of attendance will be delivered upon request. This is a free zoom event, with mandatory online registration: https://forms.gle/YxcPCfxsETCtQCft5   Speakers: Joana Prata (UA) Aleksandra Tubi? (University of Novi Sad, Serbia) Damià Barcelò (Catalan Institute for Water Research, Spain & Editor-in-chief of the Science of the Total Environment journal)   Programme.

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  • CEEC provisional results: 14 contracts were attributed to CESAM researchers

    Published in 24/11/2021

    The provisional results of the 4th Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus – Individual are already known. 14 contracts were attributed to CESAM researchers: 6 contracts of Junior Researcher, 7 of Assistant Researcher and 1 of Principal Researcher, with a success rate of 11.1%.  More info: https://bit.ly/3cKk6ds

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  • ECOMARE: SOS Marine Animals: CESAM launches Ocean Literacy Project

    Published in 23/11/2021

    “ECOMARE: SOS Marine Animals”, a project led by CESAM from the University of Aveiro (UA) on Ocean Literacy, was launched in an inaugural online workshop that took place November 15, 16 and 17.

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  • José Alves co-organizes the British Ornithologists’ Union Virtual Conference – Developments in monitoring Science

    Published in 22/11/2021

    DBIO & CESAM member, José Alves, is one of the organizers of the thematic BOU conference “Developments in monitoring Science” which will be held in a dual format: Zoom and Twitter. The event will take place on the 24th & 25th of November with 6 topical sections, each of which with a keynote lecture: core monitoring methods; policy; online and emerging technologies; bioacoustics; demography & citizen science. The organizing team is also composed by researchers from two other research and conservation organizations: the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). The monitoring of bird populations provides the bedrock for informing conservation priorities and the research and conservation action that arises from these priorities. Whilst traditional field methods underpin the standardized monitoring programmes that have operated in the UK and many other countries, sometimes for decades, rapid recent developments in technology, online communication and statistics are offering many new possibilities that may enable us to improve existing monitoring programmes, and also to extend monitoring efforts to new species, regions and habitats. For more details see the conference website here. 

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  • CESAM is present in Science and Technology Week 2021

    Published in 22/11/2021

    From November 22 to 28, the Science and Technology Week 2021 will take place and CESAM will be present with several science communication activities aimed at the general public and students of various educational levels. More information here.

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  • Ana Sousa participated in the Sea Chat: Blue Carbon Ecosystems and Climate Change

    Published in 21/6/2022

    On June 8, 2022, Ana Sousa participated in a Sea Chat, at 21:30 in the Ílhavo Maritime Museum, entitled Sea Chat: Blue Carbon Ecosystems and Climate Change.

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  • Armando Duarte is on the "Global Highly Cited Researchers" list compiled annually by Clarivate Analytics

    Published in 19/11/2021

    Researchers from the Department of Chemistry of the University of Aveiro (UA) Jorge Saraiva and Armando Duarte are part of the 2021 edition of the "Highly Cited Researchers" index, prepared by Clarivate Analytics - a North American company specialized in scientific information management - which annually recognizes the most influential scientists worldwide, based on the number of citations of their publications by their peers. Read more here.

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  • CESAM researchers are part of the InsectERA Agenda, at the forefront of insect production

    Published in 19/11/2021

    [Only available in Portuguese]

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  • Celebrations of World Soil Day, December 3

    Published in 26/11/2021

    December 5, 2021, marks World Soil Day, this year with the campaign "Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity". This campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being by addressing the growing challenges in soil management, fighting soil salinization, increasing soil awareness and encouraging governments, organizations, communities and individuals around the world to commit with the protection and conservation of soil biodiversity and functioning. To mark this date, CESAM is organizing the following two events, which will take place on December 3rd: LIFE Reflorest, FEMME and EPyRIS projects are jointly promoting a webinar, from 09:30am to 12:50pm. Participation is free of charge and registration can be made here. The CESAM's thematic line Ecology &Functional Biodiversity (EFB) is organizing a hybrid workshop, between 2pm and 6pm, in the amphitheatre of the Department of Geosciences, University of Aveiro. The event is free of charge, but registration is required for in-person format until November 30th here. Participation can also be by ZOOM. Programme (morning) Programme (afternoon)

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  • Rosário Domingues is participating in the COST ACTION SEAWHEAT Project

    Published in 18/11/2021

    Over the past decade, we have witnessed a growing interest in the development of marine coastal areas as a source of alternative, sustainable food production and other valuable products. We, a group of experts (105 specialists from 28 countries) pursuing these scientific and commercial interests in Europe, Asia, the Americas and beyond, propose to modernise and make more sustainable and healthy our traditional aquatic diet from our coastal seas through the COST program. The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Association supports an EU-funded program that enables researchers and innovators to set up a collaborative research network across a wide range of scientific disciplines, known as COST. The COST funding organization supports Actions that provide networking opportunities to their participants, allowing them to jointly address scientific, technological and societal challenges through innovative ideas and initiatives. Our network aims to exploit the potential of marine seaweeds in Europe. Building on the successes of previous EU and pan-European projects on seaweeds, and due the unique characteristics of the green seaweed Ulva (known as ‘sea lettuce’), we have identified these algae as the most suitable candidates and model organisms for a novel kind of European mariculture. Species of Ulva have been extensively analysed for their value as food, feed, food ingredients (e.g., protein, carbohydrates, pigments, antioxidants), chemical constituents and medicinal properties. In mariculture, Ulva can be cultured in either land- or sea-based facilities. Ulva can produce more biomass per square meter than land plants (25-40 tonnes dry weight per hectare per year, compared to 2.1, 4.1 and 5.1 tonnes for soybean, wheat and maize respectively). In addition, Ulva provides a fundamental ecosystem service as an ecological biofilter, supporting sustainability of the growing industry of land- and sea-based fish farming, preventing eutrophication in coastal waters The Seawheat COST Action (CA 20106- TOMORROW’S ‘WHEAT OF THE SEA’: ULVA, A MODEL FOR AN INNOVATIVE MARICULTURE) combines interdisciplinary approaches to the sustainable use of marine resources, encompassing all facets of Ulva biology, ecology, aquaculture, engineering, as well as economic and social sciences. This Action will lead to the development of advanced science and technology, create business and employment opportunities in the maritime and coastal economies, and have a significant impact on societal welfare. This COST Action fulfills the current ‘Societal Challenges Priorities’ of the European Horizon 2020 strategy for food security, and its implementation will contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 14 (UNSDG) for the conservation and sustainable exploitation of natural resources. Rosário Domingues, from Marine Biotechnology and Aquaculture (MBA) Research group of CESAM, and Department of Chemistry University of Aveiro is   participating in the project. The project is interesting both from the point of view of innovation as well as sustainability, and aims to improve food security in the EU. 

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  • Ethnobiology and Conservation: A case study on cockles published in the journal Marine Policy

    Published in 17/11/2021

    [only available in Portuguese] Photo Credit: Luísa Magalhães

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  • 1º Ciclo de Conferências online "Invasoras às quartas"

    Published in 17/11/2021

    [only available in Portuguese]

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  • Mas afinal...? na Rádio Terra Nova com Joana Ivónia

    Published in 17/11/2021

    [only available in Portuguese]

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  • Café de Ciência with Ricardo Calado: Há mar e mar, o que se perde pode nunca mais voltar

    Published in 16/11/2021

    In the week in which we celebrate the National Maritime Day, the Café de Ciência, at Fábrica Centro Ciência Viva de Aveiro, invites Ricardo Calado to a conversation about the global effort necessary to promote a more sustainable use of the ocean. 18 Nov '21 | 18h00 > 19h00 | Free entranceat Fábrica Centro Ciência Viva de Aveiro More info here.

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  • National Maritime Day - National Strategy for the Sea 21-30

    Published in 16/11/2021

    On November 16, during the morning, an event commemorating the National Day of the Sea will take place at the Department of Physics. It will be a panel of lectures focused on the National Strategy for the Sea, organized by the Núcleo de Estudantes de Ciências do Mar.

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  • Brief info session on Open Science & UA Repository

    Published in 12/11/2021

    November 17, 02h30pm - 03h30pm Brief information session on the Open Science policy and how to deposit, step-by-step, in the repository of the UA. This session is a summary of the session promoted by the UA Library, which took place on October 20. Registration

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  • CESAM-Sciences Photography Exhibition

    Published in 21/6/2022

    On June 3, at 15h00, the CESAM pole at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon organized an exhibition of the most iconic and amusing photographs of their work as members of CESAM. This event is in the framework of the celebration of CESAM's 20th anniversary and showed representative photographs of the work of CESAM students and researchers.

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  • 1st CHARCLEAN Seminar

    Published in 12/11/2021

    In order to disseminate the results achieved, the CHARCLEAN project will organize the 1st CHARCLEAN Seminar, under the theme "Charcoal Production in Portugal", on November 24th, at 15h30, at the Department of Environment and Planning of the University of Aveiro. If you have interest in this subject, participate in this event. You can find more information at the project webpage charclean.web.ua.pt. Registration is free but mandatory: fill in the registration form in doity.pt/charclean.  Programme

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  • Workshop Zoom

    Published in 12/11/2021

    In this workshop, we will deal with configuration and management of zoom meeting, as well as the best practices for using this platform, either on a informal meeting, or to host a virtual conference meeting. Registration

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  • Webinar on strandings of marine mammals and sea turtles, December 3rd

    Published in 11/11/2021

    3 December 2021, 02h30pm-04h00 [only available in Portuguese]

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  • CESAM welcomes 37 new fellows of the FCT Annual Call for PhD Research Studentships

    Published in 11/11/2021

    FCT awarded 37 doctoral scholarships to candidates who chose CESAM as the host institution in the last FCT Call for PhD Research Studentships (2021). Congratulations! Welcome to CESAM!   The next call for PhD Research Studentships in all scientific areas will be announced in January 2022.  

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  • Ocean Break | 16 November, National Maritime Day

    Published in 10/11/2021

    The next session of the Ocean Break seminar series will be dedicated to the celebration of the National Maritime Day! It will be held in person, on November 16, and will take place at CEPAM-ECOMARE. Exceptionally, we ask people to register as the auditorium has a limited capacity of 50 people: https://forms.gle/BqVDnAJResZqJN7q9

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  • Infographic: Climate change and aquatic food systems

    Published in 10/11/2021

    IIED  (International Institute for Environment and Development), in collaboration with CESAM/UA and WorldFish, has prepared an infographic for COP-26 to draw attention to the impact of climate change on the most vulnerable populations in coastal areas.   Infographic

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  • Susana Galante-Oliveira pointed national delegate to the OSPAR Commission

    Published in 8/11/2021

    Susana Galante-Oliveira was  appointed by the General Directorate for Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services (DGRM) as expert for the 'Working Group on Monitoring, Trends and Effects of Substances in the Marine Environment' - WG MIME - of the OSPAR Commission. Read more here.

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  • LTER Portugal - Trailer

    Published in 16/12/2021

    Did you know that Portugal holds a remarkable diversity of ecosystems and that every effort is needed to preserve it? Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) is a world-wide effort to better understand ecosystems and their response to environmental and social drivers over time. There are 4 LTER sites in Portugal. Ria de Aveiro is one of them.   Watch this extraordinary trailer of a set of four videos and learn more about the LTER network: https://youtu.be/sGk01woOmso The video is highlighted on Alternet winter newsletter.

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  • Ana Cristina Esteves is the guest editor of the journal Fungi special issue

    Published in 5/11/2021

    Ana Cristina Esteves is the guest editor of the journal Fungi special issue on What Have We Learned From Omics? Fungi (IF: 5.816) is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal of mycology published monthly online by MDPI.   Deadline submission: 30 April 2022 More info 

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  • Migradores de longa distância - entre o Tejo e o Ártico wins 3 awards at the international film festival art&tur Best Documentary; 1st Prize in the Environment & Ecology category; 2nd Prize in the International Environment & Ecology category

    Published in 4/11/2021

    Migradores de longa distância - entre o Tejo e o Ártico was awarded at the fourteenth edition of the International Film and Tourism Festival - Art&TuR which took place this year in Aveiro, between October 26 and 29. Best Documentary up to 90 minutes, 1st Prize in the Environment & Ecology category, 2nd Prize in the Environment & Ecology category. Migradores de longa distância - entre o Tejo e o Ártico had already been awarded an Honorable Mention at the 27th edition of CineEco, the oldest environmental film festival in the world. Also at Art&Tur, the screening of the documentary led to a conversation about the ecology of migrating wading birds, the importance of scientific knowledge, and the impact of the new airport planned for the Montijo airbase.

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  • Seminar Climate action and zero pollution

    Published in 21/6/2022

    CESAMs Thematic Line Integrated Environmental Systems is organizing a seminar on the topic "Climate action and zero pollution at CESAM". This event aims to show internally and externally the work that CESAM researchers develop in this area. It will take place on January 12, 2022, between 3.30 and 5.30 pm.

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  • Research: Microalgae from the Aveiro Lagoon capture as much carbon as that produced by 10,000 people

    Published in 4/11/2021

    The microalgae of the Aveiro Lagoon capture around 12400 tons of carbon from the atmosphere annually, equivalent to the carbon emitted by 10000 people. This is one of the conclusions of a study by the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) of the University of Aveiro (UA) which makes it clear that: the remaining photosynthetic organisms of the Aveiro Lagoon together will manage to remove thousands of tons of carbon from the atmosphere per year. Read more here and O Público.

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  • Researchers from CESAM/DBio at the UA co-authored an article featured on the cover of Nanoscale

    Published in 2/11/2021

    Mónica Amorim and Susana Gomes, researcher at the DBIO/CESAM (UA) has just published an article in the journal Nanoscale, having been highlighted on the cover of the magazine. The work developed in the field of artificial intelligence draws attention to its relevance in the analysis of large databases for the risk assessment of nanomaterials. Full article: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2021/NR/D1NR03231C

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  • Mas afinal...? on TerraNova with Alexandra Monteiro

    Published in 2/11/2021

    Wednesday (November 3rd) at 10:40 am at Rádio TerraNova. This week, Inês Domingues talks to Alexandra Monteiro about air quality and the lessons that the COVID pandemic has taught us. The confinements during the pandemic showed a scenario of abrupt reduction of air pollution, making us believe that an improvement in air quality is indeed possible. What lessons did we learn?

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  • CESAM is a partner of the INPhINIT Incoming PhD scholarship program funded by "La Caixa".

    Published in 15/12/2021

    CESAM will offer up to 10 research projects for doctoral students to be carried out in a multidisciplinary and international research team. In total, the program will fund 35 doctoral grants for researchers who want to carry out their doctoral project in research centers of excellence in Spain or in Portuguese research centers, evaluated by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology as "Excellent" or "Exceptional". The INPhINIT "La Caixa" doctoral fellowship program is devoted to attracting talented Early-Stage Researchers—of any nationality—who wish to pursue doctoral studies in Spain or Portugal. For research to be carried out in Portuguese institutions, candidates must have lived in Portugal for less than 12 months in the last 3 years. To learn more about the INPhINIT "la Caixa" PhD fellowship program, visit the program's website HERE. You can find all about the CESAM proposals through the LINK. Doctoral programmes: Biotechnology Marine Science, Technology and Management Environmental Sciences and Engineering (taught in English) Geosciences Chemistry Deadline: 27 Jan

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  • V Analytical Chemistry Symposium – advanced materials for environmental applications, 24 November

    Published in 5/11/2021

    Poster 24 Nov Registration required by e-mail to analytical.symposium@gmail.com, until November 22nd - free admission; Zoom link will be sent after registration; Symposium official languages: Portuguese and English

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  • NanoHarmony – 2nd Project Workshop

    Published in 2/11/2021

    The NanoHarmony project is holding its 2nd Project Workshop to provide an update on the work being undertaken on the various OECD test guidelines and guidance documents and to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to provide input into the project. The open session of the Workshop will be held on 25 November (09.00-17.00 CET) and will provide feedback on the progress of all the test guidelines being updated by the project. Sessions will include test guidelines for physical chemical properties (including dustiness and surface chemistry), health effects (including toxicokinetics) and environmental fate and behaviour (including bioaccumulation potential). Please register for the workshop here. The day before the workshop on the 24th November, there is an opportunity for stakeholders who are either regulators or industry to participate in interactive sessions being held to get feedback from those specific groups on their involvement in the development and use of test guidelines. The stakeholder sessions are an opportunity for regulators and industry to provide their experience of using test guidelines, to allow them to outline their requirements of future test guidelines and to comment on the whole test guideline development and use process. Regulators and industry stakeholders can apply for a place at one of the stakeholder sessions here.

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  • Journal article: Different energy consumption vectors during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal

    Published in 2/11/2021

    Michael Russo is the author of study on different energy consumption vectors during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, entitled “Decarbonizing the energy supply one pandemic at a time” The present study shows that, in Portugal, there was a 15.7% reduction of primary energy consumption (accounting for electricity, natural gas and transport fuels) compared to 2019. The data suggest that actions targeting reduced mobility, such as home office practices and the decentralization of the workforce, could be a relevant energy efficiency measure. Read more here.

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  • Journal article: effects of pandemic COVID-19 on aquaculture

    Published in 2/11/2021

    Two researchers from CESAM and the Erasmus+ FISHAQU project are among the authors of the recent article published in Environmental Science and Policy. This article, entitled “The aquaculture supply chain in the time of COVID-19 pandemic: vulnerability, resilience, solutions and priorities at the global scale”, analyzes the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on aquaculture. Mangano, M., Berlino, M., Corbari, L., Milisenda, G., Lucchese, M., Terzo, S., Bosch-Belmar, M., Azaza. M., Babarro, J., Bakiu, R., Broitman, B., Buschmann, A., Christofoletti, R., Dong, Y., Glamuzina, B., Luthman, O., Makridis, P., Nogueira, A., Palomo, M., Dineshram, R., Sanchez-Jerez, P., Sevgili, H., Troell, M., AbouelFadl, K., Azra, M., Britz, P., Carrington, E., Celic, I., Choi, F., Qin, C., Dionísio, M., Dobroslavic, T., Galli, P., Giannetto. D., Grabowski, J., Helmuth, B., Lebata-Ramos, M., Lim, P., Liu, Y., Llorens, S., Mirto, S., Pecarevic, M., Pita, C., Ragg, N., Ravagnan, N., Saidi, D., Schultz, K., Shaltout, M., Tan, S., Thiyagarajan, V., Sara, G. 2022. The aquaculture supply chain in the time of COVID-19 pandemic: vulnerability, resilience, solutions and priorities at the global scale. Environmental Science and Policy 127: 98-110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2021.10.014 

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  • Eduardo Ferreira and Nuno Negrões participated in the event " E se o urso-pardo voltar?”

    Published in 2/11/2021

    On October 28 and 29, the event " E se o urso-pardo voltar?" took place in Bragança, organized by Palombar and partners, in the scope of the "Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process". Eduardo Ferreira and Nuno Negrões participated in a lecture with a communication entitled "Investigação transfronteiriça sobre o urso-pardo: da genética às dimensões humanas”. Learn more about the event here. 

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  • One health bookmark on One Health Day, Nov 3rd

    Published in 29/10/2021

    The Thematic Line Environment and Health of the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), which is a Research Unit of the University of Aveiro (UA) , Portugal, will celebrate the One Health Day with a local event, on 3 November. A bookmark, written in Portuguese, was prepared and will be distributed to the local community in order to raise public awareness to the importance of the One Health Concept. The bookmarker will be distributed in several points of the City of Aveiro, including, the hospital, the health center, secondary schools, commercial center, etc, by researchers from CESAM. One health Day is a day of declaration and action wherever possible to bring global attention to the crucial need and benefits of using trans-disciplinary approaches to complex challenges involving animals, people, and planetary ecosystems

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  • CESAM researchers publish in prestigious journal Progress in Lipid Research

    Published in 17/6/2022

    Bruna Neves, Rosário Domingues and Tânia Melo, researchers from CESAM, MBA group, Laboratory of Lipidomics and Mass Spectrometry Group of the DQ-UA, are authors of a review article published in the prestigious journal Progress in Lipid Research (IF: 16.5): “Understanding the nitrolipidome: From chemistry to mass spectrometry and biological significance of modified complex lipids”. This review brings together the literature on the identification and characterization of nitrated lipids using high-resolution mass spectrometry-based lipidomic approaches highlights the biological properties already reported for these endogenous lipids with applications in diagnostics and medicine. The challenges and gaps of this recent field of research are also addressed. Article available: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/progress-in-lipid-research

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  • The people of the Ria

    Published in 29/10/2021

    ‘The people of the Ria’ video series developed in the scope of the PERICLES project is now complete! It looks at the coastal and maritime cultural heritage of the Ria de Aveiro region through the eyes of the people of the Ria, which shared their experiences, traditional knowledge and associated vocabulary that have been passed down through the generations. 1. The people of the Ria: artisanal fisheries 2. The people of the Ria: the salt harvest 3. The people of the Ria: traditional boats (English subtitles available soon) 4. The people of the Ria: cod-fishing (English subtitles available soon)

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  • Ocean Break | 3 November

    Published in 29/10/2021

    3 Nov| 03H00 pm| Zoom Alphonse Nahon, Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil Link: https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/84673989166?pwd=d3kzS010QWF4VGtVZEdxcnBuWWIrQT09 ID: 846 7398 9166 Password:  511673

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  • Ana Lillebø acted as key note speaker at the event International Estuary Symposium 2021, South Korea

    Published in 28/10/2021

    Ana Lillebø acted as key note speaker at the event International Estuary Symposium 2021 under the theme Restoration and Future for the Nakdong River Estuary that took place at the Hilton hotel in Busan, South Korea, from 26th Oct (Tue) ~ 28th Oct (Thu), 2021 Program

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  • New species of Beaked Whale was identified

    Published in 28/10/2021

    CESAM researcher Catarina Eira participated in the international study that identified the new species of Ramari´s Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon eueu). Access the full article: Carroll EL et al. 2021 Speciation in the deep: genomics and morphology reveal a new species of beaked whale Mesoplodon eueu. Proc. R. Soc. B 288: 20211213 Watch the video about this new species here.

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  • Closing event of the European project PERICLES

    Published in 27/10/2021

    The closing event of the European PERICLES project 'Preserving and sustainably governing cultural heritage and landscapes in European coastal and maritime regions', funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme and led by the Aalborg University, took place on October 22, 2021. Read more here.

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  • AquaHeal Project highlighted in UA News

    Published in 29/10/2021

    High fish densities in aquaculture have the risk of rapid spread of disease and development of pathogens. The AquaHeal project, through modulation of the biome with chemical and/or cellular methods, has been applied in the development of solutions that allow the suppression of diseases in intensive aquaculture with recirculation system. In the Biology Department's Bio-Synthesis #11, the AquaHeal coordinator reveals one of the first effective methods ever developed. The project was coordinated by researcher Newton Gomes. Read more here.

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  • The only hydrothermal vent in the Arctic was investigated by a team that included CESAM researchers

    Published in 27/10/2021

    Read more here

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  • Mónica Amorim is one of the editors of the journal Biology special issue

    Published in 26/10/2021

    Mónica Amorim is one of the editors of the journal Biology special issue on "Invertebrates as Models in Human Pandemics: Facts and Opinion" Biology (IF: 5.079) is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal of biological sciences published monthly online by MDPI.   Deadline submission: 28 Feb 2022 More info 

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  • Long Distance Migrants: between the Tagus and the Arctic in the Short List of the Art&Tur Festival

    Published in 26/10/2021

    The documentary "Long Distance Migrators: between the Tagus and the Arctic", which portrays the work of a team of researchers from the CESAM and the DBio of the University of Aveiro, led by José Alves, is on the Short List for the 2021 edition of Art&Tur - International Tourism Film Festival, which will take place from October 26-29, in Aveiro. "Long Distance Migrators: between the Tagus and the Arctic", broadcast by RTP 1 in 2020, and already awarded with an honorable mention at the CineEco Festival, will be screened on October 28. The researchers José Alves and Joaquim Pedro Ferreira will also participate in a round table discussion on “The environmental impact of building an airport”.

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  • Marie Curie International Training Network (ITN) CHRONIC- CHronic exposure scenarios driving enviRONmental rIsks of Chemicals kicked off on the 12th October 2021

    Published in 25/10/2021

    The Marie Curie International Training Network (ITN) CHRONIC- CHronic exposure scenarios driving enviRONmental rIsks of Chemicals kicked off on the 12th October! This project is coordinated by Henriette Selck from Roskilde University (Denmark) and aims at delivering a cohort of highly-skilled and informed future research leaders trained in understanding and integrating, into risk-assessment practice, the long-term, low-dose chronic chemical exposure and their interactions with other environmental stressors. At the University of Aveiro, Susana Loureiro is the coordinator of this project where one of the 13 PhD students involved has arrived in the beginning of October. Jacqueline Hilgendorf has a MSc in Science by the University of Koblenz-Landau, and chose the University of Aveiro and the project “Different biotic and abiotic environments change the responses of Lumbriculus variegatus to long-term exposures to chemicals” to get a PhD degree, under the Supervision of Susana Loureiro, Diogo Cardoso (UAVR) and Jesper Givskov Sørensen (Aarhus University). Susana Loureiro is the Manager of Training in CHRONIC and with Amadeu Soares they are part of the Supervisory Board. Have a look at https://chronic-mc.eu/ and learn about the project and the involvement of the 13 PhD students.

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  • Liliana Santos is one the guest editors for Diversity special issue

    Published in 23/9/2022

    Liliana Santos is one the guest editors for diversity special issue Holistic Approaches for Reveling in Fungal Diversity. Diversity (IF: 2.465) is an international peer-reviewed open access journal, published online by MDPI. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 17 November 2022 More info.

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  • Stress Biology Seminars

    Published in 22/10/2021

    Mycorrhizal fungi biodiversity in Mediterranean semiarid environments, Professor Gisela Dias Espejo, Universidad Miguel Hernandez of Elche, Spain. 27 Oct, 04:30pm, Anfiteatro António Correia (DBio)

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  • Ana Sousa will participate in the Coastal Wetlands Twitter Conference

    Published in 22/10/2021

    The CWTC21 conference will be held completely on Twitter, on 26 and 27 October. More info here

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  • 4-4-4 Talks

    Published in 19/4/2022

    The 4-4-4 Talks is the monthly event dedicated to research conducted at CESAM, which takes place in the auditorium of Building 3 (3.1.15), between 4:00 and 5:30 pm. Programme: 27 October 2021- José Alves: Long distance relationships: connectivity and performance of migratory waders across the East Atlantic Flyway 15 December 2021 – Bruno Nunes: A tale of fish on drugs (Anf. 8.1.43 do DBIO) :: Mandatory registration:: 26 January 2022– Isabel Lopes: Amphibians in ecotoxicology: the need for alternatives to animal experimentation (CANCELED) 23 February 2022 – Miguel Oliveira - Micro (nano)plastics in the environment: a biological and social perspective (Anf. 2.1.10 do DLC) 23 March 2022– Ana Luísa Machado: Potamopyrgus antipodarum: the profile of a global invader (Building 3 -  3.1.15) 27 April 2022– Roberto Martins: Engineered nanomaterials and the marine ecosystem: innovation vs. sustainability (Anf. 8.1.43 do DBIO) 25 May 2022– Olga Ameixa: Taxonomists on the brink of extinction: The Linnean shortfall (Building 3 -  3.1.15) 22 June 2022– Inês Domingues: Ecological restoration (Building 3 -  3.1.15)

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  • Ocean Break | 22 October

    Published in 21/10/2021

    Global-scale patterns of biodiversity and trophic structure of the neustonic zooplankton across tropical and subtropical oceanic provinces 22 Oct,12h30-13h30, Zoom

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  • Sustainability on Terranova radio: 20 Oct,10:40 AM

    Published in 19/10/2021

    (only available in Portuguese)

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  • “Migradores de longa distância - entre o Tejo e o Ártico” awarded with an honorable mention on television by the prestigious international environmental film festival in Seia – CineEco

    Published in 19/10/2021

    “Migradores de longa distância - entre o Tejo e o Ártico”awarded with an honorable mention on television by the prestigious international environmental film festival in Seia – CineEco.

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  • Marinhas de Aveiro, 18 October on RTP2

    Published in 18/10/2021

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  • World Food Day, 16 October

    Published in 15/10/2021

    Every day, people are exposed to complex mixtures of chemicals mainly through food. In order to assess human exposure to food contaminants, it is crutial to carry out their biomonitoring, that is, to detect their presence directly in biological samples such as blood, hair, urine or breast milk, or to predict their effects on the human body at an early stage, in order to reduce exposure to chemicals and contribute to improve public health. Coordinated by the German Federal Environment Agency, the HBM4EU (European Human Biomonitoring Initiative) is a European consortium with the participation of 30 countries, the European Environment Agency and the European Commission, financed under the European Horizon 2020 program and in execution from 2017 to 2021 (https://www.hbm4eu.eu/). This initiative aims to use human biomonitoring to assess human exposure to chemical substances, with a view to better understanding the associated health impacts and improving the assessment of chemical risks. One of the chemical substance groups studied under HBM4EU are the mycotoxins, natural compounds produced by fungi and present mainly in food. In this context, two mycotoxins were selected to study: deoxynivalenol (DON), which promotes intestinal disorders and inflammation, and fumonisin B1 (FB1), a possible human carcinogen. The ongoing work program under HBM4EU for mycotoxins is led by Portugal. Author: Paula Alvito

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  • 2nd SIBECOL meeting/XXI AIL Conference - 3-8 July 2022

    Published in 16/2/2022

    From July 3 to 8, the 2nd SIBECOL meeting/XXI AIL Conference will take place in Aveiro.Important dates: Poster and presentation submission: March 31 Registration: from March 1st More information here.  

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  • PERICLES at the Bienal Ibérica de Património Cultural

    Published in 14/10/2021

    PERICLES will be present at the Bienal Ibérica de Património Cultural, from October 14th to 17th, in Leiria, with a digital stand where it will share some of the project's results, namely the video "Gentes da Ria: a safra do sal", the book " Herança cultural costeira na região da Ria de Aveiro", the animation " Já conhece a herança marítima e costeira da região de Aveiro?" and disclose the geoportal Map Your Heritage. More about the festival: www.bienalarpa.pt/ More about PERICLES: www.pericles-heritage.eu/

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  • Paula Alvito participates in the Ricardo Jorge Seminar:Human exposure to mycotoxins: human biomonitoring and contribution to risk assessment of the European population

    Published in 17/6/2022

    27 June at 11h30 am Mandatory registration 

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  • CESAM at FIC.A festival

    Published in 14/10/2021

    The ocean, small mammals, wild bees, birds and global change are just some of the many topics that are being addressed by several CESAM FCUL researchers at the International Science Festival (FIC.A), from 12 to 17 October, in Oeiras. Programme More information about the festival at: www.fica.pt/

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  • CESAM at Aveiro Tech Week

    Published in 13/10/2021

    From October 11 to 17, it will take place in Aveiro, an event that allies technology, art and culture through exhibitions, art installations, performances, conferences, laboratories and other experiences.  The Depuradora of the DEPURD Project (monitoring and decontamination systems for the sustainable exploitation of bivalve mollusks on the Portuguese coast) will be on display at the Mercado Manuel Firmino. More information here

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  • International Day for Disaster Reduction

    Published in 13/10/2021

    The International Day for Disaster Reduction was started in 1989 to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction. We recall the special broadcast of TSF, on September 24, on the impact of climate change, with the participation of CESAM researchers João Miguel Dias, David Carvalho and Myriam Lopes and the researchers José Carlos Mota (DCSPT / GOVCOPP) and Sara Moreno Pires (DCSPT / GOVCOPP). Listen here. And also the interview with João Miguel Dias, on TVI News, about the rising waters in the city of Aveiro. Listen and watch here. 

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  • Study: Noteworthy bird records from Príncipe Island (São Tomé and Príncipe, Gulf of Guinea)

    Published in 11/10/2021

    In this article, the authors provide a list of ornithological records obtained from 2015 to 2017 on Príncipe Island, comprising 16 passerine and aquatic bird species new or rare to the island. These include five first records for the oceanic islands of the Gulf of Guinea (Senegal Lapwing Vanellus lugubris, Great Snipe Gallinago media, Grey Pratincole Glareola cinerea, Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens and Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe) plus one of a genus requiring confirmation of the species (Isabelline Warbler Iduna cf. opaca), and the first fully supported record of Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus. A further three species are new for Príncipe Island (African Pygmygoose Nettapus auritus, Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola and Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula). This work was published by Edna Correia (CESAM, University of Lisbon), Berta Correia and Ricardo Lima (CE3C, University of Lisbon) in Malimbus http://www.malimbus.org/en/contents/tocm43.html#422 Additionally, the authors published a note in the following issue of the same journal entitled: An addition and correction to “Noteworthy bird records from Príncipe Island (São Tomé and Príncipe, Gulf of Guinea)” adding one species to the previous list, the American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica, as the first confirmed record of this species to the oceanic islands of the Gulf of Guinea. Photo:Great Snipe Gallinago media observed in Santo António city (Príncipe Island, São Tomé and Príncipe). This was the first record of this long distance migratory species for the oceanic islands of the Gulf of Guinea. Credit: Berta Correia

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  • World Migratory Bird Day, Oct 9th - Studies of migratory birds made by CESAM in the official selection of CineEco 2021

    Published in 8/10/2021

    The documentary "Migradores de longa distância: entre o Tejo e o Ártico", which portrays the work of a team of researchers from the CESAM and the DBIO/UA, led by José Alves, is part of the official selection of the 2021 edition of CineEco - Serra da Estrela International Environmental Film Festival, to be held in Seia from October 9 to 16. “Migradores de longa distância: entre o Tejo e o Ártico” will be shown on October 14th. Read more here.

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  • Aquaculture Europe Conference 2021, 4-7 October

    Published in 7/10/2021

    [only available in Portuguese]

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  • New programme show about sustainability on Terranova radio

    Published in 7/10/2021

    Inês Domingues, researcher at CESAM, invites a specialist for an interview/conversation on topics related to sustainability and environmental preservation, trying to answer questions that citizens face in the search for more sustainable lifestyles.  It started this Wednesday, the 6th, at 10:40am, with a special guest, Professor Amadeu Soares, for a conversation about sustainability(ies). TerraNova

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  • Dia Nacional da Água

    Published in 1/10/2021

    [only available in Portuguese]

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  • New CESAM study on photosynthetic sea slugs highlighted in Nature

    Published in 1/10/2021

    It is a common perception that chloroplasts and photosynthesis are unique to plants and algae. However, some sea slugs are able to incorporate functional chloroplasts from their food algae. By being able to deal with the risks of incorporating chloroplasts, sites of production of reactive oxygen species (https://www.ua.pt/pt/noticias/0/59547), they benefit from the organic compounds resulting from photosynthesis to overcome periods of food shortage (https://www.ua.pt/en/noticias/0/51709). A study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, led by researchers from the Center for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) and the Department of Biology (DBio) of UA, shows that these sea slugs also use compounds resulting from photosynthesis to boost their reproductive investment (https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.1779). Using labelled inorganic carbon and nitrogen, the authors track products of photosynthesis in the reproductive organs of slugs and in polyunsaturated fatty acids with reproductive functions. The study also shows that the fecundity is lower when photosynthesis is inhibited. This work confirms the relevance of this unique association between an animal and a plant organelle for the evolutionary success of these sea slugs and was highlighted in Nature (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02631-2). The work was developed under the KleptoSlug project: Kleptoplasty – The sea slug that got away with stolen chloroplasts, led by researcher Sónia Cruz and funded by the European Research Council (https://www.ua.pt/pt/noticias/16/64194). Photo: Sea slug of the species Elysia timida. The green color is due to the presence of chloroplasts stolen from the alga Acetabularia acetabulum. Credits: Paulo Cartaxana.

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  • Impact of coastal pollution on atmospheric chemistry and marine ecosystems, 20 October

    Published in 1/10/2021

    “Impact of coastal pollution on atmospheric chemistry and marine ecosystems”  20 de October, 02:00-04:30pm, online -Zoom. Mandatory registration until 15 October here.  Poster

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  • Demonstration Session and Workshop Dissemination of Results from the RaMP Project

    Published in 17/6/2022

    On June 22nd, a demonstration session and a workshop to disseminate the results of the RaMP Project will take place in Praia da Barra and at the University of Aveiro. Programme

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  • CESAM subscribed the declaration "SCIENTISTS IN SUPPORT FOR AN AMBITIOUS EU NATURE RESTORATION LAW" of SER-E (Society of Ecological Restoration - Europe)

    Published in 29/9/2021

    This declaration was presented and approved during the 12th European Conference on Ecological Restoration organised by the European Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration,7-10/09/2021. Declaration

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  • The People of the Ria: the harvest of salt

    Published in 29/9/2021

    The second video of the series "The People of the Ria", developed under the PERICLES project, is already available! This series looks into the coastal and maritime cultural heritage of the Ria de Aveiro region, addressing the artisanal salt production, the artisanal fishing in the Ria de Aveiro, the eel canning industry, the “arte xávega” (a traditional beach-seine fishery), the traditional boats and the cod fishery. The People of the Ria: the harvest of salt

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  • Webtalks: Fate and effects of organic contaminants in marine environments | online | 28 outubro

    Published in 15/10/2021

    This workshop will highlight which are the oceanic hotspots of accumulations of persistent and emerging organic contaminants. What are their sources? Do we understand their fate well enough to predict for their accumulations? Do these contaminations pose environmental risks? Free online event with mandatory registration here. Programme

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  • Alisa Rudnitskaya is one of the editors of Frontiers research topic

    Published in 28/9/2021

    Alisa Rudnitskaya is one of the editors of Frontiers research topic: Sensors and Sensor Systems for Detection of Emerging Environmental Contaminants Frontiers is a leading Open Access Publisher and Open Science Platform. Submission deadline: 15 March 2022 More info

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  • Alisa Rudnitskaya is one of the editors of Chemosensors special issue

    Published in 28/9/2021

    Alisa Rudnitskaya is one of the editors of Chemosensors special issue: "Chemometrics for Multisensor Systems and Artificial Senses" Chemosensors (IF: 3.398) is an international, scientific, peer-reviewed, open access journal on the science and technology of chemical sensors and related analytical methods and systems, published monthly online by MDPI.  Deadline submission: 1 Mar 2022 More info 

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  • Ana Hilário in an expedition to the Aurora hot vents

    Published in 28/9/2021

    Ana Hilário has joined an expedition to the Aurora hydrothermal vents in the Arctic, which will take place from September 28 to October 24.The team is conducting survival training. Watch the video here.Learn more at HACON's website.

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  • LESSisMORE in fisheries, the landing obligation and 2021 ICES Annual Science Conference

    Published in 28/9/2021

    CESAM participated in the 2021 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Annual Science Conference, which took place online on 6-10 September. CESAM´s collaborator, Tereza Pilar Fonseca, participated in Session L – “Linking fisher attitudes, behaviours and beliefs to compliance in fisheries management” with the presentation intitled “The Landing Obligation in Portuguese Small-scale Fisheries. Has change Happened?”. This study was carried out under the project LESSisMORE - "LESS discards and LESS fishing effort for BETTER efficiency on the small-scale fisheries" and characterized fishers knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding discards and the implementation and compliance of the landing obligation in the small-scale fisheries in Portugal. Between July 2019 and October 2020, over a hundred interviews with fishers from the Portuguese small-scale fisheries (SSF) sector were carried out. Results show that the landing obligation measure has had up to now a low impact on the Portuguese small-scale fisheries, where a high percentage of fishers were not even aware of this new policy. Fishers believe that adding value to the species that they catch is the main incentive to reduce discards. Tereza Fonseca also participated in the "Network Session: A new era for science-industry collaboration", to discuss how fishery industry initiatives for data collection and data provision can contribute to scientific research.    Tereza Pilar-Fonseca,  Cristina Pita, Priscila M. Silva, Celia M. Teixeira, Daniela Castelo. 2021. The Landing Obligation in Portuguese Small-scale Fisheries. Has change Happened? ICES Annual Science Conference. ICES CM 2021/L:573. Poster. [Includes 2´44 minutes video. Abstract initially submitted in 2020, 2020 ICES ASC did not occur due to covid.]   For more information on the LESSisMORE project see here, here and here   CESAM Researchers: Tereza Fonseca, Cristina Pita* and Daniela Castelo.    MARE Researchers: Priscila M. Silva & Celia M. Teixeira** *CESAM responsible Researcher   **LESSisMORE Project Coordinator  

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  • Greentour: circular economy and sustainable tourism in destinations of the SUDOE area

    Published in 24/9/2021

    The GREENTOUR project, funded by the Interreg SUDOE program and started in November 2020, aims to contribute to increase the sustainability and circularity of the tourism sector. The main expected results consist in: - environmental assessment tools for agents from the tourism subsectors of accommodation, restaurants, and leisure and transportation activities; these tools are based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology and support a sustainable tourism through the identification of strategies to reduce the environmental footprint of this sector; - a voluntary eco-labeling system for tourism destinations as a whole based on LCA; - a cooperation network between destinations and sustainable tourism agents in the SUDOE area. Both the environmental assessment tools and the eco-labeling system will be tested, in a first stage, in touristic destinations of Portugal, Spain, France and Andorra, selected by their relevant natural and cultural heritage (Guimarães, Lloret de Mar, Camino Lebaniego, Rias Baixas, Massif du Sancy and Ordino). At a later stage, after validation of the tools, they will be applied to other stakeholders. The tourism agents of the subsectors of accommodation, restaurants, and leisure and transportation willing to evaluate their environmental performance with the tools developed in GREENTOUR can express their interest in https://greentour-project.eu/join-greentour/be-a-greentour-pioneer. The University of Aveiro is a partner of GREENTOUR, with the participation of the following CESAM members: Ana Cláudia Dias (coordinator) Paula Quinteiro, Isabel Nunes and Helena Nadais. More information about the project can be found at www.greentour-project.eu. Author: Ana Cláudia Dias  

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  • Researcher José Alves was invited to Client Earth Global Summit (28-30 September) in the session “Maintaining migration in the animal kingdom”

    Published in 24/9/2021

    This is the second year Client Earth organizes this virtual event, hosting a global forum for experts, peers and partners from across the environmental movement and other sectors to explore new ways of effecting change for a brighter, healthier future planet. Client Earth, a global organization that operates under the banner “Working to protect life on Earth”, supports environmental causes, using the law to defend several issues: defending wildlife and habitats; protecting forests; tackling pollution and climate change, and others. The event is free of change and more information can be attained here.

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  • World Maritime Day, September 26th

    Published in 27/9/2021

    In the 16th century, Luís Vaz de Camões wrote two poems that today can be interpreted with new meanings. “All the world is made of change, And forever attaining new qualities.”   After five centuries, it could be interpreted as an allusion to climate change [1] Also, in Canto I, the poet wrote [2]:   “The feats of Arms, and famed heroick Host, from occidental Lusitanian strand, who o'er the waters ne'er by seaman crost, fared beyond the Taprobáne-Iand, forceful in perils and in battle-post, with more than promised force of mortal hand and in the regions of a distant race rear’d a new throne so haught in Pride of Place;”   In the same context of discovery, it can, but this time with new meanings, those of oceanic science, reveal the role that the Sea has always had in our identity. Oceans, once paths of discovery for "remote people" and new worlds, sources of life, and providers of ecosystem services, are currently struggling with serious environmental problems. From Fernão Mendes Pinto, Padre António Vieira, and Bernardo Gomes de Brito's shipwreck accounts, we transmute its tragic aspects to the ecological and environmental dimensions, difficult to approach, but essential to a new paradigm of ocean sustainability. The initiatives under the "Agenda 2030", namely its "Sustainable Development Goals" (SDGs) 14 (and also 13), the "Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development" and the "United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration" demonstrate an international concern in solving the emergency problems we face. Ocean research plays a crucial role in the pursuit of SDG 14 ("Conserve and Sustainably Use the Oceans, Seas and Marine Resources ") as well as the goals and intended outcomes of the "Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development" actions. CESAM has been playing its role in this area, being an institution prepared for the challenges we live. As demonstrators of valences, societal value, and internationalization, I highlight the following projects: "ValorMar - Integral Valorization of Marine Resources: Potential, Technological Innovation, and New Applications Programas Mobilizadores – PI: SONAE SA" and "HACON - Hot vents in an ice-covered ocean: the role of the Arctic as a connectivity pathway between ocean basins FRINATEK call in the FRIPRO programme of the Research Council of Norway." “The Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) is a Research Unit of the University of Aveiro with the status of Associated Laboratory since 2005, evaluated with the highest grade of Excellent since 2014. The mission of CESAM is to develop leading international research on environmental and marine sciences.” The Sea is very present in its founding, constitutive, and functional matrix. Next year, 2022, will be the "International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture." CESAM develops projects in these areas. As demonstrators of CESAM's mission within the framework of societal needs and sustainable development, I highlight the following projects: AquaMMIn - Development and validation of a modular integrated multitrophic aquaculture system for marine and brackish water species Mar2020", "NutriMo - Development and implementation of community-based aquaculture projects in developing countries in Africa FCT - AKDN" and "FISHAQU - Knowledge Exchange in sustainable Fisheries management and Aquaculture in the Mediterranean region Erasmus+ Programme." The Sea is part of our culture and identity. May we, through science, give continuity to a history that links us to the Sea. Ulisses M Azeiteiro CESAM Coordinator of the Thematic Line "Marine Ecosystems & Resources (MER)" [1] Dias, João. (2016). “Todo o mundo é composto de mudança”. Considerações sobre o clima e a sua história. I - O Sistema Climático Terrestre. [2] Os Lusíadas - Luís Vaz de Camões – 1572 - (trad. Richard Francis Burton, 1880, Retrieved from: https://burtoniana.org/books/1880-Os%20lusiadas/Os%20lusiadas%20Vol%201.pdf)  

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  • Webinar: Tunning tetrapyrrolic macrocycles for multiple applications and Tetrapyrrolic macrocycles as therapeutic agents in antimicrobial photodynamic therapy

    Published in 20/6/2022

    On June 21 and 22, two webinars will take place dedicated to the use of tetrapyrrolic macrocycles in antimicrobial photodynamic therapy and the functionalization of tetrapyrrolic macrocycles for diverse applications. These webinars are part of projectPOCI-01-0145-FEDER-031523. Participation is free of charge, but registration is required until June 21.  Tunning tetrapyrrolic macrocycles for multiple applications 22 June 2022 - Tetrapyrrolic macrocycles as therapeutic agents in antimicrobial photodynamic therapy 

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  • Impact of the climate emergency in Aveiro in debate on TSF

    Published in 24/9/2021

    On September 24th, between 8am and 10am, TSF will be live from Aveiro, to discuss the climate emergency and its impact on the region. David Carvalho and João Miguel Dias, both from the DFis/CESAM, will be present on the broadcast, accompanied by José Carlos Mota (DCSPT/GOVCOPP) and Myriam Lopes (DAO/CESAM) and Sara Moreno Pires (DCSPT/GOVCOPP). Link 

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  • European Car Free Day

    Published in 23/9/2021

    To mark the European Car Free Day we highlight the opinion article by Alexandra Monteiro and the radio show Ambiente num Minuto on Terra Nova.    

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  • 3º Curso de Dragagens - Sustentabilidade do litoral

    Published in 21/9/2021

    [only available in Portuguese]

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  • Stress Biology Seminars

    Published in 20/9/2021

    Phage therapy to control pathogenic bacteria Carla Pereira 22 Sep | 04:30h | Zoom

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  • 2nd EpiLipidNET COST Action meeting on 23 -24 September 2021

    Published in 17/9/2021

    EpiLipidNET COST Action (CA19105)  is a pan-European network of researchers, clinicians and enterprises working in the field of lipidomics and epilipidomics to boost a hub of research excellence, advanced knowledge and technology transfer, to promote high level of training for young researches. Free online  zoom 23th September 2021 13:00-18:00(CET) ZOOM https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88179148278?pwd=SDhSbGc0Ky9ReXJrQzZPVmM0Y21pdz09 Meeting ID: 881 7914 8278 Passcode: 298363   24th September 2021 10:00-18:00(CET) ZOOM https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83527451864?pwd=aWh4Y3RaU1pTVGJudW1xVndoSVJSdz09 Meeting ID: 835 2745 1864 Passcode: 189733 PROGRAMME

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  • Ocean Break | 24 September

    Published in 17/9/2021

    24th September 2021 | 12:30 - 13:30 | Room 9.1.1 (DEMaC) Luísa Marques (PhD student) Potential of ascidians as extractive species and their distribution in the coastal lagoon Ria de Aveiro The world population is growing very fast and the requirement for seafood originated from aquaculture is at high demand. In integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) can help aid these issues to better serve populations and also generate extra profit for farmers. IMTA systems use extractive species that reuse the wastes of other species and in addition, it is the way for the sustainability of the aquaculture industry. Ascidians are filter-feeders which once were considered a pest negatively affecting aquaculture facilities. However, these are now recognized as potential co-cultured/extractive species for IMTA with potential added value as bioresources. Knowledge of which species of ascidians are present in the Ria de Aveiro is inexistent and therefore this information will provide progress associated with IMTA systems present in this coastal lagoon. Further research on the potential use of ascidians in IMTA systems should be a new focus. 

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  • International Microorganism Day

    Published in 17/9/2021

    The 17th of September is the International Microorganism Day. Celebrated for the first time in Portugal, in 2017, as an initiative of the Portuguese Society of Microbiology, Ordem dos Biólogos, Agência Ciência Viva and UNESCO, this day is currently celebrated all over the world. Its purpose is to reveal the fascinating world of microorganisms, showing their relevance to the living world and their enormous importance for the human species, contributing also to improve literacy in microbiology. It may seem strange to celebrate “microbes”, but this results from the misperception that they are all harmful. The reality is quite different as most microorganisms have positive impacts on our lives. Microorganisms are crucial for the proper functioning of ecosystems and our bodies as well as for other animals and plants. They are also fundamental to the development of a sustainable bioeconomy. At the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) we contribute to better know and understand this invisible majority that inhabits our planet. The studies carried out have contributed, for example, to reveal the vast microbial biodiversity, as well as its biotechnological potential, to understand the role of microorganisms as disease-causing agents in agricultural and forestry plants, to understand the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance and its role in human health and developing innovative strategies for inactivating microorganisms. Join all those who celebrate the International Microorganism Day and get to know these little big creatures better (https://www.internationalmicroorganismday.org).   Authors: Artur Alves & Isabel Henriques    

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  • Piratas da Ria visited CESAM

    Published in 15/9/2021

    [Only available in Portuguese]

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  • Call for papers - RIESCOS Network

    Published in 15/9/2021

    The Ibero-American Thematic Network CYTED-RIESCOS, coordinated by Rosa Freitas, proposed a special issue to the journal Environmental Research entitled "Environmental occurrence of plastics and toxicity assessment in organisms”. Submissions are open from 15 September to 15 December 2021 More information here.

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  • Info session: Intellectual property rights on Marine and Environmental Sciences| 22 Sep | 10 AM |DAO

    Published in 14/9/2021

     [description only available in Portuguese] Mandatory registration here until September, 21st

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  • Mas afinal...? at Rádio Terra Nova with Miguel Azevedo

    Published in 13/6/2022

    15 June at 10:40 in Manhãs Novas, Rádio TerraNova. Join us at centova.radios.pt/proxy/404?mp=/stream  

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  • Ecology Day, September 14

    Published in 14/9/2021

    The Ria de Aveiro is one of the LTsER (Long-Term socio-Ecologic Research) platforms integrated in the national LTER network and in the Portuguese E-Infrastructure for Information and Research on Biodiversity, whose mission is to collect, process and gather high quality data to respond to current societal challenges. Insects deserve a special attention now for being excellent bioindicators of environmental conditions and for their potential application in biotechnology. Some of the most abundant groups found in halophyte vegetation in Ria de Aveiro are flies (Diptera) and planthoppers (Hemiptera).Within the SUSHI project, the biotechnological potential of two species of fly was studied:  a Machaerium maritimae[1], as an ingredient for aquaculture feed due to its abundance and composition of omega-3 fatty acids, and Fucellia maritima[2], registered for Portugal for the first time under this project. Other species were also registered for the first time in Portugal and the respective taxonomic notes are being prepared. Potential non-native invasive species were also identified, as well as halophyte plant pests, reinforcing the importance of these surveys. [1] Duarte, P. M., Maciel, E., Pinho, M., Domingues, M. R., Calado, R., Lillebø, A. I., & Ameixa, O.M.C.C. (2021). Omega-3 on the fly: long-legged fly Machaerium maritimae as a potential source of eicosapentaenoic acid for aquafeeds. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 1-12. [2] Lourenço, F., Prado e Castro, C. & Ameixa, O.M.C.C. (2020) First record of Fucellia maritima (Haliday, 1838) (Diptera, Anthomyiidae) populations in Portugal. Norwegian Journal of Entomology, 67:246-248. Author: Ana Lillebø

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  • Webtalks: Como a ecologia nos pode ajudar?

    Published in 13/9/2021

    To mark Ecology Day, SIBECOL - Sociedade Ibérica de Ecologia is organising a Webtalk on September 14, between 5 pm and 7 pm. This initiative aims to analyse and discuss the importance of preserving biodiversity and restoring ecosystems to promote the health and sustainability of the planet. This event has the presence of researcher Ana Sousa. Target audience: General audience (interested citizens, technicians, NGOs, researchers) Registration (Free): https://forms.gle/ZdFsE5BAxobMj1gH7 Poster

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  • Research: Roadkill may accelerate local extinction of mammalian populations

    Published in 13/9/2021

    More than 120 species of terrestrial mammals are particularly vulnerable to roadkill mortality and several populations could become extinct in 50 years if the observed roadkill rates persist, according to an assessment of roadkill impacts on terrestrial mammals worldwide conducted by a team of international researchers from different continents led by Clara Grilo, researcher at Center for Environmental and Marine studies (CESAM) of the University of Lisbon. These results were published in the prestigious scientific journal Global Ecology and Biogeography. We analyzed the impact that observed roadkill rates had on 71 populations of threatened mammal species and the non-threatened species with the highest observed roadkill rates worldwide. Our results show that populations of the maned wolf and the southern tiger cat in Brazil, the brown hyena in South Africa and the leopard in North India are at risk of local extinction in the near future if observed levels of roadkill persist. We then developed models using species characteristics that allowed us to assess vulnerability to roadkill mortality for 4677 mammal species worldwide and revealed 124 species as particularly vulnerable including the Iberian lynx, brown and black bear, tiger, jaguar, and lion-tailed macaque with known records of collisions with vehicles, said Clara Grilo.   There are ambitious plans to facilitate future global trade particularly in emerging market countries in Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe. These initiatives will facilitate regional and intercontinental trade flow through the construction of more than 25 million kilometers of new roads. This will expand the global road network by 60% compared to 2010 and is in conflict with the global objectives of environmental sustainability, as many of these new roads will cross environmentally sensitive areas where many threatened species occur. “We developed a tool to assess the risk of extinction associated with observed roadkill levels under current road densities, these can be updated as new roadkill estimates for different species in different regions of the world are obtained. Our study also offers a priority ranking of species vulnerability to roadkill, which can inform road infrastructure agencies, NGOs and public administration. These assessments can help identify, combined with species distribution data, current and future roads segments where roadkill monitoring programs are most needed to evaluate risk and trigger the most appropriate measures to avoid local extinctions” concluded Clara Grilo. Contact: Clara Grilo CESAM - Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, C2, 2.3.03 1749-016 Lisboa Portugal Email - clarabentesgrilo@gmail.com   Reference: Grilo C, Borda-de-Água L, Beja P, Goolsby E, Soanes K, le Roux A, Koroleva E, Ferreira FZ, Gagné SA, Wang Y, González-Suaréz M (2021). Conservation threats from roadkill in the global road network. Global Ecology and Biogeography. Brown Bear cub (Ursus arctos) crossing a road in Canada Credits: Jillian Cooper Sub-adult Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) captured by a camera-trap in Serra de Andujar (Spain). Credits: Joaquim Pedro Ferreira Maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) at  Serra da Canastra National Park, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Credits: Marcel Huijser

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  • Journal article: Alternative test methods for (nano)materials hazards assessment: challenges and recommendations for regulatory preparedness

    Published in 9/9/2021

    Mónica Amorim and Susana Gomes, researchers at the DBio/CESAM, UA, from the ecology and applied ecotoxicology research group – applEE, coordinated by Prof. Amadeu Soares, are co-authors of a review article published in the prestigious journal Nano Today (IF: 20.7): “Alternative test methods for (nano) material hazards assessment: challenges and recommendations for regulatory preparedness”. Read the full article here.

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  • Ciência com Impacto - Carob in the fight against tuberculosis

    Published in 9/9/2021

    Ana Grenha, researcher at CCMAR - Centre of Marine Sciences, tells us about the potential of carob in the fight against tuberculosis. Podcast Vídeo

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  • Rui Rocha research is highlighted in the print edition of the Greensavers magazine

    Published in 9/9/2021

    An article (“Aquacultura pode garantir alimentos a preço justo”) about Rui Rocha research was published in the print edition of the Greensavers magazine, number 4, quarterly from August to October. Learn more about the Greensavers here.

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  • Ocean Break | 8 Setember

    Published in 3/9/2021

    8 Setember 2021 | 03:00pm-04:00pm Zoom Circulação na Ria de Pontevedra Elisabet Cruz (PhD Student)   Abstract: Estuarine exchange flow plays an important role in the biogeochemical properties exchange between the coastal ocean and the estuaries. Circulation patterns inside the Rias Baixas (NW Iberian Peninsula) have been widely studied, while the Ría de Pontevedra has received less attention. A high-resolution ROMS-AGRIF system configuration with three online two-way nesting domains was used and validated to enhance the knowledge about the circulation patterns of this Ría. Two representative estuarine circulation patterns were studied: a coastal upwelling event and a downwelling event associated with a maximum river runoff of 84 m3/s. An analysis using Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOF) was applied to the horizontal subtidal velocity fields at the surface layer and at 20 m depth and to the subtidal normal velocity across vertical crosssections.   Upwelling events are characterized by a reinforcement of the positive estuarine circulation, in which the surface waters outflow and deep waters inflow at the main sill of the Ría, whilst full water column inflow (outflow) is observed at the northern (southern) openings. Conversely, downwelling events induce an opposite behavior, consisting of a negative estuarine circulation with the surface (deep) inflow (outflow) at the main sill of the Ría and outflow (inflow) at the northern (southern) openings. Evidences of a front splitting two vertical clockwise circulation cells were found. These cells are associated with the ocean water subduction that enters through the surface layer under downwelling favorable winds and this surface inflow opposes to the direction of the inner estuarine circulation. The EOF study confirms that shelf wind forcing has an important contribution to the variability of the velocity field, inducing positive or negative estuarine like circulation. The temporal principal components (PC) of EOF analysis present correlations of 0.92 between the meridional wind component and the first mode, and 0.77 between the zonal wind component and the second mode.   Third EOF mode represents the circulation during transitional winds when some vorticity structures are visible. The realistic high-resolution simulation of the physical conditions at the Ría de Pontevedra provides new insights into the ocean-estuarine water exchanges and allow the visualization of recirculation processes and characteristic structures that have consequences in the marine ecosystem and in their productivity.

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  • CESAM project aims to improve Portuguese inventory of atmospheric emissions

    Published in 2/9/2021

    The project "BigAir – Megadata to improve inventories of atmospheric emissions", coordinated by researchers Diogo Lopes and Myriam Lopes, is one of the most recent projects initiated at the Department of Environment and Planning (DAO) of the University of Aveiro (UA). This project seeks to improve the performance of air quality models in Portugal using megadata (available at no cost) to calculate Portuguese air emissions (historical and predicted) with high spatial resolution (at the exact location of emission sources) and temporal resolution (hourly values). Read more here.

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  • Webinar “Climate change and air pollution in the new IPCC report”

    Published in 6/9/2021

    CESAM's research group Atmospheric Processes & Modelling (APM) is organizing the webinar “Climate change and air pollution in the new IPCC report”, to mark the “International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies” – 7 September. The researcher Sophie Szopa, author and coordinator of one of the chapters of this same report will be the invited speaker. Registration is free, but registration is rmandatory. Registration here. It will undoubtedly be an opportunity for us to learn more about these new IPCC data and to ask the questions that concern us the most. It is a webinar open to the scientific community and the general public.

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  • Research

    Published in 31/8/2021

    A team led by Victor Bandeira (DBio/CESAM) will carry out a census to assess and manage the impacts of the occurrence of stray dogs and cats, within the scope of the protocol signed between the UA and the Instituto de Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas (ICNF)/Ministério do Meio Ambiente e Ação Climática. Read more here and on the ICNF Website.

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  • CESAM researchers participate in RTP news report

    Published in 7/6/2022

    What chemical compounds may have a piece of meat or a fish steak? Researchers from the University of Aveiro (UA) and CESAM participated in a report by RTP - Dose de Contágio -, which aims to understand, with the help of researchers, which chemical compounds are in the food we eat and if the dosages of certain substances, inserted in animal feed, can carry risks for the human health.The report, in portuguese, is available on RTP play. 

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  • Virtual International Conference on Food Contaminants: challenges on early-life exposure, 27 & 28 Sep | Online

    Published in 30/7/2021

    The National Institute of Health Doctor Ricardo Jorge, through the Department of Food and Nutrition, promotes on the 27th and 28th of September (in the afternoon), in virtual transmission mode, the 4th edition of the International Conference on Food Contaminants “Virtual International Conference on Food Contaminants: challenges on early-life exposure (ICFC 2021)”. The mail goal of this conference is to gather research scientists, health and food professionals, regulatory entities, industry representatives and students involved in the area of food safety and human health. This conference will focus on the risks associated with exposing vulnerable populations to food contaminants and on toxic effects of early-life exposure to contaminants. Abstract submission deadline is the 5th September and registration (free but mandatory) until the 24th September, at the conference website: https://icfcportugal.com/ Researchers Paula Alvito and Ricardo Assunção are part of the organizing Committee. Poster

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  • Ciência com impacto - The potential of halophyte plants

    Published in 29/7/2021

    This week Luísa Custódio, researcher at CCMAR - Centro de Ciências do Mar, talks about the properties of halophyte plants for human health and nutrition. A halophyte is a salt-tolerant plant. One of the best-known halophyte plants is salicornia. Nowadays, salicornia is cultivated and consumed raw or cooked, dehydrated or crushed. In addition to the pleasant sea flavour, salicornia has immuno-stimulating, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and anti-diabetic properties. Podcast Video

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  • Call for abstracts - AGU Fall Meeting 2021

    Published in 28/7/2021

    Consider submitting your abstract to the AGU Fall Meeting 2021 session co-convened by the CESAM member Bruna R.F. Oliveira,  A008 - Advances in wildland fire - atmosphere interactions The meeting will take place from 13-17 December. You can attend #AGU21 Fall Meeting online or in-person (full vaccination required) in New Orleans - US! More info here.  

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  • LIFE No_Waste Project Webinar

    Published in 23/7/2021

    download file

    The final webinar of the LIFE No_Waste project will take place on 27th July, from 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm.Registration is free but mandatory. Register here.

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  • Life Lines Documentary - Architecture for Wildlife | 24 july|12h |SIC

    Published in 23/7/2021

    On the 24th of July, Saturday at 12:00 on SIC. Did you know that every year thousands of animals die on roads and power lines, victims of collision and electrocution? On Saturday, we will get to know the LIFE LINES Project, which seeks to reduce the impact of these threats on biological diversity.

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  • Ciência com impacto – The chemistry of perfumes

    Published in 22/7/2021

    What happens when you mix certain fragrances with alcohol? How can we predict the smells that result from each mixture? This week Alírio Rodrigues, researcher at ALICE – Associate Laboratory for Innovation in Chemical Engineering, talks about the chemistry of perfumes. Podcast Video

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  • The People of the Ria: artisanal fisheries

    Published in 21/7/2021

    The first video of the series "The People of the Ria", developed under the PERICLES project, is already available! It looks at the coastal and maritime cultural heritage of the Aveiro region, addressing the artisanal fishing in the Ria de Aveiro, the eel canning industry and the “arte xávega” (a traditional beach-seine fishery). The People of the Ria: artisanal fisheries

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  • Susana Loureiro is one of the members of the Advisory Board of one H2020 project

    Published in 20/7/2021

    Susana Loureiro is one of the members of the Advisory Board of the H2020 project PAPILLONS- Plastic in Agricultural Production: Impacts, Lifecycles and LONg-term Sustainability (Grant agreement ID: 101000210) that started on the 1st June 2021 (ends 31 May 2025),  and that is coordinated by NORSK INSTITUTT FOR VANNFORSKNING. Link.

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  • Stress Biology Seminars

    Published in 20/7/2021

    If we have risks and benefits associated to foods, how can I do the best choice? – Ricardo Assunção July 21, at 4h30pm Watch here

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  • IBERSENSOR “Introdução aos sensores”

    Published in 20/7/2021

    The didactic lectures IBERSENSOR, with specialists from Ibero-American countries, aimed at the community interested in sensors. The event takes place from September 8th to 9th, via ZOOM. Registration is free and must be done by the 31st of August 2021 to mverissimo@ua.pt Poster

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  • 5 June - World Environment Day

    Published in 2/6/2022

    As part of the celebrations of the World Environment Day - June 5, the DAO, with the participation of CESAM researchers, organizes a session to promote the dissemination of sustainability projects of schools in the region. There are 15 schools that on the afternoon of June 6, from 14h00, at the Carlos Borrego Amphitheatre, will present their projects and ideas on sustainability. The best projects will be awarded.

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  • Commemorative Video - CESAM 20 years

    Published in 20/1/2022

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  • Ciência com Impacto - Valuing and caring for biodiversity

    Published in 16/7/2021

    Amilcar Teixeira, Researcher at the Mountain Research Center - CIMO, talks about about the importance of valuing natural resources and making them compatible with human activities. Podcast Vídeo

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  • Ocean Break | 23 July

    Published in 16/7/2021

    23rd July 2021 | 12:30 - 13:30 | Room 9.1.1 (DEMaC) Zoom Slab Photonic Crystals Grown by Diatoms Johannes Goessling (Researcher)  The usability of nanostructured materials from diatoms as natural photonic materials have been proposed for a variety of technologies, but ad-hoc utilization was yet limited by lack of detailed information on the photonic properties. Recent research confirmed that some diatom parts, the girdle bands, work as slab photonic crystals, with well-defined lattice structure opening bandgaps in the visible and near infra-red spectral range. The presentation will focus on the reproducibility of the structures and how spectral properties can be tuned by modification. The presence of such well-defined and highly preserved photonic material also raises questions related to the potential biological functioning.

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  • TODAY, JULY 16 | 1:25 PM | SIC NOTÍCIAS - LIFE VOLUNTEER ESCAPES

    Published in 16/7/2021

    LIFE VOLUNTEER ESCAPES | Voluntários pela Natureza – Premieres on July 16, 2021, on SIC Notícias, at 13:25. The Voluntários pela Natureza (Life volunteer escapes) ran for 12 episodes and will show the work for the conservation of Nature developed by nearly 200 European volunteers who were part of the LIFE VOLUNTEER ESCAPES project. In the first episode, we'll get to know the night life of Serra da Arada and what Nature does in Portugal. The producer PlaySolutions Audiovisuais, partner of CESAM in some television projects, produced this series for Television. Promo  

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  • Life Reforest project workshop

    Published in 13/7/2021

    On July 14, a workshop on erosion mitigation and restoration of burnt areas will take place in Sever do Vouga, organized by FORESTIS and the ESP team from the CESAM/University of Aveiro. This workshop is directed to technicians and researchers working on post-fire rehabilitation and aims to present the new technique that has been developed within the scope of the LIFE REFOREST project. Poster

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  • Luís Menezes Pinheiro re-elected president of IOC Portuguese Committee

    Published in 12/7/2021

    Portugal was re-elected to the Executive Board of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) on June 21st in Paris, and will be represented during the 2021-2023 biennium by the President of the Portuguese IOC Committee, Luís Menezes Pinheiro, who will start his third mandate in this body. Luís Menezes Pinheiro is a professor and researcher at the CESAM/UA, and was re-elected president of the Portuguese Committee for the IOC. Read more here.

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  • CESAM/UA-led study highlights effectiveness of plant mats against post-fire erosion

    Published in 12/7/2021

    An international review study published in June in the high-impact scientific journal 'Earth-Science Reviews', driven by researchers from the CESAM/UA, quantifies the effectiveness of various measures to combat post-fire soil erosion that have been scientifically evaluated around the world. The coordinator of the EPyRIS project at UA, Jan Keizer, highlights the pioneering nature of this comparative study.

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  • Lipids in the Ocean Conference

    Published in 12/7/2021

    The 2nd edition of the Lipids in the Ocean Conference was held virtually at University of Aveiro on 5th-7th of July 2021. The Conference has been organized by the Marine Biotechnology & Aquaculture (MBA research group, CESAM & DBio & DQ) & Mass Spectrometry Centre (LAQV-REQUIMTE & DQ) of the University of Aveiro, with the technical support of UNAVE and ClusterMedia Labs. This event has met more than one hundred and fifty of marine lipidomic researchers from world-renowned institutions in 16 countries. Lipid experts have discussed the current state of the art lipidomic approaches, framing breakthroughs and current constraints, as well as highlighted research Challenges & Top Priorities to better understand marine lipids diversity and dynamics. During the three days of the event, six thematic sessions, six plenary sessions, 36 oral communications, 20 poster communications and three workshops have been organized. The conference Lipids in the Ocean gathers a nice community of lipid geeks, which was orphan of a conference to exchange in the depth about marine lipid stuff.

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  • CESAM celebrates 20 years on July 15th

    Published in 14/7/2021

    Programme Live streaming on Youtube. The Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, celebrates 20 years of research activity, on the afternoon of July 15th, in an event that will take place in the Renato Araújo auditorium. After an internal preparatory period and the presentation of the creation proposal to the supervisor, the CESAM research unit, then exclusively composed of members of the University of Aveiro, was officially created on July 15th, 2001. In 2004 CESAM was granted the status of Associated Laboratory, a status which was renewed this year for another 10 years. In 2018, through the formalization of a partnership with the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (FCUL), CESAM is no longer exclusively composed of members from the University of Aveiro, creating a CESAM branch at FCUL. The Associate Laboratory integrates nearly 500 researchers, of which about 250 have Doctorates.  The team of CESAM researchers, from five UA departments (Environment and Spatial Planning, Biology, Physics, Geosciences, Chemistry) and the FCUL departments of Animal Biology and Plant Biology, has competencies in fundamental and applied research in the field of natural and social sciences, covering the areas of the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and anthroposphere, carrying out research "from the source to the deep sea". CESAM is currently participating in 132 national and 50 international projects, including the European ERA Chair and an ERC grant, in addition to numerous collaborations with public institutions and companies, namely NGOs, municipalities and companies. In 2020, CESAM members published more than 600 articles in scientific journals listed in the Web of Science database, including in the prestigious Science and Nature group journals. To celebrate the path of excellence and affirm the commitment to the development of transdisciplinary and international research, aligned with the sustainable development challenges of the United Nations Agenda 2030, CESAM invites the academic community to the celebration of this special day. The event encompasses three dialogues with invaluable presences for the pursuit of CESAM's strategic objectives. Due to the pandemic , the event will adopt a hybrid model, face-to-face and online. The face-to-face event will take place at the Renato Araújo Auditorium and prior registration is required. You can also watch the event on the CESAM channel on Youtube.  

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  • Ciência com Impacto - Cultura e ciência na marinha portuguesa

    Published in 9/7/2021

    Admiral Garcia Belo, from the Comissão Cultural de Marinha, talks about the role of the Portuguese Navy in promoting scientific and cultural knowledge. Podcast Vídeo

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  • BioPradaRia Project promotes awareness and training action at Gafanha da Encarnação

    Published in 20/5/2022

    The Invasive Species Week 2022: Portugal & Spain runs from May 21-29, and its organization coincides with the commemoration of World Biodiversity Day (May 22) and the 30th anniversary of Natura 2000 Day (May 21). Next Saturday (May 21st), an awareness and training action on "Marine Prairies of the Ria de Aveiro: Threats from the exotic marine worm and the ongoing Ecological Restoration" will take place, promoted by the BioPradaRia Project. The meeting point is at Cais da Bruxa, Gafanha Da Encarnação (40.614870, -8.738276), at 14:30. (Suggestion: bring galoshes)  

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  • Ocean Break

    Published in 5/7/2021

    7 July | 15.00 - 16.00 Zoom: https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/81146619944?pwd=QUJiVWszSUppc2xvcHR1eE5nQ21kZz09   Sandra Fernadez (Post-Doctoral Research Fellow)    

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  • Aves & Salinas. Guia de boas práticas

    Published in 2/7/2021

    Aves & Salinas - Guia de boas práticas, authored by SPEA – Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds and by Afonso Rocha, was recently launched. Salt pans are places of refuge, nesting and food for many birds. Beautifully illustrated, this guide introduces the most common birds we can find in the salt pans. Aves & Salinas. Guia de boas práticas

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  • Oceans are drowning in plastic

    Published in 1/7/2021

    Paula Sobra, researcher at MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, talks about the impact of microplastics on the aquatic and marine environment. Microplastics are a real threat to life on the planet, they poison the marine animals that feed on them and, consequently, the humans who consume fish and shellfish. Podcast Vídeo

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  • Ana Sousa participes in a study to measure decomposition and carbon sink in wetlands

    Published in 30/6/2021

    30 countries and 300 study sites distributed worldwide, among them the Ria de Aveiro coastal lagoon, are included in a study to understand the process of litter decomposition and carbon sequestration in wetlands and unravel crucial information for future climate change mitigation plans. The project involves tea bags. Rooibos tea and green tea.  Read more here.

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  • Research: Coastal waters of a marine protected area of the Bijagós Archipelago, West Africa, shelter juvenile fishes of economic and ecological importance

    Published in 30/6/2021

    This study showed that the coastal fish community of the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau is strongly dominated by species belonging to the Clupeidae, Haemulidae and Gerreidae families. In particular, Sardinella maderensis was by far the most numerous species with a relative abundance of over 70% throughout the seasons. This species is considered overfished in the region and classified as Vulnerable (by IUCN) due to recent declines in its populations. The fact that, in the Bijagós Archipelago, Sardinella maderensis is highly abundant and serves as the main link between plankton and marine predators (such as seabirds and predatory fish, as shown in other studies), makes it a key species for the ecosystem. The correct management and conservation of nursery areas for this species should therefore be a priority to ensure a healthy ecosystem. The Bijagós Archipelago, by holding large numbers of immature Sardinella maderensis, certainly contributes to the maintenance of its offshore stocks. Moreover, as the archipelago still suffers less fishing pressure than its neighbouring waters it represents a pivotal area for the conservation of Sardinella maderensis. This study was carried out by researchers of CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon), MARE- ISPA Instituto Universitário, and members of IBAP (Guinea-Bissau - https://ibapgbissau.org/) and CIPA (Guinea-Bissau - https://cipagbissau.org/), as part of the project  ‘‘La recherche participative au service de la conservation de la biodiversité du Parc National Marin de João Vieira-Poilão (Archipel des Bijagós)’’ supported by MAVA Foundation. The paper can be read here. 

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  • Infographic of a project led by Cristina Pita: The contribution of small-scale artisanal fisheries and aquaculture to food systems

    Published in 29/6/2021

    IIED has published the first infographic focused on increasing the visibility of small-scale artisanal fisheries and aquaculture and its people in anticipation of the UN International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022). This project is led by Cristina Pita. Learn more: The contribution of small-scale artisanal fisheries and aquaculture to food systems  Impact of COVID-19 on Portuguese fisheries  

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  • Challenger 150 – A Decade to study deep-sea life

    Published in 30/6/2021

    Ana Hilário participates in the Ridge Seminar Series: Challenger 150 – A Decade to study deep-sea life, today, June 29, at 4:00 pm. More information and registration here.

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  • PAMPitUP Project promotes ecological restoration action at Marinha de Santiago da Fonte

    Published in 19/5/2022

    The action "Salted" Invasive Control - ecological restoration in Marinha de Santiago da Fonte will take place on May 21, 2022, from 9.30 to 11.30. This activity takes place as part of the Week on Invasive Species, a control action, in the Marinha de Santiago da Fonte.Included in the sustainability plan of the PAMPitUp project, funded by the Environmental Fund, this action aims to inform and provide continuity to the action of control and ecological restoration of the area surrounding the Marinha de Santiago da Fonte.

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  • Myriam Lopes participates in Parcerias para uma Amazónia Sustentável

    Published in 19/5/2022

    On May 25th the event PARCERIAS PARA UMA AMAZÔNIA SUSTENTÁVEL” will take place at the University of Aveiro. This event has as reference the collaboration established between the Instituto Acariquara - UFAM and IDAD - University of Aveiro on the occasion of the innovative and unprecedented work of evaluation of the social and environmental impact of the Floresta + Amazonia Project, with funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and under the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme - UNDP and the Brazilian Ministry of Environment. It will be an opportunity to evaluate this experience of international cooperation and the results obtained. With this (re)meeting we intend to value the work done in the context of the SDG-17 (Partnerships for the Implementation of the Goals). Our goal is to review the experience of cooperation and others that have been happening with international cooperation, highlighting the importance of participation mechanisms for the local society and especially for traditional peoples and communities in the implementation of public policies, among other relevant topics. Myriam Lopes will participate with the lecture REDD+.

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  • Alien CSI Bioblitz Ria de Aveiro 20-22 May

    Published in 19/5/2022

    [Only available in Portuguese]

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  • Webinar: UN decade of ocean science for sustainable development

    Published in 19/5/2021

    Amadeu Soares and Luís Pinheiro will participate as speakers in this webinar that will take place on Friday, 21 May. Live on Facebook: I Like This

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  • CESAM team studies foraging distribution of Royal tern from one of the largest colonies of W Africa

    Published in 19/5/2021

    Members of the CESAM, University of Lisbon team (Edna Correia e Teresa Catry) were in Guinea-Bissau studying the foraging distribution of Royal Terns (Thalasseus maximus) using GPS devices to track incubation and chick-rearing trips of breeding birds. The results of this study will contribute to apply informed management actions for the conservation of this breeding colony, namely by identifying and proposing marine protected areas. This study is included in the project “Alcyon Programme: Conservation of coastal seabirds and their key sites along the West African coast”, coordinated by BirdLife International in collaboration with local governmental organization IBAP and non-governmental organization ODZH. Photo: Teresa Catry

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  • Festival Pint of Science, 17-19 May

    Published in 18/5/2021

    The Pint of Science Festival takes place from 17 to 19 May. CESAM researchers participate in this event. The program is available at pintofscience.pt To watch, visit the Nooks platform at https://t.ly/CNH7

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  • Dário Hipólito participates in the Ciência, onde andas tu?

    Published in 19/5/2022

    On May 19th at 7pm, Dário Hipólito, PhD student, participates in the programme Ciência, onde andas tu?, promoted by Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa.Dário will talk about his academic and professional career. To watch here.

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  • International Fascination of Plants Day, May 18

    Published in 18/5/2021

    [Only available in Portuguese]

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  • Amadeu Soares is the new Scientific Coordinator of CESAM

    Published in 17/5/2021

    Amadeu Soares, Full Professor (DBIO/UA) is the new Scientific Coordinator of CESAM. The team of Vice-Coordinators comprise the following integrated members: Myriam Nunes Lopes, Associate Professor (DAO, UA) Teresa Rocha Santos, Principal Researcher with “habilitation” (DQui, UA) David João da Silva Carvalho, Junior Researcher (DFis, UA) Ana Cristina Esteves, Assistant Researcher (DBio, UA) José Pedro Granadeiro, Assistant Professor with “habilitation” (DBA, FCUL)

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  • Webinar “Fármacos no Ambiente: fontes, efeitos e mitigação.”

    Published in 14/5/2021

    Webinar “Fármacos no Ambiente: fontes, efeitos e mitigação.” On May 17th, at 9:00 pm, researcher Bruno Nunes will participate in the Webinar “Fármacos no Ambiente: fontes, efeitos e mitigação.” More information and registration here.

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  • Birds of two worlds - World Migratory Bird Day, May 8th

    Published in 10/5/2021

    World Migratory Bird Day, May 8th To mark this day, CESAM researchers share their findings and highlight the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats. [Full text only available in Portuguese]

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  • Update! Conference "Lipids in the Ocean" in Aveiro, Portugal 05-07 Jul

    Published in 7/5/2021

    The Marine Biotechnology & Aquaculture (MBA) Research Group from CESAM and the Mass Spectrometry Centre from the University of Aveiro have the great pleasure to bring forward the 2nd edition of the Conference Lipids in the Ocean, that will be held at University of Aveiro from 05-07 of July 2021. The event is organized by Professor Rosário Domingues from CESAM.  NEW DEADLINES! Abstract Submission by  the 15th of May 2021.  Registration by the 15th of June 2021.   + info: http://lipids2021.web.ua.pt/

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  • ANNOUNCEMENT - CESAM Recruitment for an ERA Chair holder position

    Published in 5/5/2021

    CESAM is looking for an ERA Chair holder to establish and lead an international highly skilled research team in the area Environmental Economics and Natural Resources, in the scope of the H2020 ERA Chair project "BESIDE - Institutional, Behavioural, critical and adaptive economics towards Sustainable Development, management of natural capital and circular Economy”. BESIDE is a six-year project awarded with 2.5 M €, that aims to reinforce and consolidate research expertise in Environmental Economics and Natural Resources at the University of Aveiro Associated Laboratory CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (evaluated with the highest grade of Excellent since 2014). The mission of CESAM is to develop leading international research on environmental sciences and related risks, including extreme weather events and climate change, with emphasis on coastal systems and marine areas in socio-ecological perspective. The main objective of CESAM is to promote a more efficient use of terrestrial and aquatic (from catchment to the deep sea) environmental resources and a more competitive, resilient and sustainable economy, designed to endorse job creation and assure territorial and social cohesion. The Chair holder will be hired for a five years’ position, renewed annually, equivalent to Coordinator Researcher (the highest position for researchers in Portugal, equivalent to Full Professor) and will have autonomy to establish its own research team (1 Assistant researcher, 4 Junior researchers, 1 high level technician and 3 PhD students).   Application deadline: 1st June 2021 Expected starting date: 1st September 2021 Location: CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, PORTUGAL The official announcement is available here. Further information about BESIDE project available here. For further information about CESAM, please visit www.cesam.ua.pt.   For information about the content of the position, please contact the ERA Chair coordinator:Ana Isabel LillebøEmail: lillebo@ua.pt Tel: +351 234370779   Additional Information Appointment to the position will be in accordance with the salary agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Directorate General for Administration and Public Employment. It will include 14 salaries (12 months, holidays, and Christmas allowances), Social Security, Labour Accident Insurance, and the right of protection in health ensured by the National Health Service. Please check the following links for more information on salary and taxation: https://www.dgaep.gov.pt/en/index.cfm https://www.aniap.pt/DL/SR_AP_2020.pdf https://info.portaldasfinancas.gov.pt/pt/docs/Conteudos_1pagina/Pages/portuguese-tax-system.aspx   City of Aveiro Located in the Central Region of Portugal, Aveiro combines perfectly tradition, nature and modernity. The main influence on the city is the Aveiro coastal lagoon system, making it unique. It brings together industry, business, tourism, sports, architectural and natural heritage and a university that knows how to welcome anyone with open arms. Aveiro is a safe and quiet city, benefiting from all of the advantages of a major city, while also being a pleasant place in which to live and work. The Aveiro region is also a good starting point to visit and discover Portugal, as it is a short distance from the major Portuguese cities, in particular the capital Lisbon (about 220 km) and Porto (about 60 km away), where there are English, German, and French International schools. Its central position and the road and rail networks that go through it mean that travelling is easy to different parts of the country and even to Spain. The proximity of the Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport in Porto makes it easy to travel and discover other parts of Europe.

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  • Assessing the contribution of mangrove carbon and of other basal sources to intertidal flats adjacent to one of the largest West African mangrove forests

    Published in 3/5/2021

    A team of researchers from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon /CESAM, in partnership with researchers from the University of Groningen and the Instituto da Biodiversidade e Áreas Protegidas Dr. Alfredo Simão da Silva (IBAP), analyzed the importance of mangroves carbon to intertidal flats in the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau. Read the full article here   Assessing the contribution of mangrove carbon and of other basal sources to intertidal flats adjacent to one of the largest West African mangrove forests Authors: Mohamed Henriquesa,b,*, José Pedro Granadeiroa, Theunis Piersmab,c, Seco Leãod, Samuel Pontese, Teresa Catrya a Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciˆencias da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; bConservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands; cNIOZ - Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems, the Netherlands; dVillage of Menegue, Island of Canhabaque, Bijagos archipelago, Guinea-Bissau; eInstituto da Biodiversidade e Áreas Protegidas Dr. Alfredo Simão da Silva - IBAP, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105331 Available online 9 April 2021 Projects: Waders of the Bijagós: Securing the ecological integrity of the Bijagós archipelago as a key site for waders along the East Atlantic Flyway (Funded by MAVA Foundation) MigraWebs: Migrants as a seasonal ecological force shaping communities and ecosystem functions in temperate and tropical coastal wetlands (Funded by FCT)   For more information: Mohamed Henriques (mhenriquesbalde@gmail.com)      

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  • Course on waterbird identification and monitoring, in the heart of Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau

    Published in 30/4/2021

    [only available in Portuguese] Follow up the project updates here. Some pictures:  

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  • CESAM-UA provides vessel for research and classes

    Published in 28/4/2021

    The University of Aveiro (UA), through the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), an associated laboratory, owns a vessel for scientific purposes equipped with various oceanographic, geophysical and hydrographic equipment, making it possible to obtain multidisciplinary data as a tool for research and classes. Read more here

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  • CESAM researchers journal article considered the Best paper 2020 by the International Society for Environmental Information Sciences

    Published in 27/4/2021

    The article entitled "Tree-Based Methods: Concepts, Uses and Limitations under the Framework of Resource Selection Models", authored by João Carvalho, João Santos, Rita Torres, Frederico Santarém and Carlos Fonseca, and published in the Journal of Environmental Informatics, was recently considered the Best paper 2020 by the International Society for Environmental Information Sciences.  The Editorial Board carefully evaluated those papers according to their originality, contributions to the field, quality of presentation, and soundness of the science. Learn more about this award here and find the full article here.

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  • Lecture and photo exhibition on the International Day of Biological Diversity

    Published in 18/5/2022

    As part of the celebrations of the International Day for Biological Diversity, the Center for Environmental and Marine Studies is organizing a lecture and award ceremony for the winners of the photography contest on biodiversity, and a photography exhibition. This event will take place on May 22, at the Carlos Borrego Amphitheater, in the Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro. This year, to mark the International Day of Biological Diversity, the Ecology and Functional Biodiversity (EFB) thematic line, from CESAM, promoted a photography contest, addressed to the general public, which took place until May 11th. This contest aimed to produce photographs that portrayed the natural heritage, including terrestrial and marine ecosystems, habitats, species of wild fauna and flora, to raise awareness in the community for the preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity, as well as respect for all species. There were 80 photos in the contest, 13 for category A (12 and under) and 67 for category B (12 and under, and adults). The photographs cover the theme of biodiversity, with several species of fauna and flora.  The jury awarded three prizes in each of the two categories (over 12 years old and under 12 years old) and also distinguished several photographs with honorable mentions. The award ceremony will take place on May 22nd, at the Department of Environment and Planning, of the University of Aveiro. The exhibition of all the photographs in the contest will be open to the public on Sunday, May 22nd, at the Department of Environment and Planning, of the University of Aveiro. Programme

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  • Diana Madeira among the guests of the President of the Republic to celebrate the 47th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution

    Published in 26/4/2021

    Diana Madeira was invited by the President of the Portuguese Republic to celebrate the 47th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, which took place yesterday in the Gardens of the Palace of Belém. This moment consisted of a dialogue between the President, 4 Captains of April and 14 young people about democracy, the values of April, and the opportunities and challenges that young people are facing today in science and in Portugal. News available here.

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  • I Symposium One Health Lab - 25 and 26 May

    Published in 24/5/2021

    [Only available in Portuguese] Live transmission on You Tube: OEI Portugal 

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  • Amadeu Soares among the most influential climate scientists in the world

    Published in 22/4/2021

    Full Professor at the UA, researcher at the CESAM and the Department of Biology, biologist Amadeu Soares is one of the most prominent climate scientists in the world. Find more here. 

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  • Luis Menezes Pinheiro was nominated Focal Point for the National Committee for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030

    Published in 22/4/2021

    [only available in Portuguese]

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  • CESAM members developed a method that use Sentinel-2 satellite images to estimate topography, tidal-stage lags and exposure periods in intertidal areas

    Published in 16/4/2021

    Despite providing key ecosystem services, intertidal areas are declining worldwide. Their topography determines the inundation and exposure dynamics of the sediments according to the variation in the tides, a parameter that is vital for many living organisms. These digital elevation models (DEMs) are also key tools to monitor the fate of these important areas in face of sea-level rise. In this study members of CESAM develop an automatic algorithm to estimate the intertidal topography from Sentinel-2MultiSpectral Instrument scenes, correcting for the differences in the phase of tides that exist within the extent of the satellite scene. The work was carried out in the Bijagós Archipelago (Guinea-Bissau) a key wetland in the west African coast, classified as a Biosphere Reserve. The work can be read here, and the main results are publicly available here. 

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  • 9th Workshop in Lipidomics – 5th-26th May

    Published in 15/4/2021

    As in previous years, the Mass Spectrometry Centre at the University of Aveiro promotes the 9th Workshop in Lipidomics, which aims to provide new insight on Mass Spectrometry's potential in studying lipids in several areas. This year, for the first time, the workshop will be divided into three online events that will take place via Zoom on Wednesdays (15:30-18:30, Lisbon time) on the following dates: May 5th: Lipidomics in Health & Disease May 19th: Food Lipidomics May 26th: Algae Lipidomics Registration is free but limited to 300 participants in each of the three days. Registration here. The link to the event will be sent by e-mail to registered participants the day before.

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  • Luísa Magalhães (CESAM) and Sergio Fernández Boo (CIIMAR) are the guest editors of Pathogens special issue

    Published in 15/4/2021

    Luísa Magalhães (CESAM) and Sergio Fernández Boo (CIIMAR) are the guest editors of Pathogens special issue "Marine Invertebrates Host-Pathogen Interactions". Pathogens (IF: 3.018) is an international peer-reviewed open access journal published online by MDPI. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2021  More info.

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  • Research article: Reproductive ecology and growth of marine catfishes (Ariidae) supporting sustainable fisheries in Banc d’Arguin National Park, Mauritania

    Published in 14/4/2021

    Marine fish stocks are increasingly being exploited to unsustainable levels. Yet, knowledge of basic biological and ecological traits of species, required to sustain fisheries management at a local scale, remains scarce. The results of this study highlight the slow life-history strategy of the two studied catfish species (rough-head sea catfish Arius latiscutatus and Guinean sea catfish Carlarius parkii), thus emphasizing their vulnerability to fishing activities. Here it is suggested that a short-term fishing closure during the spawning period (May–June) in the Banc d’Arguin National Park, Mauritania may be an important management measure to ensure reproduction opportunities for both species and, therefore, guarantee fishing sustainability. This study was performed by Edna Correia, Camilo Carneiro and António Araújo and can be read here. Image: Camilo Carneiro

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  • Joaquim Pais-Barbosa (CESAM) and Carlos Daniel Borges Coelho (RISCO) are the guest editors of Water special issue

    Published in 14/4/2021

    Joaquim Pais-Barbosa (CESAM) and Carlos Daniel Borges Coelho (RISCO) are the guest editors of Water special issue "Research on Water Resources Planning and Management in Coastal Areas" Water (IF: 2.544) is an international peer-reviewed open access journal on water science and technology, including the ecology and management of water resources, published online by MDPI. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2021  More info.

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  • Coastal Wetlands Webinar

    Published in 12/4/2021

    Within the partnership with the Escola Azul program, on April 14, at 4:30 pm, Ana Sousa talks about the importance of the seagrass meadows and salt marshes of the Ria de Aveiro, as well as the restoration and conservation of seagrass meadows (Project BioPradaRia). This online event is aimed at high school students of the Agrupamento de Escolas da Gafanha da Encarnação.

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  • Fascination of Plants Day - Mas afinal...? at Rádio Terra Nova with Rosa Pinho

    Published in 16/5/2022

    18 May at 10:40 am at Manhãs Novas da Rádio TerraNova:  centova.radios.pt/proxy/404?mp=/stream

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  • HidroRia@UA App update is now available!

    Published in 12/4/2021

    HidroRia @ UA is an application that provides tide forecasts for the Ria de Aveiro, carried out by the Estuarine and Coastal Modeling Division at the University of Aveiro, applying the subroutines in Matlab code inserted in the T_Tide package to numerical forecasts made with state-of-the-art hydrodynamic models and updated field data. This application aims to facilitate the navigation of fishermen, sportsmen, tour operators or any ‘sailor’ of the lagoon, as well as the planning of scientific and professional activities. Using a smartphone, the HidroRia application allows an updated forecast of the tides for the desired periods and for the main recreational ports and fishing docks of the Ria de Aveiro. The new version with renewed graphics and technology turns possible to make tide predictions until the end of 2025, without the need for permanent internet connection. Download the HidroRia App here.

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  • CESAM/UA in international project to assess impacts of deep-sea mining

    Published in 9/4/2021

    The University of Aveiro (UA) is involved, through the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) and the Department of Biology, in an international study to monitor the operational tests of a machine to collect polymetallic nodules in deep sea, currently a prototype, in an area of the Pacific outside the exclusive economic zone of any country. The testing of the machine will be carried out by the Belgian company Global Sea Resources (DEME-GSR). Read more here.

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  • Advanced course How to work with ecotoxicology data – hands on course

    Published in 26/4/2021

    Advanced course How to work with ecotoxicology data – hands on course 19-23 July Online or Blended More information and registration here

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  • National Air Day

    Published in 9/4/2021

    The creation of this National Day, in 2019, confirms the importance of air quality for our health and environment. In fact, air pollution has become a growing concern in the past few years, with an increasing number of acute episodes in many cities worldwide, being classified by the WHO as the biggest environmental risk to health, carrying responsibility for about one in every nine deaths annually. The Atmospheric Processes & Modelling group of CESAM is dedicated to air pollution research, using monitoring and modelling tools to better and comprehensively investigate hotspots origins and best practices for air quality improvement. Some of the on-going projects are good examples of the diverse ways air quality need to be tackled, namely the impact of specific activity sectors like residential heating (SOPRO),  tourism (ARTUR) and shipping (EMERGE), and its impact on human health (INDEX-AIR), or even how green-infrastructures can improve it at urban spaces (UNALAB). To celebrate this day, a seminar will happen on April 12th (16h30) to discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic indirectly affected air quality, with relevant benefits, and what can we learn to continue this air quality improvement. It is an open-access webinar where your experience and questions could be an added-value for the discussion, just a click way: https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/84877005583. Alexandra Monteiro, DAO&CESAM

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  • Earthquake Early Warning System will be installed in the Algarve

    Published in 7/4/2021

    The University of Évora (UÉ) is expanding the national seismic monitoring network with the installation of 4 new stations, thus enabling the development of an Earthquake Early Warning System (EEWS), including those generated in the Atlantic region adjacent to the Portuguese territory. This work is funded by EMSO-PT and forms part of the objectives set out, which is to generate land-based seismic data to support the deep-sea data produced at the Cadiz Observatory. Find more here. CESAM is part of the EMSO-PT consortium. Learn more here.

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  • World Health Day

    Published in 7/4/2021

    [only available in Portuguese]

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  • Cristina Pita interviewed by TSF “Encontros com o Património” program

    Published in 6/4/2021

    Last March 28th, the program "Encontros com o Património" (Meetings with Heritage) focused on the research projects that the University of Aveiro has been developing in the area of heritage conservation, with goals of sustainable development, responsible tourism and preservation of tangible and intangible heritage. Cristina Pita, coordinator of the PERICLES project (PrEseRvIng and sustainably governing Cultural heritage and Landscapes in European coastal and maritime regionS) at the Center for Environment and Sea Studies (CESAM) and Department of Environment and Planning of the University of Aveiro, was one of the guests. The program "Encontros com o Património" is a weekly broadcast of TSF, carried out in partnership with the Directorate General of Cultural Heritage. The interview can be heard (in Portuguese) on the program's page, available at Encontros com o Património (tsf.pt).

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  • Henrique Queiroga takes office as Chairman of the Board of the General Meeting of the Order of Biologists

    Published in 5/4/2021

    Henrique Queiroga, biologist, Associate Professor of the Department of Biology, University of Aveiro and CESAM researcher, took office as Chairman of the Board of the General Meeting of the Order of Biologists. The ceremony of the new National Bodies of the Order of Biologists took place online, on 31st March. Learn more here.

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  • Camilo Carneiro article inspired the cover of Ecography

    Published in 1/4/2021

    Camilo Carneiro paper on range wide energetic tradeoffs to breeding performance in Icelandic whimbrels graces the cover of Ecography in April. Find more about the journal article here. Learn more about this study here. Check out the cover here

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  • Pilot installation to test a new aquaculture system in ECOMARE

    Published in 1/4/2021

    In an area that is close to that of an Olympic swimming pool, the University of Aveiro (UA), through ECOMARE, set up a pilot installation composed of eight production lines, to study and demonstrate the operation of a new aquaculture system. Called integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, it will operate in a closed circuit, with water recirculation and meeting sustainability, circularity and biosecurity objectives. The AquaMMin project is coordinated by Ricardo Calado. Learn more here.

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  • Advanced course Global Change in Transitional Environments

    Published in 16/5/2022

    Mandatory registration: 5 July More info here.

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  • Let's talk about insects! - Webinar on entomology 2021

    Published in 5/5/2021

    Webinar series on entomology will be held from April 12 to June 21.  (the programme is only available in Portuguese)

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  • COVID CESAM COLLOQUIUM, June 16th, 16h00 Lisbon | 12h00 Rio de Janeiro

    Published in 12/4/2021

    On June 16th, at 4 p.m. (Lisbon time, 12 p.m. in Rio de Janeiro), an online colloquium will be held on the impacts of COVID-19, organized by CESAM. Since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a constant in people´s lives worldwide. This disease has affected, and still affects, humanity, having been responsible for millions of infections and deaths all over the world. Since its outbreak and the identification of SARS-CoV-2, several scientists, from different fields of knowledge, have made efforts not only to contain and mitigate the virus but also to understand its impact in the various areas of human activity. SARS-CoV-2 is not only a virus that causes great damage to health and can lead to death, but also responsible for a radical change in the way we live, we relate to others and the world. From the lessons that the pandemic brought us, 10 CESAM researchers, in a 5-minute pitch, will bring to light the work they have carried out in the frame of the detection of SARS-CoV-2, of the impact of COVID-19 on health, on air quality and climate change, soils, small-scale fisheries, aquaculture, challenges and research on sustainability and also energy consumption. The COVID CESAM COLLOQUIUM aims to create a space for sharing, reflection and discussion on the impacts of COVID-19 and invites you to be part of the debate and the solution so that together we can create a better future: “Build Back Better”. Registration is free but mandatory, open until June 15th here. Communications will be in Portuguese. Titles and abstracts can be consulted in English here.

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  • Scientists united for respect toward environmental values

    Published in 31/3/2021

    Forty-three scientists, from different specialties and academic institutions, signed an open letter to the Prime Minister, led by José Alves, researcher at the Department of Biology and at the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) of the University of Aveiro (UA), and also signed by teachers and researchers of the Academy of Aveiro, requesting a broad-based Strategic Environmental Assessment, with a view to the new airport infrastructure. Learn more here.

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  • Diana Campos is one of the guest editors of Toxics special issue

    Published in 26/3/2021

    Diana Campos is one of the guest editors of Toxics special issue: " Microplastics in Aquatic Environments: Occurrence, Distribution and Effects". Toxics (IF: 3.271) is an international peer-reviewed open access journal on all aspects of the toxicity of chemicals and materials, published quarterly online by MDPI. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2021.  Read more

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  • Adelaide Almeida is the guest editor of Antibiotics special issue

    Published in 26/3/2021

    Adelaide Almeida is the guest editor of Antibiotics special issue: "10th Anniversary of Antibiotics—Recent Advances in Bacteriophage Therapy". Antibiotics (IF: 3.893) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal on all aspects of antibiotics published monthly online by MDPI. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2021.  Read more

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  • Joana Lourenço is one of the guest editors of Processes special issue

    Published in 25/3/2021

    Joana Lourenço is one of the guest editors of Processes special issue: "Soil and Sustainable Development: Challenges and Solutions" Processes (IF: 2.753) is an international, peer-reviewed and open access journal on processes in chemistry, biology, materials, energy, environment, food, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and allied engineering fields published online by MDPI. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2021.  Read more

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  • Joana Ferreira, Sandra Rafael, Susana Cardoso Pereira and David Carvalho are the guest editors of Sustainability special issue

    Published in 24/3/2021

    Joana Ferreira, Sandra Rafael, Susana Cardoso Pereira and David Carvalho are the guest editors of Sustainability special issue: " Win-Win Strategies for Climate Resilience and Air Pollution Control". Sustainability (IF: 2.576) is an international, cross-disciplinary, peer-reviewed and open access journal providing an advanced forum for studies related to sustainability and sustainable development, published semimonthly online by MDPI. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2022.  Read more

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  • Mónica Amorim is one of the coauthors of the article cited by the European Commission

    Published in 24/3/2021

    Researcher of DBio&CESAM, University of Aveiro, Mónica Amorim, is one of the authors of the article cited by the European Commission, Science for Environment Policy, in the News Alerts section: “Nanopesticides may have the potential to increase food production -  but are they environmentally safe?” Advances in nanotechnology have resulted in increasing research into nanopesticides ­ — particles able to deliver novel formulations with greater efficacy. Researchers identified benefits but emphasized the need to perform a proper risk assessment of these new materials. “It is not just the ingredients of a nanopesticide that require attention, but also the fate and toxic environmental effects of these ingredients when combined in a nanoscale formulation”. Among several gaps, Mónica Amorim highlighted the need to adapt evaluation protocols for nanopesticides, evaluation of long-term effects (longer exposures), and of mechanisms of toxicity to aid predicting effects. For more information see the European Commission News Alert here. And the research article: Grillo, R., Fraceto, L.F., Amorim, M.J.B., Scott-Fordsmand, J.J., Schoonjans, R. and Chaudhry, Q. (2021) Ecotoxicological and regulatory aspects of environmental sustainability of nanopesticides. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 404: 124148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124148

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  • The LTER Portugal and LTsER Ria de Aveiro have new logos!

    Published in 23/3/2021

    The main objectives of Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) are to develop comprehensive, global and long-time-scale research considering environmental, societal and economic drivers, to support decision-making based on scientific knowledge about ecosystem services and biodiversity. The strong interdependencies observed between natural and societal aspects in some socio-ecological systems render these sites particularly interesting to study from a Long Term Socio-economic and Ecosystem Research (LTsER) perspective. The LTsER Ria de Aveiro is one of the mentioned socio-ecological systems which involves the scientific community, the population of the region, stakeholders, policy makers and all beneficiaries of the natural capital produced in this Natura 2000 site. The new logo of the LTsER Ria de Aveiro represents organic forms which refer to the estuary with the water/sea elements and the agricultural activities and lagoon. The new LTER Portugal logo represents the main four elements of LTER: (1) society, (2) fauna, (3) flora, and (4) air, water and soil. It is a graphical representation of the 4 LTER sites in Portugal: LTsER Montado, LTER Sabor, LTsER Estuários and LTsER Ria de Aveiro. The logo includes the ecosystems of these 4 LTER sites: rivers, estuaries, forest, plants and animals in a balance among all without highlighting none in particular. Learn more about LTER Portugal and LTsER Ria de Aveiro.

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  • World Meteorological Day

    Published in 23/3/2021

    Meteorology is a familiar part of our daily lives, but we usually think of it only in terms of weather forecasts we see every day. However, meteorology is much more than that since it encompasses all physical processes that take part in Earth’s atmosphere. These include our climate, which has putted meteorology under the spotlight in recent decades due to the climate changes that lie ahead of us. Meteorology is, now more than ever, a fundamental science in today’s world to predict, understand and adapt to climate change. CESAM and UA Physics Department have an active research and teaching program focused on meteorology and climatology. Clim@UA, the Meteorology and Climatology group of UA, makes daily weather forecasts since 2007 (https://climetua.fis.ua.pt). One of Clim@UA latest studies showed that Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula are critical areas in terms of vulnerability to climate changes, where temperatures are projected to significantly increase everywhere and in all seasons, in average between 2-4ºC. Towards the end of the century, in summer periods and at the south-central Spanish regions, the warming can reach 6-7ºC. Days with minimum temperatures below zero are also projected to significantly reduce, particularly in mountainous areas meaning much less show activity in these areas. Besides a clear tendency in significant increases of the surface temperatures, this study also showed large increases in the frequency of high temperature episodes (such as heat waves) in the Iberian Peninsula, which can have severe impacts on the population, environment and economy. Author: David Carvalho, CESAM & Physics Department

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  • Inês Domingues and Isabel Lopes are the guest editors for JoVE

    Published in 16/5/2022

    Inês Domingues and Isabel Lopes are the guest editors for JoVE Methods Collection titled “Current Methods to Assess Behavioral Changes Induced by Environmental Perturbations". Deadline for abstract submissions: 3 July  More info.

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  • World Water Day: Transparent, but with so much to discover…

    Published in 22/3/2021

    Water takes on different meanings and perceptions for different people and organizations. For CESAM it means a global scale challenge and a mission, translated into the development of a transdisciplinary investigation, catalysing social, educational and environmental advances. In perfect alignment with the theme “Valuing water”, some research projects can be referenced as paradigmatic of the diversity of CESAM interventions. The use of water in food production brings a world of opportunities, but also of concerns, with emphasis on the need to reduce the respective water footprint. In this framework, and in line with the principles of circular economy, the European project AQUACOMBINE was implemented aiming the development of integrated aquaponics systems for the co-production of halophyte vegetables, fish, crustaceans, bioactive compounds and bioenergy. To ensure the availability and sustainable management of water, it is essential to monitor the pressures that are exerted on aquatic systems. Identifying agriculture as one of the main sources of diffuse aquatic pollution, the European SPRINT project, through a global health approach, will help to implement innovative transition paths leading to more sustainable agriculture and therefore less impact on aquatic resources. Furthermore, recognizing that wildfires are also a source of diffuse pollution of high expression in our territory, the AQUAFIRE project intends to generate new knowledge on the impacts of post-fire contaminants on aquatic systems and human health. Water resources sustainability also involves the development of alternative and low-cost technologies that are efficient in removing anthropogenic contaminants. Within the REM-AQUA project treatments based on the photodegradation of pharmaceuticals under solar radiation are studied, while in the WasteMAC project magnetic materials are produced from industrial waste, which are capable of capturing them from water. Both projects are solutions for a sustainable future of water resources. On 22 March, 2021, World Water Day will be celebrated. Even though it is transparent, water still has so much to discover and, understanding it not as a commercial product, but as a natural resource that urgently needs to be protected and valued, contributing to its rational and sustainable use is an unavoidable ecocentrism. Authors: Diana Lima, Mário Pacheco e Nelson Abrantes

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  • Luciana S. Rocha (CESAM) and Cláudia B. Lopes (CICECO) are the guest editors of Toxics special issue

    Published in 17/3/2021

    Luciana S. Rocha (CESAM) and Cláudia B. Lopes (CICECO) are the guest editors of Toxics special issue " New Advances in Wastewater Treatment Technologies". Toxics (IF: 3.271) is an international peer-reviewed open access journal on all aspects of the toxicity of chemicals and materials, published quarterly online by MDPI. Deadline submission: 20 November More info.

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  • Interview with Catarina Marques

    Published in 17/3/2021

    Learn more about the coordinator of the SENSECOR project. This project aims to develop an early screening tool for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Full interview here.

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  • EU PERICLES Project: Are you familiar with the maritime and coastal heritage of the Aveiro region?

    Published in 16/3/2021

    The EU PERICLES project developed an animation that looks into the coastal and maritime cultural heritage of the Aveiro region through a journey to the traditions and traditional activities that have shaped, and still do, the identity of the region. This animation also invites you to share your memories and cultural heritage on the PERICLES geoportal: https://mapyourheritage.eu/. Register and upload your memories, stories, pictures, sound and videos. Find the instructions here.

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  • Two seminars, within the course of Development of Functional Products, organized by FCUL/CESAM, will take place on March 18 and 23

    Published in 15/3/2021

    The Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa/CESAM has been organizing two seminars within the course of Development of Functional Products. These seminars will take place online on March 18 and 23. March, 18 2021, Thurday, 11h30 – 13h00 Natural substances as potential feed additives - Ana Cristina Gonçalves Monteiro, FeedInov CoLab Online at: https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/86909536772   March, 23 2021, Tuesday, 12h00 – 14h00 Beyond cannabinoids: exploration of applications for cannabis - André Filipe Lagoa Costa, Mandara Labs Online at: https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/81152431009 Contact: acsf@fc.ul.pt

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  • Rosa Freitas is the guest editor of Nanomaterials special issue

    Published in 12/3/2021

    Rosa Freitas is the guest editor of Nanomaterials special issue “Nanomaterials Towards Environmental Protection: Applications and Threats to Aquatic Systems” Nanomaterials (IF 4.324) is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal published monthly online by MDPI. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 November  More info.

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  • Ulisses Azeiteiro is one of the editors of Frontiers research topic: Climate Risks, Resilience and Adaptation in Coastal Systems

    Published in 12/3/2021

    Frontiers is a leading Open Access Publisher and Open Science Platform. Submission deadline Abstract: 24 April Manuscript: 22 August More info.

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  • Study shows that seabirds spend 40% of their time on the high seas

    Published in 11/3/2021

    Albatrosses and other species of oceanic seabirds (such as shearwaters and sparrows) spend almost 40% of their time in waters outside the jurisdiction of countries, also known as "international waters". This finding is presented and discussed in the work “Global political responsibility for the conservation of albatrosses and large petrels”, recently published in the journal Science Advances. The study is an outcome from contributions of a vast consortium, which includes a CESAM member, based in Lisbon University. The study represent an enormous effort to analyze the movements of seabirds, by including 10,108 routes of 5,775 individuals, belonging to 39 species of seabirds, obtained in 87 breeding colonies (using miniaturized tracking devices placed on animals). Many of these bird species suffer various threats on the high seas, and more than half of the albatrosses and similarly sized ocean birds are currently at risk of extinction, according to the criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Major threats include accidental catches in fishing gear, food shortages due to overfishing, climate change and pollution. In areas outside national jurisdictions the regulations regarding the conservation of species are more diffuse and the monitoring of the implementation of good practices is incipient and ineffective. Although fishing activities are regulated, there is no global legal framework that adequately frames biodiversity conservation in the high seas. By demonstrating that most species of oceanic birds regularly cross waters under different jurisdictions, the study highlights the idea that no nation alone can guarantee the conservation of these birds throughout the annual cycle. In addition, all the species analyzed depend to some extent on the high seas, i.e., on international waters covering half the surface of the global ocean and one third of the terrestrial globe. Cory’s Shearwaters (Calonectris borealis) which breed in large numbers in the Azores, Madeira and also in Berlengas, for example, spend 48% of their time in international waters, and 12% of their time in waters of countries like Brazil, the Uruguay, Namibia and South Africa, where they feed on fish and cephalopods, and are vulnerable to accidental catch on hooks. For effective conservation of these highly mobile species, extensive international cooperation is needed to mitigate the risk of mortality in fisheries. This study is published when the United Nations is discussing a global treaty that guarantees the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in international waters. What has been documented for seabirds in this study certainly applies to many other iconic oceanic migrants, such as sea turtles, whales, dolphins and large predatory fish such as tuna and sharks. The survival of these charismatic animals is dependent on international cooperation, specifically targetting the conservation of global oceans. Paper: Beal M, Dias MP, Phillips RA, Oppel S, Hazin C (…) Granadeiro JP, Catry P (2021) Global political responsibility for the conservation of albatrosses and large petrels. Sci Adv. Mar 3;7(10):eabd7225. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abd7225. *** Photo: Shearwaters  Author:Benjamin Metzger License info:Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

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  • Perspectives on micro (Nano) plastics in the marine environment: Biological and societal considerations – Water Editor's Choice Article

    Published in 11/3/2021

    The review article entitled “Perspectives on micro (Nano) plastics in the marine environment: Biological and societal considerations” was selected as “Editor's Choice Article” in the Water Journal. This article is co-authored by researchers from the CESAM/UA, the Department of Psychology and Education at Universidade Portucalense and the Center for Functional Ecology at the University of Coimbra, and it aimed to addresses the issue of marine waste from a biological and social perspective. Full article here.

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  • PhD student distinguished with iSLS9 2021 Prize for Best Poster at international congress

    Published in 10/3/2021

    Helena Beatriz Ferreira was awarded the prize for best poster at the 9th International Lipid Symposium in Singapore (iSLS9) organized by the National University of Singapore, which took place from the 1st to the 4th of March 2021. [Only availabe in Portuguese]

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  • CESAM is present in the Science Meeting 2022

    Published in 16/5/2022

    CESAM is participating in the 2022 edition of the Science Meeting, taking place between May 16 and 18, at the Lisbon Congress Center, with several communications, demonstrations and posters. On the 16th, António J A Nogueira will present a communication based on the FISHAQU project - Knowledge Exchange in sustainable Fisheries management and Aquaculture in the Mediterranean region, of which he is coordinator. The communication, entitled Exchange of knowledge on sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture in the Mediterranean region/FishAqu, will be presented in the thematic session Quality Education II (Room 5A - 14h00-15h30). On the 17th, Susana I. L. Gomes will participate in the session Sustainable Consumption and Production III with a presentation entitled Mechanisms of toxicity of nanopesticides - towards safe and sustainable design options for the environment (Room 5B - 15h30-17h00) Sónia Cruz is one of the invited key note speakers at Plenary 5: "Ocean - Restoring oceans and seas", which takes place on May 18 (09h30-11h00). There will also be three posters presented by PhD students: Diego Esteves Pereira, Yago Cipoli and Sandra Hilário, and two demonstrations by researchers Alexandra Monteiro and Sizenando Abreu. The demonstrations and posters can be visited throughout the three days, in the exhibition area of the event, between 9:30am and 6:30pm. The program is available for consultation on the meeting's webpage. Ciência 2022 is promoted by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia in collaboration with Ciência Viva and the Comissão Parlamentar de Educação e Ciência, and also has the institutional support of the Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior.

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  • Six researchers from the University of Aveiro, three from CESAM, among the 101 from the book Women in Science

    Published in 8/3/2021

    The book “Women in Science” brings together 101 scientists from different generations and fields of knowledge. It will be released today, on the 8th, on International Women's Day, at 11 am, by Ciência Viva, with live transmission. Diana Madeira, Alexandra Monteiro and Sónia Cruz are the 3 CESAM researchers distinguished in this book.  More information here.

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  • CESAM received top score by FCT

    Published in 5/3/2021

    The evaluation process of the Research Units by FCT, carried out in 2017/2018 and known in December 2020, highlighted the quality of the Scientific Research of the University of Aveiro. CESAM was considered Excellent! Find more here.

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  • On World Wildlife Day, CESAM researchers highlight the project to revise the Red List of Mammals of mainland Portugal

    Published in 3/3/2021

    [only available in Portuguese]

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  • Webinar Fish Night 7: Gender equality in the seafood value chain marks the International Women´s Day

    Published in 2/3/2021

    On 8 March, will be held an IIED (International Institute for Environment and Development) online event: Fish Night 7: Gender equality in the seafood value chain. This event is about the importance of women in the seafood industry, the impacts of challenges such as COVID-19 and climate change on women, and how gender equality can be championed in the sustainable blue recovery. This online event has been organised by an IIED led project. This initiative aims to focus global attention on the importance and the role played by small-scale fishers, fish farmers, and fish workers. The researcher Cristina Pita is the debate moderator. Learn more and register for the webinar here.

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  • 2021 Call for PhD Research Studentships

    Published in 1/3/2021

    Applications will be open from 1 to 31 Mar, 2021  More information.

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  • António Nogueira is co-author of an article on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Aquaculture

    Published in 1/3/2021

    The restrictive measures imposed worldwide to contain the spread of COVID-19 have directly impacted a wide range of economic activities. In May 2020, the pandemic by COVID-19 was indeed a global phenomenon, and a consortium of researchers representing 54 countries from four continents (America, Europe, Asia and Africa), decided to assess the impacts of the pandemic on Aquaculture. This consortium included the participation of Prof. António Nogueira of the Department of Biology and CESAM of the University of Aveiro. The consortium was led by Professor Gianluca Sarà of the University of Palermo (Italy), partner of the project "FISHAQU - Knowledge Exchange in sustainable Fisheries management and Aquaculture in the Mediterranean region" coordinated by Professor António Nogueira of the University of Aveiro and financed by the Erasmus+ programme. The global analysis of the information collected gave rise to a scientific article entitled "The Synergistic Impacts of Anthropogenic Stressors and COVID-19 on Aquaculture: A Current Global Perspective" published this Friday in open access in the prestigious journal "Reviews In Fisheries Science & Aquaculture" with DOI: 10.1080/23308249.2021.1876633. The main conclusions of this study indicate that "both anthropogenic stressors and the COVID-19 pandemic represent significant economic challenges to aquaculture systems across the globe, threatening the supply chain of one of the most important sources of animal protein, with potential disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities." In addition it is important that " detrimental effects of COVID-19 under a multiple stressor lens, focusing on areas that have already locally experienced economic loss due to anthropogenic stressors in the last decade."

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  • CESAM was awarded the title of Laboratório Associado for a period of 10 years

    Published in 26/2/2021

    The results of the application for the attribution of the Associate Laboratory Statute were disclosed yesterday by FCT. CESAM is among the 40 institutions or consortia of institutions awarded the AL Statute, having scored 85 out of a maximum of 100. The results of the evaluation can be consulted here.

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  • Final Conference of the Project COCKLES will be held on March

    Published in 23/2/2021

    To raise scientific, political and societal attention to cockles, a final COCKLES conference has been organised. Apart from the more conventional scientific communications, it will also include exhibitions more devoted to the general public, stakeholders and students. It will represent a great opportunity to promote the main results obtained in the project. CESAM is one of the partners. Agenda already available here Please register for the event here

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  • CESAM/UA is copromoter of the F4F Forest for Future

    Published in 23/2/2021

    F4F Forest for Future is a regional project aimed at enhancing the forest sector in the Centro region. UA is represented by the CESAM researchers Glória Pinto, Artur Alves and Susana Loureiro. For more information go here. 

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  • Ana Sousa is one of the 50 invited specialists of the “50 for 2050” project

    Published in 19/2/2021

    Ana Sousa participated in the “50 to 2050” debate on climate change and targets to achieve carbon neutrality. The researcher talked about her work on blue carbon, the carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems, highlighting the role of seagrass meadows and salt marshes. The "50 to 2050" project, promoted by Expresso in partnership with BP Portugal, focuses on the environment, climate change, and goals for carbon neutrality. For more information on “50 for 2050” project and this debate go to: UA Expresso Debate

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  • May, 14, World Migratory Bird Day: Learning to migrate

    Published in 13/5/2022

    [Only available in Portuguese] Watch the vídeo

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  • Magda Catarina Sousa is the guest editor of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering special issue

    Published in 16/2/2021

    Magda Catarina Sousa is the guest editor of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering special issue: “Aquaculture: Ensure Sustainable Use and Foster Innovation for Future Climate Challenges” Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (IF: 2.033) is an international peer-reviewed open access journal of marine science and engineering published monthly online by MDPI.    Deadline submission: 10 May. More info 

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  • Ana Sofia Gomes and Bruno Nunes study shows the toxic effects of fishing gear

    Published in 15/2/2021

    The toxic effects of lead used in fishing, whether in the form of sport fishing lure weights or in industrial fishing activity, were demonstrated in Ana Sofia Gomes master's thesis defended at the University of Aveiro (UA). Bruno Nunes, the academic supervisor, hopes that this first scientific approach to the subject can open the debate and raise awareness in the community and the sector. Find more.

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  • Call for PhD Research Grant

    Published in 1/3/2021

    The scholarship will be financed by the “Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia” (FCT) under the Collaboration Protocol for Financing the Multiannual Plan for Research scholarships for PhD Students, signed between FCT and the R&D Unit "Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar” (CESAM) Ph.D Programmes: Biology and Ecology of Global Change Biology Environmental Sciences and Engineering Marine Science, Technology and Management - Do*Mar Applications deadline: 31st March 2021 Applicants can apply for several doctoral programmes, however only one proposal per applicant and doctoral programme is allowed.

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  • 3 women, 3 researchers: CESAM marks International Day of Women and Girls in Science

    Published in 11/2/2021

    CESAM – Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar – supports an active multidisciplinary research program, hosting around 240 researchers and 200 PhD students. The gender ratio shows a higher female % in different categories, e.g. 70% female/30% male researchers. Science is one of the best vehicles to convene gender equality. Striving in science and building a scientific career often require large effort and commitment, for both men and woman. Seemingly, many women are loaded with stereotype layers, being often primarily seen as house and family carriers, or even as less capable to pursue highly qualified careers. This inequality based on preconceived labels is very difficult to overcome and there is a lot of work to be done ahead. From hard-work comes return, from challenges and planned hard-work comes achievement and progress. Women don’t expect it easy, and they certainly take the initiative. CESAM hosts many female researchers who are examples of success and dedication. To name some recognitions, female members were awarded the Medal of Honour for Women in Science (Vânia Calisto (2015) and Diana Madeira (2019)), “Women in Science” book (Mónica Amorim (2019)), and prestigious international grants (ERC, Sónia Cruz). They hold important discoveries, recognized at all career stages, from senior to younger. They can set the example, but it is the whole community that will set the legate. Many of the barriers also reside in each of us, women. In our brains. In our home. We hold the responsibility to act and create an equal society inside out. There are certainly places in the world where there are strict outside barriers, laws, that prevent women from pursuing education or engage onto many other stolen human rights – this level of gender inequality has devastating consequences. Our reality, e.g. in Europe, is certainly different from that, but hurdles still exist. Women must feel equal, to be equal, to act equal. Women must start by showing equality with their family. Then the world will realise. As Nelson Mandela once said, “There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”. Diana Madeira, Mónica Amorim, Vânia Calisto (Researchers, Women).

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  • Ana Sousa participated in the Meeting Marine Forests, “on the way” to carbon neutrality

    Published in 11/2/2021

    The Meeting Marine Forests, “on the way” to carbon neutrality was held on January 29th, and it was promoted by the Ocean Alive, a Portuguese NGO dedicated to ocean protection. This meeting consisted on a technical discussion on the challenges and possibilities for the inclusion of the contribution of marine ecosystems (specially seagrass meadows and salt marshes) in the national inventory and balance of green house gases (GHG) emissions, in the framework of the Roadmap for Carbon Neutrality 2050. The meeting promoted by Ocean Alive and hosted by Oceano Azul Foundation, was attended by members of the APA - Portuguese Environment Agency, ICNF - Portuguese Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, Ministry of the Sea,  and researchers from several national marine research centers, among them the CESAM researcher Ana Sousa. According to Ana Sousa, “as scientists, it’s crucial that our research respond to scientific questions, but it’s also relevant these results can contribute to the implementation of national and international environmental policies”, demonstrating the willingness to collaborate of the researchers attending the meeting. For more information see the news published in the newspaper O Público.

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  • Ana Hilário and Cristina Pita are members of the team of the DEEPbaseline project

    Published in 10/2/2021

    DEEPbaseline is an interdisciplinary project aimed at co-developing a knowledge baseline on the diversity and distribution of deep-sea sponge and coral species and habitats of the continental shelf and upper slope of mainland Portugal. DEEPbaseline brings together scientists from four partner institutions (CIIMAR, IPMA, CESAM/UA, and Okeanos), local fishing communities and associations, fisheries managers, and the wider society to improve knowledge, foster awareness and advance conservation actions towards their sustainability. For more information see the project website.

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  • Marta Otero (CESAM), Olga Freitas and Sónia Figueiredo (REQUIMTE/LAQV) are the guest editors of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health special issue

    Published in 8/2/2021

    Marta Otero (CESAM) along with Olga Freitas and Sónia Figueiredo (REQUIMTE/LAQV) are the guest editors of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health special issue "Searching for Sustainable Solutions in Wastewater Treatment and Water Reuse". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IF: 2.849) is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, open access journal published online by MDPI.  Deadline submission: 30 September. More info 

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  • Regina Duarte and Armando C. Duarte are the guest editors of Atmosphere special issue

    Published in 5/2/2021

    Regina Duarte and Armando C. Duarte are the guest editors of Atmosphere special issue “Health Effects of Urban Atmospheric Aerosols”. Atmosphere (IF: 2.397) is an international peer-reviewed open access journal of scientific studies related to the atmosphere published monthly online by MDPI.  Deadline submission: 31 December. More info 

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  • Study on range wide energetic tradeoffs to breeding performance in Icelandic whimbrels

    Published in 18/2/2021

    The Icelandic whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus islandicus) is a long-distance migratory wader that spends the wintering season along the Atlantic coast, from temperate western Europe to tropical west Africa. This subspecies was the model study in Camilo Carneiro’s PhD, which, among others, had the aims of investigating tradeoffs between migration costs and wintering energetic balance, and carry-over effects from the wintering period into subsequent breeding phenology and investment. After intensive data collection in the Bijagós Archipelago (Guinea-Bissau), the Banc d’Arguin (Mauritania), the Tejo Estuary (Portugal) and in the breeding grounds in Iceland, it was found that by migrating further, individuals will likely winter where they can achieve a more positive energetic balance, and that females wintering in different regions did not differ significantly in laying dates nor size of eggs laid. Hence, Icelandic whimbrels tradeoff migratory costs and wintering conditions, but no apparent carry-over effects exist into breeding phenology and investment (and, therefore, breeding success). These results were recently published and discussed in Ecography, a journal that ranks 10/168 in the field of Ecology and 3/59 in Biodiversity Conservation, and can be accessed openly here. Ecography also published a short text about the paper on their blog. 

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  • CESAM celebrates the World Wetlands Day 2021, which marks the 50th anniversary of the Ramsar Convention (Convention on Wetlands of International Importance).

    Published in 2/2/2021

    Wetlands play a critical role in providing freshwater, improving water quality, sequestering carbon, regulating climate, mitigating floods, and supporting biodiversity. However, with the rapid population growth, wetlands worldwide are threatened by land use changes, pollution, salinization, urbanization and by the presence of invasive species with potential negative outcomes on biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and services and on human health. Interactions between global climate change and these anthropogenic stressors are likely to further increase the degradation of wetlands in the coming decades. Wetlands protection, restoration, and sustainable exploitation is thus a priority for researchers and decision makers. Within CESAM, several transdisciplinary and international research projects have been assessing potential impacts of different stressors and the ecological health of fresh and saltwater wetlands. As examples, under the FCT projects GoBiG (GlObal change and BioloGical Invasions: Potamopyrgus antipodarum as a case study) and SLEEP (Shedding light on freshwater ecosystems under environmental change and pollution), both set to start this year, CESAM teams will use Molecular, Ecological and Ecotoxicological approaches to contribute for a better understanding of the ecological effects of an invasive snail species and of light pollution (artificial light at night) on riverine wetlands that are already threatened by climate change and pollution.  For more information on the World Wetlands Day go to the website here and get know the 31 Portuguese sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance here.

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  • Launch of the European research and innovation program PARC

    Published in 13/5/2022

    On May 12 and 13, the European partnership for the assessment of risks from chemicals (PARC) was launched in Paris. This partnership aims to develop the next generation of chemical risk assessment, incorporating both human health and the environment in a "One Health" approach. Among the nine signatory entities that are part of this Platform is a team from the Center for Environmental and Marine Studies-CESAM, at the University of Aveiro. PARC aims to bring together a broad community of research institutions and regulatory agencies to advance research, share knowledge and improve expertise in chemical risk assessment. The results of this partnership, which began on May 1, 2022, will be used to support new European and national strategies to reduce exposure to hazardous chemicals and their impact on health and the environment. PARC will contribute to the European Union's Chemicals Sustainability Strategy and the "zero pollution" ambition of the European Green Deal. It involves almost 200 partners from 28 countries, as well as three EU agencies (the European Environment Agency - EEA, the European Chemicals Agency - ECHA and the European Food Safety Authority - EFSA), with the participation of European public partners, including European and national risk assessment agencies, universities and public research organizations. Five European Commission Directorates General (DG-RTD, DG-GROW, DG-ENV, DG-SANTE and JRC) and the ministries of the countries involved are contributing to the governance of PARC and will monitor its activities. The partnership will run for seven years and is scheduled to end in spring 2029. PARC has an estimated budget of €400 million, half of which is being funded by the European Commission and the rest by the partner countries. ANS ES is the coordinator of the partnership. In Portugal, PARC is articulated by the National Platform for Environment and Health, which includes the Ministries of Health, Environment and Climate Change, and Science, Technology and Higher Education, and the signatories National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge and Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon. Among the nine signatory entities that are part of this Platform is a team from the Center for Environment and Sea Studies-CESAM, coordinator at the University of Aveiro, and a team from the Institute of Biomedicine-iBiMED. These two teams will be involved in several working groups on environmental and human monitoring, chemical hazard assessment, ecotoxicology and toxicology, risk assessment of chemical mixtures, as well as a component of training and capacity building of human resources and dissemination and communication with the different stakeholders, including the general public.

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  • Cláudia Mieiro and Mário Pacheco are the guest editors of Water special issue

    Published in 1/2/2021

    Cláudia Mieiro and Mário Pacheco are the guest editors of Water special issue "Nanoparticles Toxicity to Marine Organisms—A Nanosized or a Giant Environmental Issue?” Water (IF: 2.544) is an international peer-reviewed open access journal on water science and technology, including the ecology and management of water resources, published online by MDPI. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October.  More info.

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  • Call for Project Grants in all Scientific Domains

    Published in 11/3/2021

    Applications will be open from: 28 Jan to 10 Mar, 2021  More information. 

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  • PRE-ANNOUNCEMENT - CESAM Recruitment for an ERA Chair holder position

    Published in 2/2/2021

    CESAM is looking to hire an ERA Chair holder to establish and lead an international highly skilled research team in the area Environmental Economics and Natural Resources, in the scope of the H2020 ERA Chair project "BESIDE - Institutional, Behavioural, critical and adaptive economics towards Sustainable Development, management of natural capital and circular Economy”. BESIDE is a six-year project awarded with 2.5 M €, that aims to reinforce and consolidate research expertise in Environmental Economics and Natural Resources at the University of Aveiro Associated Laboratory CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies. The mission of CESAM is to develop leading international research on environmental sciences and related risks, including extreme weather events and climate change, with emphasis on complex socio-ecological coastal systems and marine areas. The main objective of CESAM is to promote a more efficient use of terrestrial and aquatic (from catchment to the deep sea) environmental resources and a more competitive, resilient and sustainable economy, designed to endorse job creation and assure territorial and social cohesion Additional information on www.cesam.ua.pt. The Chair holder will be hired for a five years’ position, renewed annually, equivalent to Coordinator Researcher (the highest position for researchers in Portugal, equivalent to Full Professor) and will have autonomy to establish their own research team (1 Assistant researcher, 4 Junior researchers, 1 high level technician and 3 PhD students). Appointment to the position will be in accordance with the salary agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Directorate General for Administration and Public Employment. It will include 14 salaries (12 months, holidays, and Christmas allowances), Social Security, Labour Accident Insurance, and the right of protection in health ensured by the National Health Service. Please check the following links for more information on salary and taxation: https://www.dgaep.gov.pt/en/index.cfm https://www.aniap.pt/DL/SR_AP_2020.pdf https://info.portaldasfinancas.gov.pt/pt/docs/Conteudos_1pagina/Pages/portuguese-tax-system.aspx The official announcement will open soon. City of AveiroLocated in the Central Region of Portugal, Aveiro combines perfectly tradition, nature and modernity. The main influence on the city is the Aveiro coastal lagoon system, making it unique. It brings together industry, business, tourism, sports, architectural and natural heritage and a university that knows how to welcome anyone with open arms. Aveiro is a safe and quiet city, benefiting from all of the advantages of a major city, while also being a pleasant place in which to live and work. The Aveiro region is also a good starting point to visit and discover Portugal, as it is a short distance from the major Portuguese cities, in particular the capital Lisbon (about 220 km) and Porto (about 60 km away), where there are English, German, and French International schools. Its central position and the road and rail networks that go through it mean that travelling is easy to different parts of the country and even to Spain. The proximity of the Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport in Porto makes it easy to travel and discover other parts of Europe. Application details will be announced soon.

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  • 2nd IDEIA Conference – Innovation in Maritime Operations. Aligning with Academia and Industry, 26-27 January

    Published in 28/1/2021

    Ana Lillebø was one of the speakers at the 4th Innovation Talk Maritime Defence and Blue Economy held on 27th January. For more information go to Marinha website.

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  • PERICLES Project - The natural and cultural heritage of Ria de Aveiro

    Published in 22/1/2021

    [only available in Portuguese]                          

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  • Carla Patrícia Silva and Diana Lima are the guest editors of Toxics special issue

    Published in 22/1/2021

    Carla Patrícia Silva and Diana Lima are the guest editors of Toxics special issue " Removal of Pharmaceuticals in Water and Wastewater Treatment". Toxics (IF: 3.271) is an international peer-reviewed open access journal on all aspects of the toxicity of chemicals and materials, published quarterly online by MDPI.  Deadline submission: 31 October. More info.

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  • Ângela Barreto and Vera Lúcia Maria are the guest editors of Applied Sciences special issue

    Published in 21/1/2021

    Ângela Barreto and Vera Lúcia Maria are the guest editors of Applied Sciences special issue "Contaminants of Emerging Concern—(Eco)Toxicity, Environmental Behavior and Remediation". Applied Sciences (IF:2.474) is an international peer-reviewed open access journal on all aspects of applied natural sciences published online by MDPI. Deadline submission: 10 July. More info.

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  • Vera Lúcia Maria and Ângela Barreto are the guest editors of Toxics special issue

    Published in 21/1/2021

    Vera Lúcia Maria and Ângela Barreto are the guest editors of Toxics special issue "Plastics (Macro-, Micro- and Nano-) as Vectors for Other Environmental Contaminants". Toxics (IF: 3.271) is an international peer-reviewed open access journal on all aspects of the toxicity of chemicals and materials, published quarterly online by MDPI.  Deadline submission: 31 August. More info.

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  • Call for abstracts: Goldschmidt202, Lyon, 4 - 9 July 2021

    Published in 21/1/2021

    Sónia Rodrigues and Astrid Avellan are part of the organization of the 11f entitle "Biota and geochemical cycles: mechanisms of transformation, uptake, and translocation of metal and metalloid species in the critical zone" in the upcoming 2021 Goldschmidt conference to be held in Lyon, France, from 4 to 9 July. It is part of Theme 11 "Metals and nutrients in terrestrial and freshwater systems". The abstract submission is now open and the deadline for submission is February 26 2021.   Submission details can be found here.

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  • Genesis Project workshop - January 20, 2021

    Published in 20/1/2021

    Ana Miranda participes in the “Integração de coberturas e paredes verdes no espaço urbano”, an event organised by the Genesis Project, which is taking place today (20 jan) online. For more information on the program and how to participate go here. GENESIS is a research project promoted by Instituto Superior Técnico, Instituto Superior de Agronomia and University of Aveiro. For more information see the project website here.

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  • Diálogo do CESAM VI - 11 May

    Published in 11/5/2022

    Diálogo VI 11/maio/2022, 16:00h, Anfiteatro do Ed. CESAM Moderador: Ulisses Azeiteiro (Linha Ecossistemas e Recursos Marinhos) Grupos: MBA (Ricardo Calado) e POMG (Paulo Baganha) e SB (Artur Alves)

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  • Advanced course “PLANKTON IN A CHANGING WORLD. PLANKTON AND PRODUCTIVITY. Ecology, processes and new methodologies", 1-5 Feb 2021

    Published in 18/1/2021

    The advanced course "PLANKTON IN A CHANGING WORLD. PLANKTON AND PRODUCTIVITY. Ecology, processes and new methodologies" will be held online from 1 to 5 February 2021.   This advanced course, organized by the Department of Biology (DBIO) and coordinated by Fernando Morgado (CESAM & DBIO), has the participation of professors and researchers from the Universidade de Aveiro (CESAM & DBIO), Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA), Centro de Ciências do Mar do Algarve (CCMAR), Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz (CiiEM), Centro de Microscopia Electrónica e Histopatologia Egas Moniz (Cmicros) and Biocant (Next Generation Sequencing Unit – Genoinseq). For more information go here.  

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  • Bruna Oliveira and Jan Keizer research burnt areas and verified a fast recovery in the post-fire

    Published in 18/1/2021

    An eddy-covariance system was installed in a burnt area in Central Portugal after a wildfire that had occurred on 13 August 2017 and has been operating from the 43rd post-fire day onwards. Over the first post-fire year, the cumulative net ecosystem exchange was −347 g C m−2, revealing a relatively fast recovery of the carbon sink function of the ecosystem. This recovery was mainly due to understory species, both resprouter and seeder species, since pine recruitment was reduced. This research was pioneer worldwide in studying the ecosystem carbon fluxes during the first window-of-disturbance after a wildfire. These results were published in Biogeosciences (open-access journal).

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  • The Wildlife Seminars are back

    Published in 15/1/2021

    The cycle of seminars on Wildlife, organized by the Wildlife Unit of the Department of Biology and the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) of the University of Aveiro (UA), seeks to not only ensure the sharing of knowledge and experience by biologists, but also by those who develop their activities in the field of conservation and management of wildlife and natural resources. The cycle takes place on January 13th and 20th.More information.

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  • Abstract submission is open for the EGU General Assembly 2021 to be held online from 19 to 30 April

    Published in 14/1/2021

    The EGU General Assembly 2021 will bring together geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences. The EGU aims to provide a forum where scientists, especially early career researchers, can present their work and discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of geoscience. Irina Gorodetskaya is the convener of the session “Clouds, moisture, and precipitation in the Polar Regions: Sources, processes and impacts” at the EGU General Assembly 2021. Abstract submission deadline: 20 January

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  • Irina Gorodetskaya, a lead author of the IPCC AR6 WGI “The Physical Science Basis”, invites CESAM researchers to contribute to IPCC expert review for WGII “Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability”

    Published in 14/1/2021

    The Government and Expert Review of the Second Order Draft (SOD) of the Working Group II Contribution to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report (AR6 Climate Change 2021: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability) is open and will run until 29 January 2021. Registration will be open until 22 January 2021. Comments on the SOD are welcome. The IPCC is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. For more information see the IPCC website.

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  • Myriam Lopes and Ana Miranda are part of the team of the European project EUSTEPs - Enhancing Universities’ Sustainability TEaching and Practices through Ecological Footprint

    Published in 12/1/2021

    The EUSTEPs project - Enhancing Universities Sustainability TEaching and Practices through Ecological Footprint (https://www.eusteps.eu/) - marked its presence throughout 2020 at the University of Aveiro and ended the year with the culmination of the EUSTEPs Sustainability Teaching Module for students from the different partner universities. All the materials developed by the team have now been disclosed and are available for free on the project's website. Read full text here.

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  • CESAM is one of the members of the scientific coordination of the project “Livro Vermelho dos Mamíferos”

    Published in 8/1/2021

    The “Revisão do Livro Vermelho dos Mamíferos de Portugal Continental e contributo para a avaliação do seu estado de conservação” project was launched in 2019 and aims to learn which species are most threatened and which are stable or increasing their population. The deadline for completion of the work is 2021. The intervention area of this project covers the whole territory of Continental Portugal, with field work giving special attention to the National Network of Protected Areas and the Special Areas of Conservation of Natura 2000 Network. Find More

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  • Olga Ameixa and Ana Lillebø are the guest editors of Sustainability special issue

    Published in 8/1/2021

    Olga Ameixa and Ana Lillebø (CESAM and DBIo) are the guest editors of Sustainability special issue: "Insects, Food Security and Circular Food Production". Sustainability (IF: 2.576) is an international, cross-disciplinary, peer-reviewed and open access journal providing an advanced forum for studies related to sustainability and sustainable development, published semimonthly online by MDPI. Deadline submission: 31 December 2021. Read more

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  • Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus - 4th Edition

    Published in 10/2/2021

    Applications will be open from 29 Jan to 26 Feb, 2021. More information.

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  • 3rd edition of the UA PhD Scholarship contest

    Published in 7/1/2021

    Applications will be open from December 31/2020 to 24:00 h on January 31/2021 and must be submitted electronically via email at research@ua.pt. The notice, and other information, is available at https://www.ua.pt/pt/bolsas-de-doutoramento-ua. Any questions should be sent to GAI for clarification via email research@ua.pt

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  • Joana Pereira integrates the scientific committee of the Smart and Circular Agriculture towards Sustainability Congress

    Published in 9/5/2022

    The Smart and Circular Agriculture towards Sustainability Congress will take place on 21 and 22 July, in Porto. Joana Pereira integrates the scientific committee of the congress. Abstracts are accepted until May 31.

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  • CESAM researchers shared knowledge with students from Indonesian Higher Education Institutions

    Published in 6/1/2021

    In the frame of the partnership established between the University of Aveiro and Higher Education Institutions from Indonesia, several CESAM researchers conducted three lectures to a hundred students in Indonesia. Find more here.

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  • Matthew Moreira was awarded with best short talk prize (ex aequo) at the XVI APBE meeting

    Published in 6/1/2021

    The Associação Portuguesa de Biologia Evolutiva (APBE) held their XVI meeting on the 16th and 17th of December 2020. This first-time online event was a great success with 19 excellent short talks, 18 flash talks, and with more than 100 attendees. The meeting was chaired by Marcelo Sánchez-Villagra (Paläontologisches Institut und Museum – Universität Zürich) and Frank E. Zachos (Natural History Museum Vienna, Austria). Find more here. Exceptionally, APBE decided to award 2 prizes (ex aequo) for the best short talk, which were won by PhD students Jéssica Teodoro-Paulo (cE3c) and Matthew Moreira (CESAM). The prize will be the registration at the next European Society for Evolutionary Biology (ESEB) congress to be held in Prague (Czech Republic) in August 2021.

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  • First prize in the “Junior” category of the 2nd contest “Science Communication on Microbiology”

    Published in 5/1/2021

    The end of 2020 brought us a wonderful surprise – the first prize in the “Junior” category of the 2nd contest “Science Communication on Microbiology”, promoted by the Portuguese Society of Microbiology. The work entitled "O vírus com álcool ou sabão: uma história de inativação!" results from a collaboration between researchers Ana Cristina Esteves (UA/CESAM) and Ana Sofia Duarte, Raquel Silva and Sara Costa (Faculty of Dental Medicine- Universidade Católica). More information on the winners here  

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  • Video of the research group Environmental Changes, Hazards & Conservation (ECHC)

    Published in 26/1/2021

    Every Monday, in the next twelve weeks, CESAM will release the videos of the twelve Research Groups. October 26, 2020: Marine Biotechnology & Aquaculture (MBA) November 2, 2020: Adaptation Biology & Ecological Processes (ABEP) November 9, 2020: Analytical Sensors & Applied Eco-Chemistry (ASAEC) November 16, 2020: Aquatic Toxicology & Risk Assessment (ATRA) November 23, 2020: Atmospheric Processes & Modelling (APM) November 27, 2020: Biogeochemical Processes & Pollutants (BPP) December 4, 2020: Coastal and Deep-Ocean Ecology & Conservation (CDEC) December 14, 2020: Physical Oceanography & Marine Geology (POMG) January 4, 2020: Resources Circularity Assessment & Technology (RCAT) January 11, 2021: Socio-Ecological Systems Analysis, Management & Planning (SES) January 18, 2021: Stress Biology (SB) January 26, 2021: Environmental Changes, Hazards & Conservation (ECHC)   All videos will be available on CESAM’s YouTube Channel and on CESAM’s website.

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  • The report of the LabMAF project has been published

    Published in 23/12/2020

    Cristina Pita co-authored the LabMAF report “Market opportunities for artisanal and small-scale fisheries products for sustainability of the Mediterranean Sea. Towards an innovative Labelling Scheme”.  With this report the LabMAF project explores the potential of markets to revive and support a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable small-scale fishing sector. Report.

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  • Published in 22/12/2020

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  • 1st Microbiome PT Summit

    Published in 21/12/2020

    Francisco Coelho (CESAM) will participate in the first national meeting on Microbiome research - 1st Microbiome PT Summit. The event will be held on February 4, 2021. Learn more and register for the Summit here.

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  • RTP documentary inspired by CESAM/UA research work is a success

    Published in 17/12/2020

    First shown on RTP1 on December 6th, the documentary “Migradores de Longa Distância. Entre o Tejo e o Ártico” was seen by 343 thousand spectators at its premiere. The total number of national and international spectators is certainly higher, as the documentary, which has scientific review from the CESAM/UA, continues to be viewed on the RTPplay platform, where it is currently housed and making a real impact on scientific dissemination. For further information.

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  • Célia Alves and Helena Oliveira are the guest editors of Atmosphere special issue

    Published in 8/6/2021

    Célia Alves and Helena Oliveira (CESAM), along with Nilmara Brito (São Paulo University), are the guest editors of Atmosphere special issue  "Toxicology of Atmospheric Particulate Matter" Atmosphere (IF: 2.397) is an international peer-reviewed open access journal of scientific studies related to the atmosphere published monthly online by MDPI.  Deadline submission: 30 June 2021. More info 

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  • Ricardo Calado named to the SCAR-Fish - Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Group

    Published in 17/12/2020

    The researcher from CESAM and the Department of Biology of the University of Aveiro Ricardo Calado was appointed by the Portuguese Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education as an Alternate National Representative to the SCAR-Fish - Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Group of the Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR) of the European Union. More information.

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  • Ocean Break | 20 Maio

    Published in 9/5/2022

    20th May 2022 | 12:30 - 13:30 | Room 9.1.1 (DEMaC) Marcos Teixeira (PhD student, University of Minho) Hidden diversity in the European phyllodocida (Annelida, Polychaeta) unraveled as complexes of cryptic species Molecular techniques have been effective in signaling potential hidden diversity in species with apparent similar morphology, previously thought to be cosmopolitan. To further explore on this issue, a combined analysis of multi-locus molecular data, and morphological and morphometric examination was performed with 6 widespread and well-known polychaete species collected in different European locations. As a result, a total of 70 lineages (signaling distinct species) were uncovered for: Eumida sanguinea (22 lineages), Eulalia clavigera (9), Hediste diversicolor (5), Platynereis dumerilii (10), Perinereis cultrifera (14) and Trypanosyllis zebra (10). It was found that, while many of those lineages are almost indistinguishable morphologically, some other have obvious morphological differences that were previously overlooked. The Macaronesian islands and the western part of the Mediterranean Sea seem to be hotspots of cryptic speciation, with a total of 10 and 30 unique lineages for each region, respectively. Furthermore, the lineages from those two regions are genetically closer to each other, when comparing to the ones of the NE Atlantic. This study added 2171 new DNA sequences to public reference libraries (GenBank and Bold systems), where only 11% of the known Phyllodocida species are barcoded.

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  • CESAM researcher in Spanish TV show

    Published in 16/12/2020

    The researcher Ana Genua was invited by the Spanish national channel La 2 to participate in the TV show El Cazador de Cerebros. In this edition of the program focused in climate change in Spain, the researcher of CESAM contributed with information on the impacts of sea level rise in rice fields of the Ebro Delta (Spain), a result from the work she developed in her PhD thesis and in the work published in the scientific journal Science of the Total Environment. The program was shown on 14th December and can be seen here [in Spanish].

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  • Andreia C. M. Rodrigues and Maria Donas Bôtto Bordalo are the guest editors of the Toxics’ special issue

    Published in 8/1/2021

    Andreia C. M. Rodrigues and Maria Donas Bôtto Bordalo are the guest editors of the Toxics special issue "Combined Effects of Climate Change and Merging Chemicals on Ecosystems". Toxics (IF: 3.271) is an international peer-reviewed open access journal on all aspects of the toxicity of chemicals and materials, published quarterly online by MDPI.  Deadline submission: 30 june 2021. More info.  

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  • High School Research Project involving CESAM members wins National Science Competition and qualifies for European Final

    Published in 11/12/2020

    The young researchers João Carvalho, Klára Varga and Sara Couto, coordinated by their Science teacher Rita Rocha, from Colégio Luso-Francês, are the winners of the 28th Edition of the Young Scientists and Researchers Competition with a project called ATMOS - Quantification of the Ecosystem Services provided by Living Green Walls for Atmospheric Pollutants Removal. The work, developed over two years, had the scientific supervision of Regina Duarte and Armando da Costa Duarte, researchers of CESAM and Department of Chemistry of University of Aveiro. The ATMOS project aimed at quantifying the environmental service provided by trees, in removing Particulate Matter (PM) from the atmosphere, with a special focus on the inhalable fraction, PM2.5. Once the PM retained was determined, this value was used to translate the environmental service provided by the trees into an economic value. In the first year, the study focused on the application of standardized methodologies to quantify the adsorption of PM onto the leaf surface. After the analysis of the preliminary data, the authors of ATMOS developed an alternative sampling and quantification method, based on the volumetric calculation of the available adsorption fraction of the tree and image analysis, using specific software. The ATMOS project offers a solution to mitigate atmospheric pollution in urban environments, through a low-cost nature-based solution. This is of utmost importance, since Air Quality in urban environments is part of the European Union's strategic priorities, shaped by the Green Deal's Zero Pollution ambition. The ATMOS was selected to represent Portugal in EUCYS - European Union Contest for Young Scientists Competition, which will be held in Salamanca, in September 2021.  

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  • CESAM celebrates the International Mountain Day highlighting the rWILD-COA project

    Published in 11/12/2020

    The rWILD-COA project, funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, integrates a variety of disciplines (e.g. ecology, microbiology, veterinary) and its team is led by the researcher João Carvalho (CESAM-UA). Find more on UA News.

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  • Ciência com Impacto has launched its newly designed website

    Published in 10/12/2020

    The Ciência com Impacto new website boasts a refreshed look, improved navigation that direct you to the needed information, and also announces new scientific partners (CESAM, MARE, IA, CIMO, MED, CCMAR) and media partners (Diário de Notícias and TVI24). Visit Ciência com Impacto

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  • The LIFE REFOREST project started a field trial to promote post-fire vegetation recovery with native tree and shrub species

    Published in 10/12/2020

    In a joint effort of the University of Aveiro and FORESTIS, the LIFE REFOREST project started a seeding experiment to assess the potential of the REFOREST geotubes, filled with mycotechnosoil, to promote the recovery of native trees and shrubs following recurrent wildfires in Maritime Pine plantations. To this end, certified seeds were used from 2 native tree species - Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster) and Common oak (Quercus robur) - and 2 native shrub species - Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) and Wild cherry (Prunus avium). The seeding still counted with the precious help of the SusPiRe project, and so will the ensuing monitoring of the emergence and growth of the plantlets. Find more.

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  • Ocean Seminar - The second world ocean assessment (Regular Process) of the United Nations (UN) and the Implementation Plan for UN Decade of Ocean Science (2021-2030)

    Published in 11/12/2020

    CESAM’s researcher, Luís Menezes Pinheiro, will participate as a speaker in the Ocean Seminar under the theme “The second world ocean assessment (Regular Process) of the United Nations (UN) and the Implementation Plan for UN Decade of Ocean Science (2021-2030)”. The seminar will be held in a virtual format on December 14, 2020 (Monday), starting at 17:00. This event is promoted by the Sociedade de Geografia de Lisboa, CEEA - Center for Atlantic Strategic Studies and MARE-ULisboa. Find more information on the Seminar program and registration.

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  • Long-distance migrants: between the Tagus and the Arctic has been highlighted in the media

    Published in 11/12/2020

    The documentary "Long-distance migrants: between the Tagus and the Arctic", on black-tailed godwits’ migration, was broadcast last Sunday, December 6, 2020, on RTP1. This documentary is based on the work of an international research team, led by CESAM’s researcher, José Alves, who for the past 15 years has been dedicated to understanding the responses of these birds to global changes throughout the annual cycle and in places as far away as the Arctic. The documentary also warns of the impact that the construction of a new airport on the Montijo airbase will have on the shorebirds. Nonetheless, Portugal is committed to conserving shorebirds in the Tagus estuary under Community directives. This documentary is now available on RTP Play and it has been highlighted in several media. Some news can be seen here, here and an interview at Antena 1 ('28.15 )

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  • New Alternet website

    Published in 9/12/2020

    Alternet (formerly branded as ALTER-Net), a network of which CESAM is a partner, has a new website, logo, branding, and slogan. For further information check the new Alternet: the European Science-Policy Interface on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services website.

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  • The SMART project, which includes CESAM´s researcher Magda Sousa, won the AI Moonshot Challenge de 2020 award

    Published in 6/12/2020

    The SMART project, diStributed AI systeM for mArine plastic debRis monitoring, was submitted to the "AI Moonshot Challenge" call, being the only and the first one selected for funding. SMART is coordinated by IST, with a team from the Department of Physics and CESAM, including the CESAM’s researchers Magda Sousa, João Miguel Dias, Nuno Vaz and Renato Mendes. The MIT, FEUP and Hydrographic Institute are also partners. More information. 

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  • Café de Ciência com João Dias

    Published in 9/5/2022

    [Only available in Portuguese]

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  • COOPERMINHO Project Webinar

    Published in 11/12/2020

    The COOPERMINHO Project Webinar will be held on December 11, at 3:00 pm. See the program.

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  • CESAM´s researcher Ana Hilário was elected Vice-President of the EurOcean’s Executive Committee.

    Published in 3/12/2020

    Executive Committee members are elected by the EurOcean Members (Steering Committee) for a two-year term, renewable once if re-elected.

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  • World Soil Day

    Published in 1/2/2021

    The World Soil Day is on the 5th December and there will be several online webinars in case you want to attend. The general one will be held on the 4th December and you can register here. Other info: World Soil Day | Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity (Dec 2) Integrated Landscape Strategies to Reach Post-2020 Biodiversity Conservation Goals (Dec 7) 

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  • "Long-distance migrants: between the Tagus and the Arctic", RTP documentary on José A. Alves (CESAM) research. December 6th, at 11.30 on RTP 1

    Published in 2/12/2020

    RTP1 will broadcast a new documentary on black-tailed godwits’ migration, and the work of a team of researchers from the Department of Biology and CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, led by José Alves, focused on the study of migratory shorebirds that travel each year between Portugal and the Arctic. Trailer: Joaquim Pedro (CESAM) & Pedro Miguel Ferreira (PlaySolutions Audiovisual Producer) More information.

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  • Researcher of CESAM on the frontier of deep sea exploration

    Published in 26/11/2020

    The researcher Ana Hilário coordinates with Kerry Howell (University of Plymouth, UK), expert in ecology of the deep-sea, the program Challenger 150. This initiative brings together a team of scientists of 45 institutions of 17 countries that propose a research program for 10 years dedicated to the deep-sea. In this context, the researchers have publish a call for attention in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution along with a detailed structure of the Challenger 150 in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. The complete news here.

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  • Information on the impacts of the pandemic on the fishing sectors in Portugal disseminated internationally

    Published in 25/11/2020

    In July 2020, CESAM members disclosure a briefing note about the impacts of COVID-19 on the fishing and aquaculture sectors and related activities in Portugal, in the context of the project COVIDPESCA. The document, written in Portuguese, was now summarized and translated to English in an infographic, in a collaboration between CESAM and IIED (International Institute for Environment and Development). With this, the impact of COVID-19 on the fishing sector in Portugal can be known internationally. The infographic is available here.

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  • Webinar on strandings of marine mammals and seaturtles

    Published in 11/12/2020

    11 Dec 2020, 14h30-16h00 [The next content is only available in PT] O projeto"Rede de Arrojamentos do Norte de Portugal: mamíferos e tartarugas marinhas - 2020" permite dar resposta a arrojamentos de animais marinhos (cetáceos, focas e tartarugas)  desde Caminha a Peniche e contribui para o aumento do conhecimento científico sobre o estado de conservação do meio marinho. Neste evento, serão abordados o funcionamento da rede de arrojamentos em Portugal e os resultados obtidos durante 2020 para a área do projeto. O webinar será em português e limitado a 100 participantes. A inscrição neste evento é obrigatória e pode ser feita AQUI  até ao dia 10 de dezembro.

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  • Study of CESAM on reproduction and immunity of egyptian mongooses

    Published in 18/11/2020

    The Journal of Zoology of the Zoological Society of London has just published a study on reproduction and immunity in egyptian mongooses (Herpestes ichneumon), whose authorship is shared between two researchers from the Department of Biology & CESAM of the University of Aveiro (Victor Bandeira and Carlos Fonseca), in partnership with researchers from rom the University Rey Juan Carlos (Emílio Virgós), Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research and the Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (Alexandre Azevedo) and the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (Mónica V.Cunha). The complete news and link for the original article here.

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  • Study of CESAM warns that increases in temperatures will ‘bake’ the Iberian Peninsula

    Published in 18/11/2020

    The temperatures of the Iberian Peninsula will increase in a “very worrying” way during this century. The alert comes from a study by CESAM - University of Aveiro that foresees average temperature increases of 2 to 3 degrees throughout the year, until 2100, enough to cause serious impacts on the environment and, consequently, on public health. In Portugal there are even regions that could register increases of 4 to 5 degrees Celsius daily. The complete news and link for the original article available here.

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  • CESAM was present at the 6ª Jornadas de Engenharia Hidrográfica/1ª Jornadas Luso-Espanholas de Hidrografia

    Published in 3/12/2020

    A CESAM team that includes the staff members Rita Cavalinhos and Paulo Rosa,  PhD student Ricardo Correia, his supervisor Prof. Luis Menezes Pinheiro and CESAM´s researcher and Scientific Coordinator , Ana Lillebø, presented the study entitled ‘Operacionalização da embarcação científica do CESAM: Levantamentos Hidrográficos em ambiente costeiro com o sistema Multifeixe EM2040C’ at the 6ª Jornadas de Engenharia Hidrográfica/1ª Jornadas Luso-Espanholas de Hidrografia, helded in Lisbon, 3-5 November. With this work, the research vessel NEREIDE was introduced to the community. Moreover, it was shown how the students from University of Aveiro have the opportunity of being part of the CESAM’s field team. The bathymetry data collected with equipment of this infrastructure was also presented. The study was published in the proceedings of the event and can be consulted here and the results are available here (open access). The research vessel of CESAM and its equipment are available for collaborations with other research units and institutions.

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  • Luísa Magalhães and Heliana Teixeira at Pint of Science

    Published in 6/5/2022

    Luísa Magalhães and Heliana Teixeira participate in the panel O Nosso Mundo do Pint of Science Portugal, on the 10th, at 7:00 PM, at Lovecraft Beer Lounge Aveiro. More info here.

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  • Study of CESAM concludes: Autonomous vehicles will bring improvements to the urban environment

    Published in 17/11/2020

    If the advent of autonomous vehicles promises to improve road safety, what consequences will it have for air quality in cities? Will the change in vehicle behavior bring about a reduction in pollution? For the first time, a study by the University of Aveiro answers the questions: yes, autonomous vehicles will bring less polluted and therefore healthier air to cities. The complete news here.

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  • Science: Animals in the Arctic change behavior in response to climate change

    Published in 6/11/2020

    After 30 years monitoring the movements of animals living in the Arctic polar zone, about 150 researchers from more than 100 institutions, including the researcher of CESAM/UA José Alves, have no doubts: the climate changes that have led the Arctic to enter a new ecological state, have caused changes in the spatial-temporal dynamics of the animals living in the region. The article was published on November 5th in Science magazine. The complete news here. You can also see the interview for RTP1 and the news in the national journal Expresso (both in PT).

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  • CESAM will be present at the Encontro Ciência

    Published in 2/11/2020

    On the 3rd and 4th of November, another Encontro Ciência will happen. CESAM´s researcher Alexandra Monteiro is one of the invited speakers at the plenary session dedicated to  science in Portugal towards a Green Europe (Ciência em Portugal para uma Europa mais VERDE). Due to the pandemic, this year the event was adapted. As a consequence, oral sessions were canceled and demonstrations and poster presentations were adjusted. CESAM will participate  with some of its research short videos and also in the poster sessions, in which several PhD students will be present their work. More information on the event here.

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  • CESAM celebrates World Cities Day by highlighting the project SOPRO

    Published in 2/11/2020

    Currently, more than half of the world population lives in urban areas and this ratio is expected to increase to two-thirds, by 2050. Cities consume more than 65% of the global energy and are responsible for more than 70% of worldwide emissions of carbon dioxide. Thus, the decisions that we now take regarding the urban infrastructures for the next decades – urban planning, energy efficiency, transports – will be determinant for the carbon footprint. Greenhouse gases and atmospheric pollutants share the same emission sources. Therefore, improving air quality may boost climate change mitigation efforts and vice-versa. Nevertheless, about 90% of residents in European urban areas are exposed to pollutant levels that exceed the values imposed by the ambient air quality directive (2008/50/EC) or recommended by the World Health Organization. The latest burden estimates reflect the impressive role air pollution, particularly suspended particulate matter with less than 10 or 2.5 µm diameter (PM10 and PM2,5, respectively), plays in cardiorespiratory illness and premature deaths. A report recently published by several international organizations concluded that air pollution is one of the main environmental risk factors, being responsible for around 5 million deaths worldwide every year. One in 10 deaths is caused by air with bad quality. Particulate matter is considered the worst atmospheric pollutant for public health. In 2013, the International Agency for Research on Cancer considered atmospheric particles in outdoor air as a class I, meaning that they are now considered carcinogenic to humans. In cities, traffic is the main emission source of particulate matter. While technological progress and the increase in restrictions for emissions have reduced emissions from motor exhausts, traffic non-exhaust (brake, tire and pavement wear, and road dust resuspension) have emerged as major, but overlooked, contributors to air pollution in urban areas, posing obvious research and policy challenges. In fact, non-exhausts are not regulated and recent estimates indicate that they will represent 90% of total road traffic emissions by 2030. The project of CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies - SOPRO – Chemical and toxicological source profiling of particulate matter in urban air, funded by the Fundação Portuguesa para a Ciência e Tecnologia, is a multidisciplinary project that has the collaboration of atmospheric scientists, transport engineers, chemists, toxicologists and modelers from several European institutions, including the University of São Paulo (Brazil). It aims to provide mitigation strategies focused on the main emission sources of pollutants in cities, particularly those associated with the transport sector. Giving the need to characterize the emission of particles by traffic, a concerted strategy will be followed to get the chemical and toxicological characteristics of exhaust and non-exhaust emissions. In addition, for the success of this project, chemical transport models will be applied to forecast the atmospheric concentrations of several pollutants in Brazilian and Portuguese cities, by incorporating the new emission profiles and updated inventories and considering different emission and climate change scenarios, and air pollution control policies.   The team of the project SOPRO

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  • CESAM/FCUL member report in Science the largest mass poisoning event of vultures in the world

    Published in 29/10/2020

    In a letter published on the 16th October 2020, the PhD student of CESAM/FCUL Mohamed Henriquestogether with international researchers and conservationists, including Bissau Guineans, warn in the journal Science about the world's deadliest intentional vulture poisoning event in the world. It occurred this year in Guinea-Bissau and decimated more than 2,000 jugudés (vultures of the species Necrosyrtes monachus), a species Critically Endangered of extinction, according to the IUCN's Red List of Endangered Species. In the beginning of 2020, massive cases of vulture mortality were found in Bafatá and Gabú regions of eastern Guinea-Bissau, and the local population alerted the Guinean authorities responsible for biodiversity conservation and veterinary services. Despite the lack of resources and the added difficulties related to the Covid-19 pandemic, several teams were sent to the field to ascertain the cause of vulture mortality – more than 2,000 individuals, known in the country as jugudés  – an emblematic species for Guineans. Through the prompt reaction of the Director-General for Livestock of Guinea-Bissau, the Public Veterinary Services, the NGO Organization for the Defense of Wetlands (ODZH) and the Institute for Biodiversity and Protected Areas (IBAP), with the support of several national and international experts in the conservation and investigation of vultures, it was quickly perceived that this was an environmental crime. Vultures have been intencionally poisoned to remove their heads to feed the illegal trade related to the use of various parts of their body (heads, wings, nails and paws) in sorcery practices in several West African countries. According to Mohamed Henriques, a Luso-Guinean PhD student of the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon and first author of the article, "hundreds of corpses of these vultures were headless, stacked and intentionally hidden under bushes." Suspicions of intentional poisoning were later confirmed by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Lisbon, through the necropsies performed on some corpses collected at the site. "Toxicology analyses have unequivocally shown that the cause of death was methiocarb poisoning, an insecticide sold under the trade name mesurol, which is, among other uses, often applied as slug/snail control and was recently banned in Europe due to its toxicity to wildlife," says José Pedro Tavares, Director of the Vulture Conservation Foundation, one of the co-authors of this article. Several locals also confirmed that individuals were sighted placing poisoned baits to attract vultures. In the letter to thejournal Science, the authors warn that the use of poisons accounts for 30% of vulture deaths on the African continent, and that in West Africa, in just 30 years, 60 to 70% of the populations of the various vulture species have disappeared. "The Jugudé is classified as Critically Endangered of Extinction on the Red List of Endangered Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the last category before the extinction level. Guinea-Bissau is home to more than one fifth of the world's population of this species, and is currently one of the most important countries for the conservation of the species worldwide," says another of the authors, Paulo Catry, researcher and assistant professor at MARE/ISPA-Instituto Universitário. In the now published letter it is highlighted that this catastrophic event represents the disappearance of more than 1% of the world's population of this species. According to Mohamed Henriques, "in vast regions of Africa, vultures play an essential role for humans and for the functioning of ecosystems. In Guinea-Bissau, as well as in much of West Africa, Jugudés are responsible for eliminating a large part of the organic waste in the country's cities and towns, constituting authentic sanitary brigades and maintaining the streets clean. Its role is thus decisive in preventing the proliferation of diseases and their possible transmission vectors, such as street dogs and rats that feed on urban waste. Without these vultures, public health could be at serious risk." The authors end the letter with a strong call for attention, warning that this is a severe blow to the conservation of vultures, and that urgent intervention is needed. Awareness-raising actions about the importance of vulture conservation among local communities and national authorities, the need to enforce and strengthen laws against wildlife poisoning and the much needed increased control of national and cross-border illegal trade of vulture body parts and other animals for traditional medicine are among the actions identified as priorities. To the international community, the authors point out the responsibility of supporting African countries to develop and implement conservation plans to prevent the extinction of these birds, while it is still possible. The letter can be read here. [Image: Necrosyrtes monachus by Ana Coelho]

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  • Researchers of CESAM/UA author a study for the European Union on the impacts of plastic and microplastics in the environment

    Published in 29/10/2020

    The study was commissioned by the Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament at the request of the Committee on Petitions (PETI). The basis for this document is the increasing use of plastics and the growing general consensus on the ecotoxicological effects of these materials. The study also focuses on potential mitigation strategies and emergent alternatives, as well astheir environmental adequacy. The increasing awareness and public opinion pressure led to the elaboration of several norms, regulations and laws. Their implementation and efficacy are addressed in this study, aiming at an adequate contextualization, based on scientific evidences, of future legislative initiatives at the local, national, regional, and, ultimately, European levels. The document is authored by the CESAM/UA researchers João Pinto da Costa, Teresa Rocha-Santos and Armando Duarte, and is publicly available here.

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  • A paper co-authored by a CESAM researcher was highlighted in ICES JMS as an ‘Editor’s Choice’

    Published in 28/10/2020

    The paper ‘State of art and best practices for fatty acid analysis in aquatic sciences’, co-authored by Elisabete da Costa from the research group of CESAM-UA, Marine Biotechnology & Aquaculture (MBA), was the latest selected Editor’s Choice article from the ICES Journal of Marine Sciencededicated to fatty acid analysis in aquatic sciences. This paper reviewed the current state of knowledge of methods for both marine and freshwater lipid analyses, from sampling to data treatment, provides recommendations for best practices in field situations, and advocate for protocol standardization and inter-laboratory calibration. The review was the outcome of a technical workshop held during the international conference Lipids in the Ocean (Brest, France, November 2018), in which authors of the manuscript took part.  

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  • New project: WaderTrack – high precision tracking system of waders

    Published in 27/10/2020

    The project WaderTrack started earlier in October, in the the Tagus Estuary Nature Reserve , aimed at implementing a high precision spatio-temporal tracking system for priority wader species. Innovative technologies, specifically small ultra-light GPS/UHF transmitters with micro solar panels (weighing 4 to 5 grams) will be temporarily attached to selected wader species, to map their movements throughout the tidal cycle and across the winter months with unprecedented detail, thus allowing us to: (1) quantify the level of connectivity between intertidal habitats (used as prime feeding areas during low tide) and supratidal habitats (used for resting and roosting during high tide), (2) determine distances travelled between supratidal and intertidal locations; and (3) determine the variation in the use of supratidal habitats during diurnal and nocturnal high-tide periods. This information will fill knowledge gaps on these priority wader species, in order to improve their conservation status by informing biodiversity conservation policy, specifically through reducing current and future eminent threats in the short- and medium-term. Within the framework of WaderTrack, three wader marking sessions were already conducted in different high-tide roosting sites, which resulted in the deployment of transmitters in 15 waders from three species. These devices will record GPS locations at 30-45 min intervals, and this information will be transmitted to receiver stations placed in the high-tide roost, when waders move to these sites during each high-tide. The receiver stations have already been installed and we look forward to get the first data very soon, which will allow to know in very high detail the movements of these birds inextricably linked to the Tagus estuary. Follow updates on this and other projects in @eco_flyway (Twitter).

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  • Alert of researchers of CESAM-UA for the impact of fishing garbage in sea birds

    Published in 27/10/2020

    Marine garbage, especially discarded or lost material from fishing activities, has severe consequences for the conservation of sea birds. The alert comes from a group of biologists from the University of Aveiro (UA) who, for ten years, studied the causes that led thousands of injured or dead birds to the rehabilitation center for marine animals that operates on the central coast of Portugal. The research was led by CESAm members working in ECOMARE. The complete news can be read here.

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  • Documentary “Lousada -Reencontro com a Natureza” wins public prize

    Published in 22/10/2020

    [Content only available in Portuguese] O documentário “Lousada -Reencontro com a Natureza” nomeado para prémio do público de Melhor Documentário no ART & TUR - International Tourism Film Festival 2020, venceu o primeiro lugar com 1905 votos. O documentário está também nomeado, nos prémios atribuídos pelo Júri, que serão anunciados na próxima sexta feira. Transmitido no dia 22 de Março, pelo canal de televisão SIC, o documentário “Lousada - Reencontro com a Natureza” foi visto por cerca de 700 mil pessoas, merecendo o destaque no site da SIC (http://www.sic.pt/.../2020-03-22-Documentario-Vida...). O  CESAM é o parceiro científico deste documentário e a maioria dos biólogos envolvidos neste projeto fez a sua formação na Universidade de Aveiro. As filmagens do documentário, com 45 minutos de duração, demoraram cerca de 18 meses e mais de 800 horas de filmagens. Joaquim Pedro Ferreira, investigador do CESAM, partilha a autoria deste documentário com Manuel Nunes e Milene Matos e a realização com Pedro Miguel Ferreira.

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  • CESAM organizes the final meeting of the COST Action Alien CSI

    Published in 6/5/2022

    From 4 to 7 May 2022, the University of Aveiro receives 50 researchers from the 38 countries participating in the COST Action Alien CSI. The final meeting of the COST Action and the workshops, organized by the Center for Environmental and Marine Studies, an associated laboratory of the University of Aveiro, will take place in the Carlos Borrego Amphitheater, in the Department of Environment and Planning. Alien CSI is a research network that seeks to increase the understanding of alien species through citizen science and is funded by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).  https://alien-csi.eu For the last 4 years this COST Action addressed multidisciplinary research questions in relation to developing and implementing Citizen Science; advancing scientific understanding of Alien Species dynamics while informing decision-making, specifically implementation of technical requirements of relevant legislation such as the EU Regulation 1143/2014 on Invasive Alien Species. We invite the scientific community to attend some of the lectures open to the public. For more information please consult the program.

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  • CESAM will be present in the Celebration of the V centenary of the trip of Fernão de Magalhães

    Published in 26/10/2020

    This week is celebrated the V centenary of the trip of Fernão de Magalhães in several locations of Portugal. The researchers of CESAM (Center for Environmental and Marine Studies) of the University of Aveiro, Roberto Martins (Department of Biology) and Irina Gorodetskaya (Department of Physics) will participate in the presentation of the winners of the Research Prize ‘Prémio de Investigação Científica e Desenvolvimento Tecnológico no Âmbito das Comemorações do V Centenário da Viagem de Circum-Navegação’ that will happen on October 21 in Pavilhão do Conhecimento – Centro Ciência Viva, Lisbon. In this event 8 projects funded by FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia will be presented and recognized counting with the presence of the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor. Two of the approved projects are lead by CESAM-UA: NANOGREEN - Towards a new generation of sustainable nano-based additives for maritime anti-corrosion smart coatings: a multidisciplinary framework within the Atlantic, coordinated by Doctor Roberto Martins, with co-PI Prof. João Tedim (CICECO) and ATLACE - ATLantic interactions via atmospheric water cycle: exploiting a unique dataset from the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition for better understanding of clouds and precipitation, coordinated by Doctor Irina Gorodetskaya, with co-PI Doctor Carla Gama. The complete program of the week can be read here. All the program can be seen on streaming in www.magalhaes500.pt. The event can be seen in https://magalhaes500.pt/streaming-do-2o-dia-das-comemoracoes-dos-500-anos-da-passagem-do-estreito-de-magalhaes/.

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  • Project Cephs and Chefs present in event of valorization of Madeiran products

    Published in 20/10/2020

    The Cephs and Chefs team from CESAM participated in two events of valorization of Madeiran products. The events took place at the Terreiro Concept restaurant, at Madeira island. The project “Legado” promoted, on October 16th, the “Legado do Peixe” dinner that included 7 gastronomic moments with traditional Madeiran products such as pota, ray, conger, moray, herring, nun, skipjack, mackerel and even Madeira jackfruit and seaweed, in addition to wine degustation and comments by the specialist Nuno Nobre and the chef Carlos Gonçalves. On Saturday, October 17th, World Food Day, an Open Gastronomic Day was carried out to celebrate Madeira's biodiversity in all its ecosystems: farm, rivers, forest and sea. The event included lectures, debates, workshops and tasting products from the 4 ecosystems. More information here.

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  • Bathymetry data collected in Ria de Aveiro

    Published in 20/10/2020

    From 28 February to 04 March 2020, the team field of CESAM together with Professor Luís Menezes Pinheiro and some of his students, collected bathymetry data in Ria de Aveiro, more specifically in the North terminal of the Porto de Aveiro. For this, a Kongsberg EM 2040 C multibeam echo sounder transducer installed on the scientific vessel NEREIDE was used. In this way, the University of Aveiro and CESAM promote the integration of the students in specialized fieldwork, ensuring that they execute all the practical tasks to be familiar with Hydrography and Oceanography. within the scope of the CESAM’s competences and aiming to contribute to the creation of a database useful for the scientific community, hydrographic survey was carried out in the main navigation channel, in the mouth in Barra, and in the channels from and to Gafanha da Encarnação Marine. Data are available in the platform ZENODO and will be accessible through CESAM’s webpage – Science to Society.

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  • Documentary “Lousada -Reencontro com a Natureza” nominated for prize

    Published in 19/10/2020

    [Content only available in Portuguese] O documentário “Lousada -Reencontro com a Natureza” está nomeado para prémio do público de Melhor Documentário no ART & TUR - International Tourism Film Festival 2020, para o qual todos podem votar! Basta entrar em https://tourfilm-festival.com/votacao-publica-2/ com uma rede social e deixar o seu “like” em DOCUMENTÁRIOS / Lousada. Reencontro com a Natureza. “Lousada. Reencontro com a Natureza” está também nomeado para prémio atribuído pelo Júri do festival Art&tur Viseu 2020, com exibição pública no dia 20 de Outubro às 18h30 no Teatro Viriato em Viseu.  Transmitido no dia 22 de Março, pelo canal de televisão SIC, o documentário “Lousada - Reencontro com a Natureza” foi visto por cerca de 700 mil pessoas, merecendo o destaque no site da SIC (http://www.sic.pt/.../2020-03-22-Documentario-Vida...). O  CESAM é o parceiro científico deste documentário e a maioria dos biólogos envolvidos neste projeto fez a sua formação na Universidade de Aveiro. As filmagens do documentário, com 45 minutos de duração, demoraram cerca de 18 meses e mais de 800 horas de filmagens. Joaquim Pedro Ferreira, investigador do CESAM, partilha a autoria deste documentário com Manuel Nunes e Milene Matos e a realização com Pedro Miguel Ferreira.

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  • Study of CESAM-FCUL reveals that enigmatic small mammal is bolder and more active in urban environments

    Published in 15/10/2020

    Although rarely seen, the greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula), a small insectivorous mammal, occurs in the gardens and parks of several European cities, including Lisbon. It was precisely in the Portuguese capital that a recent study detected substantial differences in the behavior and metabolism of urban animals when compared to individuals from natural areas. The study was conducted by an international group of researchers from the Center for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) of the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Portugal, and from the Adam Mickiewicz University Pozna?, Poland. The results, which will be integrated in Flávio Oliveira's PhD thesis, have already been published in the scientific journal Behavioral Ecology. “The personality tests we applied revealed that shrews in the city exhibit a bolder behavior and are more predisposed to explore an environment unknown to them”, says Flávio Oliveira. This type of urban adaptation is in line with studies carried out in other species, namely birds and insects. The researcher adds “The lack of natural vegetation and the constant external stimuli typical of the urban environment, such as noise and artificial light, make the animals that inhabit here behave bolder in search of food and a place to live.” While the behavioral adaptations were as expected, the analysis of the energy the animals spent gave surprising results. "We were expecting to find a direct correlation between bold and active behaviors with high rates of energy consumption, that is, with a higher metabolic rate" says Sophie von Merten, co-author of the study. "Instead, we found that urban animals have a metabolic rate 37% lower than animals in natural areas", reveals the researcher. The factors that influence the way urban animals use energy are still unknown, but one thing is certain: Considering the relationship between behavior and metabolism, these small animals seem to be adapted to live both on the countryside and in the city. “Contrary to what happens in most animals, shrews seem to adopt an energy allocation strategy. That is, animals with a faster metabolism are more timid and explore their surroundings less, while animals with a slower metabolism are bolder and explore more territory. This way, their energy budget remains relatively constant”, concludes Flávio Oliveira. With the expansion of urban areas, which is expected to continue increasing, more animals will be exposed to such novel habitats. Maria da Luz Mathias, also co-author of the study, comments: “Unfortunately, most species will not be able to adapt to an environment as altered as urban areas. It is therefore essential to continue studying the phenomenon of urban adaptation in all its aspects: ecological, physiological, behavioral, and evolutionary. Our study revealed that the white-toothed shrew can be an important model species to help us understand the fate of species in the face of a global change such as increasing urbanization.”

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  • Minister of the Sea visit ECOMARE

    Published in 13/10/2020

    The Minister of the Sea, Ricardo Serrão Santos, and the Director General for Maritime Policy, Helena Vieira, were present yesterday at the University of Aveiro (UA), for one of the three presentation sessions of the National Strategy for the Sea 2021-2030. In this context, the Minister and the Director General visited ECOMARE – Laboratory for Innovation of Marine Biological Resources of University of Aveiro. This visit was accompanied by the Mayor of Ílhavo, Fernando Fidalgo Caçoilo, the Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation and Training in the 3rd cycle of UA, Prof. Doctor Artur Silva, and Doctor Ricardo Calado, responsible by CEPAM – Centre for Extension and Environmental and Marine Research and researcher at CESAM.

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  • First National Week about Invasive Species (SNEI) is coming!

    Published in 7/10/2020

    The first ever National Week about Invasive Species (SNEI) in Portugal will be taking place between 10th and 18th of October. More than 90 activities are being prepared around Portugal for the whole community to engage. CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Biology of University of Aveiro is promoting several activities. Visit the website and select an activity near you to participate! CESAM-UA & DBio activities may be consulted here. More info at the website SNEI: https://www.invasoras.pt/pt/semana_nacional_especies_invasoras_2020 List of activities SNEI (being updated): https://www.invasoras.pt/pt/actividades-em-portugal Social media: https://www.facebook.com/InvasorasPt & https://www.instagram.com/invasoraspt/

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  • CESAM-UA researcher leads international effort to understand species distribution across chemosynthesis-based ecosystems

    Published in 7/10/2020

    MACROCHESS – A Macroecological Database for Species Distribution across Chemosynthesis-Based Ecosystems is a new database incorporating over a decade of new discoveries and the most recent taxonomic knowledge of species occurring in chemosynthesis-based-ecosystems (CBEs). The database is being compiled by a working group funded by the International Cooperation in Ridge-Crest Studies – InterRidge. The group is chaired by Lissette Victorero (Norwegian Institute of Water Research and CESAM-UA) and comprises 17 experts from ten countries and four continents working on hydrothermal vents, seeps and organic falls across a wide variety of disciplines. This database will enable characterising the global distribution, composition and relationship of species occurring in CBEs at both global and regional scales and hence aims to rapidly advance theoretical research and conservation efforts.

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  • Testing and demonstrating post-fire emergency stabilization in CESAM-UA projects

    Published in 7/10/2020

    A major concern after the smoke has cleared is often the risk of post-fire soil erosion, because of its possible consequences in terms of additional on-site land degradation due to soil (fertility) losses as well as of downstream flooding and contamination of surface water bodies with eroded soil, including wildfire ash. UA Online explains how the projects  Epyris (Interreg Sudoe) and LIFE REFOREST are testing and demonstrating the application of various emergency stabilization measures in burnt areas. The team of CESAM-UA in both projects is coordinated by the researcher Jan Jacob Keizer.  The complete article available here.

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  • EMSO – PT website launch

    Published in 6/10/2020

    The website for the European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and Water Column Observatory, Portugal (EMSO – PT) has been launched. CESAM is one of the members of the team. EMSO-PT is a European Large Scale Research Infrastructure, consisting of multidisciplinary underwater observatories and other data processing support infrastructures. The goal of EMSO-PT is to generate continuous scientific data on marine environmental processes related to the interaction between the geosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere, made available through open access to all stakeholders. Fifteen institutions, universities and marine technology companies participate in the project, providing key expertise and knowledge. The project is classified as a “Research Infrastructure” and is integrated into the EU’s wider deep sea observatory network,  EMSO-ERIC. To find out more about the project, visit www.emso-pt.pt.

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  • Study:Intense atmospheric rivers shown to weaken ice shelf instability at the Antarctic Peninsula

    Published in 6/5/2022

    Atmospheric rivers landfalls shown to induce extreme conditions that destabilize Antarctic Peninsula ice shelves according to a new study from researchers1 from the University Grenoble Alpes, LSCE, CNRS, Sorbonne and Aix Marseille Universities, and from Portugal, Belgium, Germany, and Norway. Their study will be published in the journal of Communications Earth & Environment on April 14th at 11:00 am (US Eastern Time). 80% of the total Antarctica ice output flow through ice shelves confined in huge bays by a buttressing effect which transfers upstream the friction along the edges and from contact with oceanic rock outcrops. The disintegration of these ice shelves leads to a massive acceleration of the glaciers that are normally restrained, just as the sparkling wine pours away after the ejection of the cork. In the past 30 years, the large and dramatic collapses of two major ice shelves along the Antarctic Peninsula (Figure 1), the Larsen A in austral summer 1995 and Larsen B in austral summer 2002, along with other major ice shelves raised fears for the fate of other ice shelves controlling the outgoing continental ice.  Causes of these destabilizations were investigated and individual oceanic or atmospheric factors were proposed. Here the researchers identify atmospheric rivers as the generator of a combined chain of factors responsible for the potential short-term ice-shelf destabilization. Atmospheric rivers represent narrow corridors in the atmosphere that transport water vapor from the tropics towards higher latitudes. This study shows that atmospheric rivers correspond with the vast majority of temperature and rainfall extremes over the Antarctic Peninsula including the Antarctic continent maximum temperature record of 18.3° C set at Esperanza station on February 6th, 2020. These extreme temperatures lead high surface melt rates. After the snow surface becomes saturated, water collects in lakes and eventually fill crevasses, contributing the shelf instability via hydrofracturing. Atmospheric rivers also provoke the disintegration of sea ice around the edges of the ice shelves, allowing incoming ocean swells to cause strain along the ice shelf fronts (Figure 2). Without the sea-ice buffer, open-ocean swells can directly impact the ice shelves. These effects of atmospheric rivers were observed during the collapses of the Larsen A and B ice shelves, and 60% of large iceberg calving events after 2000. In fact, the most intense atmospheric rivers generate a combined chain of impacts (summarized in Figure 1) inducing extremes in temperature, surface melt, sea-ice disintegration, or large swells; all processes known to destabilize the ice shelves. The Larsen C is the largest remaining ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula. It could become the next at-risk ice shelves in a warming climate. After the Conger Ice Shelf collapsed during an apparent major atmospheric river event over East Antarctic in mid-March 2022, scientists are examining the causality and if other ice shelves around Antarctica maybe vulnerable to atmospheric river activity. Figure 1:Location of the ice shelves along the Antarctic Peninsula and illustration of a typical intense atmospheric river over the northern Antarctic Peninsula and the associated observed meteorological features and impacts consequential to ice-shelf stability. Figure taken from the Communications Earth & Environmentarticle.  Figure 2:    Satellite imagery from a 24/01/08 and c 30/01/08 showing the land-fast ice and sea ice decay after the passing of an atmospheric river as seen in b 25/01/08. d The shape and intensity of the detected atmospheric river on 25/01/08 15 UTC. e Back trajectory of air masses associated with the atmospheric river over the course of ten days. Sea surface temperature anomaly calculated for the 19-01-08 to 23-01-08 period with respect to the 1980-2010 period.f The total runoff that occurred from 25/01/08 - 30/01/08. Figure taken from the Communications Earth & Environmentarticle.       (1)      The laboratories involved are: IGE - Institut des géosciences de l’environnement, CNRS/UGA, Saint Martin d'Hères, France CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Physics, University of Aveiro, Portugal Institute of Geography, Friedrich–Alexander University, Erlangen, Germany Arctic Frontiers AS, Tromsø, Norway British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK Laboratory of Climatology, Department of Geography, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium LSCE - Laboratoire des sciences du climat et l'environnement, UVSQ/CNRS/CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette, France LOCEAN - Laboratoire d'océanographie et du climat : expérimentations et approches numériques, MNHN/CNRS/IRD/Sorbonne Université, Paris, France CEREGE - Centre Européen de Recherche et d'Enseignement en Géosciences de l'Envi, Aix-en-Provence, Franc Press Contact Muriel Jakobiak-Fontana Assistant Director of Communication at the Université Grenoble Alpes muriel.jakobiak@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr Tél. (+33) 6 71 06 92 26 Researcher contacts In French Vincent Favier vincent.favier@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr   For English media Jonathan Wille jonathan.wille@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr   For Portuguese media Irina Gorodetskaya irina.gorodetskaya@ua.pt  

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  • CESAM celebrates the World Habitat Day highlighting the project BioPradaRia

    Published in 6/10/2020

    World Habitat Day, celebrated by the United Nations on the first Monday of October, intends to promote the reflection on the state of our towns and cities and to remind the world that we all have the power and the responsibility to shape the future of the place where we live. In the city of Aveiro and surrounding areas, Ria de Aveiro is a major contributor to a healthy environment and citizens’ well-being. The project of CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies -  ‘BioPradaRia - Restoration, management and conservation of biodiversity and biological resources associated with Ria de Aveiro seagrass ecosystems’is funded by the program MAR2020. This project aims to contribute to enhancing the protection and restoration of aquatic biodiversity for better management and conservation of marine biological resources, particularly the ones associated with seagrass ecosystems. The project BioPradaRia uses an integrative approach, combining scientific knowledge with the knowledge of the users of Ria de Aveiro. Presently, nature-based solutions are being tested to minimize the impact of exotic invasive species, such as the polychaeta Arenicola sp. and the Manila clam, in seagrass ecosystems and associated habitats. These areas are important for several species of fish, bivalves, polychaetas and other organisms, housing great biodiversity. As important reservoirs of carbon (Blue Carbon), these habitats contribute to a reduction of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, being also an important recreational and leisure area for the citizens. Given the importance of these habitats and their current decline worldwide (due to different threats), their preservation and recovery are essential, not only for the health of the ecosystem but also for the health of the inhabitants of the region. The team of the project BioPradaRia

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  • One Health Day @ CESAM

    Published in 19/10/2020

    [Content only available in Portuguese] No âmbito da Linha Temática “Ambiente & Saúde”, o CESAM está a organizar um workshop para comemorar a iniciativa “One Health Day”. O Workshop vai realizar-se no dia 11 de novembro à tarde e englobará duas sessões temáticas e uma sessão de posters. O programa do workshop encontra-se aqui e pretende-se o evento seja presencial (Universidade de Aveiro). No entanto, devido à incerteza da atual situação pandémica pode ser em formato à distância (a confirmação será enviada atempadamente). Para a sessão de posters, qualquer membro do CESAM (integrado ou colaborador - desde alunos de pesquisa a alunos de doutoramento) poderá submeter um resumo até ao dia 13 de outubro às 17 h.  Para submeter o resumo basta enviar um mail para cesam@ua.pt que deve incluir: Título (em inglês); Nome do autor principal e coautores (se existentes); Resumo (em português e inglês com ca. 250 palavras). O One Health Day é uma iniciativa com caracter internacional coordenada por redes de investigação, como a One Health Comission e a One Health Platform Foundation, que escolheram o dia 3 de novembro como o Dia da Saúde Única. O conceito One Health remete à interdependência entre a saúde humana, dos animais e do ambiente. O Workshop será um fórum de debate interdisciplinar na solução de desafios globais que envolvem a saúde humana, animal e ambiental. Pretende-se que este evento permita à academia e ao público em geral discutir um problema atual, as doenças infeciosas emergentes, abordando os microrganismos envolvidos - vírus, bactérias, fungos e parasitas - mas também os fatores envolvidos na incidência destas doenças, nomeadamente, atividades humanas que direta ou indiretamente atingem o ambiente, as alterações climáticas e o uso indiscriminado de antibióticos.  O registo é gratuito mas obrigatório e deve ser feito aqui.

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  • Project of CESAM-UA develops a fast sensor for the microbiological control of bivalves in Portugal

    Published in 30/9/2020

    The SeeBug project is being developed at Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro (UA), coordinated by Catarina Marques and co-coordinated by Amadeu Soares. This project  intends to be a tool for all the stakeholders of the bivalve fishing industry. Shellfish production in Portugal has been increasing substantially, leading the ranking of mollusk marketing in some areas of national production, so its economic impact on the domestic and export market is increasingly relevant. However, the bivalves’ production sites are often affected by fecal contamination, which promotes the accumulation of pathogenic bacteria in these filtering organisms. As bivalves are often consumed alive, it is essential to apply control systems that may guarantee food safety and prevent negative impacts on consumers' health. Presently, regulated microbiological screening methods are sensible and accurate  and  allow to get results in 2-3 days. after bivalves’ collection.,. However, this  time gap is enough to cause economic, social, environmental and health damages.  The aim of this research project is to develop and apply broad spectrum and specific SEEBug sensors, capable of detecting early contamination of bivalves by pathogenic bacteria. In addition, the SEEBug mobile phone application will be developed based on artificial intelligence algorithms, to generate low-cost technology, user-friendly and environmentally sustainable.  This applicationcan be used by operators of the bivalve fishing industry, from Fishermen to final sellers. This tool does not intend to replace  the current regulated analyzes for assessing the contamination status of bivalves, but it is a  complement to decrease the damages caused afterwards. The project SEEBug is coordinated by Catarina R Marques (CESAM and DBio), in collaboration with  Prof. Amadeu MVM Soares (CESAM e DBio, UA), as co-coordinator. The project counts with more CESAM’ researchers and also  Instituto de Engenharia Eletrónica e Informática de Aveiro (IEETA), Associação de Pesca Artesanal da Região de Aveiro (APARA), DOCAPESCA – Portos e Lotas, S.A, and members of the bivalve fishing industry all over the country. This way, the transfer of knowledge from scientists and fishermen will be maximized through collaboration, promoting the development of a tool meant to be applied by all.

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  • Project “Red Book of Mammals of Continental Portugal” calls on for citizens’ collaboration

    Published in 30/9/2020

    Project coordinated by Prof. Maria de Luz Mathias and with participation of the researcher Clara Grilo, as executive coordinator, both from  CESAM – Ciências ULisboa, calls on the citizens to help to map the mammals in Continental Portugal. Dozens of citizens, technicians and nature vigilants of ICNF- Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas joined to create a new Red Book of Mammals of Continental Portugal. The goal is to improve, until 2021, knowledge on these species contributing to establishmeasures and conservation actions. The help of the citizens will be essential to ensure the success of the project. To help on this, it is only necessary to take a picture of the animal or of traces of its presence (e.g. footprints, feces and body hair), register the location, and get in touch with the team. More information about  the project can be read here (UA Online) or here (Ciências ULisboa) and details on how you can collaborate here. You can also see a short presentation of the project in this video [in PT]. This project is funded by POSEUR, Portugal 2020, FCiências.ID - Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências is the beneficiary ahaving ICNF as partner.

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  • Covid-19: CESAM-UA scientists warn about pandemic waste

    Published in 30/9/2020

    Researchers of CESAM, alerted to the problem, after seeing public spaces flooded with masks and gloves abandoned, wrote three articles which concluded that it is urgent to find alternatives to the use of disposable masks and gloves. In the first study, Joana Prata, Ana Luísa Silva, Armando Duarte and Teresa Rocha-Santos prepared a series of recommendations for collective and individual management of this new waste that threatens to flood rivers and seas. In the second study, they warned of the need to find alternatives for the proper use and final management of protective equipment.  In the third publication, which also had the participation of Amadeu Soares and Diana Campos, also from CESAM, the scientists address the short-term impacts of the production and use of this garbage and summarize a series of policy recommendations for its proper management. The complete article (UA Online) here.

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  • Webinar ‘Tools for assessing the impacts of contamination in the reproduction of marine organisms'

    Published in 28/9/2020

    The research team of the project NanoReproTox (PTDC/CTA-AMB/30908/2017) welcomes the scientific community and the general public to attend the webinar: ‘Tools for assessing the impacts of contamination in the reproduction of marine organisms’ to be held on the 14th October, 14h (UTC). In this webinar, we will present how commonly used methodologies can be applied to evaluate the impacts of contamination on the reproduction of marine organisms (e.g. CASA, cytometry, comet assay and histology). A link between the research updates on human male reproduction and environmental risk assessment will be also provided. The speakers belong to an interdisciplinary team from CESAM, Ibimed, CCMAR and MARE-Nova.id.UNL. The webinar is free, but registration is mandatory (ana.carvalhais@ua.pt). For detailed information on the program and speakers, please follow this link.

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  • CESAM celebrates the World Tourism Day highlighting the project ARTUR

    Published in 28/9/2020

    Tourism has several positive aspects, namely the socioeconomic development of touristic destinies and the preservation of cultural and natural resources. However, it is well-known that touristic activities may also be a cause of environmental impacts, for example in the air quality. The project ARTUR – Impact of air quality on the competitiveness of the tourism destinations, focused on the central region of Portugal, aims to assess the impact of the tourism on air quality and to investigate how air quality could be a criterion to increase the competitiveness of a tourism destination. This project is coordinated by CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and it has a multidisciplinary team with researchers from the Department of Environment and Planning, and of the Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering and Tourism of the University of Aveiro.The results of the project will serve to produce guidelines to support future strategies for the tourism sector and environmental sustainability. The team of the project ARTUR

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  • CESAM celebrates the World Maritime Day highlighting the participation in the COST Action OceanGov

    Published in 25/9/2020

    The ocean covers about 70% of the surface of the Earth, represents 97% of the available water, is a source of life and energy, and is crucial for regulate the climate. One of the top priorities in the political, environmental and economic agendas of Portugal and Europe is the need to build awareness about the ocean’s value for our future. To know the benefits of using the sea, it is crucial to invest in scientific research focused on ocean governance and sustainability. The COST action OceanGov: Ocean governance for sustainability – Challenges, options and the role of Science brings together scientists, policymakers and civil society representatives from 29 Member-States, to create and coordinate an inter- and transdisciplinary research network on ocean governance in the European Union and adjacent areas. This network is focused on six challenges of governance: Land-Sea Interactions; Area-Based Management; Seabed Resource Management; Nutrition Security and Food Systems; Ocean, Climate Change, and Acidification; and Fisheries Governance. This COST action aims to establish an integrated vision and various approaches that will guide research and future policy towards sustainability, addressing the currently exiting fragmentation with regard to the governance of the oceans, seas and coastlines throughout regional waters, and the open ocean, and areas outside national jurisdiction. The Doctor Cristina Pita of CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies is a member of the Management Committee of the OceanGov and actively participates in the working group of Fisheries Governance. CESAM’s representative of the COST Action OceanGov

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  • Publication of CESAM is highlighted by FEMS Journals

    Published in 22/9/2020

    An article of the CESAM researchers Daniel Cleary, Ana Rita Polónia and Newton Gomes (Laboratory of Molecular Studies of Marine Environments) has been selected to be included in a new ‘Six Key Topics’ collection from FEMS Journals to showcase the breadth of topics covered by FEMS Journals. The article ‘A comparison of prokaryote communities inhabiting sponges, bacterial mats, sediment and seawater in Southern Asian coral reefs’ published in the journal FEMS Microbiology Ecology, was considered as one of the representatives of the key topic Microbiomes.

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  • Researcher of CESAM-UA writes in Science on the construction of an airport in the heart of Portugal’s largest wetland

    Published in 18/9/2020

    In a Letter published today in Science, José Alves, Conservation Ecologist at the CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Biology of University of Aveiro, and Maria Dias, Marine Science Coordinator at BirdLife International, highlight the contradiction between the recently appointed EU Commission’s intention to shift EU economies to more sustainable models of growth (The European Green Deal), and the environmental permission recently issued by an EU member state (Portugal) for the construction and operation of an international airport at the heart of the largest wetland in the country, the Tagus estuary. The estuary hosts the largest concentrations of waterbirds in Portugal and is the second most important wetland for these species in Iberia. The importance of the Tagus estuary for biodiversity extends well beyond Portuguese borders; it is a designated Special Protection Area (European Birds Directive), a Wetland of International Importance (Ramsar Convention), an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (Birdlife International) and also classified as a Nature Reserve (national law)1. The Tagus estuary is a major international hub for migratory waterbirds and other bird species using the East Atlantic Flyway, connecting breeding areas across the northern hemisphere to wintering areas in Africa, for an estimated 300,000 waterbirds. The authors of the Letter argue that this decision by an EU member state violates two of the main pillars of the Green Deal – to tackle the global problem of climate change, and to reverse the biodiversity crisis. Despite the substantial increase in local carbon emissions that a second airport in the capital area would generate, Lisbon currently holds the banner of European Green Capital. Ironically, Lisbon’s bid for European Green Capital award benefited from its proximity to this nature reserve, even though the flight paths for the proposed new Lisbon airport will irreplaceably disrupt some of the most important areas for waterbirds in this wetland, with aircrafts flying below 200 meters within the protected area. Waterbirds move around the Tagus in large flocks which can exceed tens of thousands of birds, as they take advantage of the complex mosaic of wetland habitats sculpted through millennia. For example, flocks of 80,000 black-tailed godwits, a species listed by IUCN as threatened with globally Near Threatened with extinction, which breed in Iceland, the Netherlands and other northern European countries, use the Tagus each spring to feed and rest during their annual migration to sites further south. Several other species that breed across the arctic and temperate Europe, many of which are declining sharply in number, also depend on this wetland. Despite the impact of Covid-19 on air-traffic, the private company promoting and financing the new Lisbon airport ANA owned by French group VINCI, has announced that it remains firm in its commitment to move forward, and the Portuguese government publically supported such intentions in June, July and September 2020, when the Covid-19 impact on the aviation industry is very clear. This is a striking example of a European state attempting to disregard conservation laws, international agreements and publicly-stated plans to move towards a more sustainable and carbon-neutral future. Given the Tagus estuary’s role in supporting species from across the migratory flyway, including species that benefit from publicly-funded conservation programs on many of their range states, other nations may consider holding Portugal accountable for the consequences of this development. The Environmental Impact Study that preceded the issuing of the environmental permit has been heavily criticized, due to lack of data, technical errors and adoption of subjective criteria2. The Portuguese Environmental Agency issued the controversial environmental permit based on a favourable statement by the board of directors at the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forestry, the governmental institution responsible for evaluating impacts on birds, overturning their own technician’s recommendation3. Compensation measures will be impossible to implement effectively, given that about half of the Tagus estuary will be impacted and cannot be replaced. The authors urge the Portuguese government to reconsider this development and take the opportunity of having Lisbon as the European Green Capital to become European Green Leaders of the movement towards an increasingly sustainable future. The original article can be read here.

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  • Mas afinal...? na Rádio Terra Nova com João Serôdio

    Published in 3/5/2022

    Mas afinal… o que fazem as microalgas? Wednesday (May 4) at 10:40 am at Manhãs Novas da Rádio TerraNova: centova.radios.pt/proxy/404?mp=/stream  

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  • 1st National Symposium on early exposure to contaminants and its impact on human health

    Published in 17/9/2020

    [Content only available in Portuguese] Decorrerá já no próximo dia 25 de setembro, o 1.º Simpósio Nacional sobre “Exposição precoce a contaminantes e seu impacto na saúde humana”, realizado no âmbito do projeto earlyMyco “Early-life exposure to mycotoxins and its impact on health”, financiado pela FCT. Este simpósio é organizado pelo Departamento de Alimentação e Nutrição (DAN) do Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), em colaboração com os seus parceiros do projeto, Fundação Champalimaud, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Universidade de Évora e Administração Regional de Saúde de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo. A iniciativa decorrerá no INSA e contará ainda com a possibilidade de participação on-line. O evento tem como objetivo promover o diálogo e interação entre participantes que desenvolvam estudos sobre a exposição precoce a contaminantes através da alimentação ou ambiente, contribuindo assim para conhecer melhor a realidade nacional neste domínio. O programa do evento pode ser consultado aqui. A participação é gratuita mas com inscrição obrigatória até 18 de setembro, aqui. A participação on-line será via Facebook.

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  • CESAM’s researcher fights for Biodiversity Conservation

    Published in 16/9/2020

    In today’s edition of Público, the efforts of CESAM’s researched José Alves, towards biodiversity conservation in the largest and most important wetland in Portugal for waterbirds, the Tagus estuary, are news once again. It reports the recent complaint presented to the secretariat of the Bern convention, which has already formally proceeded with the official process. This complaint is presented following the issuing of a favourable but conditional environmental permission in January of this year for the construction of the new Lisbon Airport at the heart of the Tagus estuary, which continues to be heavily criticized. It joins another complaint presented in December 2019 to AEWA (Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds, hosted by the United Nations Environmental Program), before the issuing of the environmental license, which is still ongoing and in which the same researcher was a leading actor. The news article in Público can be read here [translated version].

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  • Ciência com Impacto - New initiative of CESAM

    Published in 16/9/2020

    [Content only available in Portuguese] Retirar as descobertas científicas do laboratório e dos gabinetes dos investigadores, divulgando-as e promovendo-as junto da comunidade, é o grande objetivo do programa Ciência com Impacto, iniciativa do Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Laboratório Associado da Universidade de Aveiro, e que tem a Bondalti e a Play Solutions Audiovisuais como parceiros ativos. Que impacto têm as descobertas científicas na sociedade? E como é que podem ajudar na nossa vida quotidiana? Estas são as questões de partida que inspiram o Ciência com Impacto, um programa que reflete a própria constituição do CESAM, reunindo investigadores de diferentes áreas, como o ambiente, a saúde humana, o mar, a ecologia, a química e a biotecnologia. O projeto será constituído por vídeos temáticos de três minutos e podcasts com uma hora de duração. Estes conteúdos terão uma periodicidade quinzenal, com a publicação dos vídeos a alternar com a semana de divulgação dos podcasts. Serão ainda realizados debates sobre temas da atualidade, associados às áreas do ambiente, saúde humana, ecologia, mar e biotecnologia, entre outras áreas do conhecimento. Estes encontros contarão com a presença e o contributo de investigadores e de outros atores relevantes para a temática abordada. Os destinatários desta iniciativa são o grande público, com destaque para os jovens. Está previsto um conjunto de ações de divulgação em diferentes plataformas, que ganharão maior expressão e visibilidade no portal https://cienciacomimpacto.pt. A Bondalti vai assumir a produção, realização e divulgação dos podcasts, que serão alojados num media host e disponibilizados nas plataformas habituais (em áudio) e no Youtube (em vídeo). Os podcasts serão gravados na Rádio Voz da Ria, que se associa através da cedência dos estúdios, e a Mitipro ficou responsável pela edição em vídeo do podcast. A série vídeo “Ciência com Impacto” será produzida e realizada pela Play Solutions Audiovisuais. O Diário de Notícias também aderiu, através da criação de uma rúbrica intitulada "Ciência com Impacto", que publicará os filmes e os podcasts e um texto editado a partir desses conteúdos. O Ciência Com Impacto contará, igualmente, com uma componente de ciência cidadã, de modo a envolver as empresas e o público em projetos de investigação.

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  • CESAM celebrates the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer highlighting the project EMERGE

    Published in 16/9/2020

    The ozone layer is a fragile shield of gas that protects the globe by absorbing 95% of the ultraviolet B radiation which is responsible for deleterious effects in living beings ultimately leading to death. This way, the ozone layer is crucial to preserve life on Earth. Recently, there have been improvements in the protection of the ozone layer through the gradual elimination of chemical products that destroy it and that are also strong greenhouse gases. The latest analysis points out that the ozone layer has been recovering at a rate of 1-3% per decade since 2000. This success is related to the Montreal Protocol (1987) on substances that lead to the destruction of the ozone layer. On the scope of this protocol, 197 signatory countries are compromised with the replacement of these substances. Presently, Montreal Protocol is the only environmental multilateral agreement with a universal adoption, being an inspiration on how Humanity is able to cooperate to face global challenges as well as an instrument to face the real climatic crisis. The project EMERGE – Evaluation, control and mitigation of the environmental impacts of shipping emissions, funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 program, aims to develop effective strategies and measures to reduce the environmental impact of shipping. At the University of Aveiro, this project gathers a multidisciplinary team of members of CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, that will measure and model the pollutant emissions of shipping, aiming to evaluate the impacts of these emissions in the water and in the air. This team will also contribute to the definition of mitigation measures along the main shipping routes and on sensitive marine regions of Europe. One of the study cases is the Port of Aveiro and the Lagoon of Aveiro as an ecosystem with a particular interest. The results of this project will be presented as recommendations and guidance for stakeholders and decision-makers useful to draw cost-beneficial options for a sustainable use of shipping on the medium and long term. This will be a major contribution to resolve the climatic crisis particularly giving the relevance of shipping on global transportation. The team of the project EMERGE

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  • Innovative method allows to quantify scientific capacity building in marine studies

    Published in 15/9/2020

    An innovative study, with authors from the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) of the University of Aveiro (UA), quantifies, on a global scale, the scientific training achieved over the last 50 years for the discovery of new natural products of marine origin. The study was published in the renowned magazine Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The developed tool will be essential to provide data for international political negotiations and to evaluate the successful implementation of the Nagoya Protocol under the Convention on Biological Diversity.  Marine biodiversity has an enormous potential for blue biotechnology, constituting an incredible reservoir of genetic and biological resources that can be used, for example, in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutraceutical industries. The increased interest in these products and the fact that they are bioprospected mostly by developed countries, and not necessarily by the countries where the biological material is collected, has raised several legal problems, namely related to the benefits resulting from the use of these resources. This issue is part of the Convention on Biological Diversity implemented in 1993, and later by the Nagoya Protocol. This Protocol provides practical guidance on how the process of accessing biological resources and sharing the benefits resulting from their use and associated knowledge should work. One of the key aspects of this Protocol is to empower the countries of origin of the resources so that they can exploit them in a sustainable manner and take advantage of their benefits. However, measuring the capacity of these countries is a complex task for which little data exist. The article “Fifty years of capacity building in the search for new marine natural products” shows how the capacity to improve knowledge, effectiveness and scientific independence of countries performing bioprospecting has changed since 1965. The authors have developed several metrics related to the country of origin of the compound and affiliation of the authors of the article that described it. While there have been long-standing efforts to build capacity in developing countries with marine areas with high levels of biodiversity, as well as to promote equity and scientific independence, the results show that not all countries are able to exploit their marine biological resources equally. Furthermore, the study shows that economic capacity affects the way countries with high levels of marine biodiversity are able to effectively exploit these resources. For example, countries such as India, Indonesia and Palau have demonstrated greater scientific capacity after 1993. Although countries such as Australia, the United States and Japan continue to maintain a dominant scientific position in this area of research before and after 1993, China has developed most in terms of scientific capability and independence. Since the article provides measurable data comparable across countries around the world, it is expected that these results may influence high-level international political negotiations that currently take place on access and benefit sharing associated with the exploitation of biological resources. The study is led by researcher Miguel Leal, from CESAM-UA, in co-authorship with Ricardo Calado, member of the same research unit. The team also includes two emeritus professors from the University of Canterbury (New Zealand), pioneers in the research of natural compounds of marine origin. The original article can be read here.

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  • Citizen Science project involving members of CESAM is highlighted in the new school year of the national schools

    Published in 14/9/2020

    The project “Populational dynamics of an invasive species in Baixo Vouga Lagunar”, coordinated by CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and DBio – Department of Biology of the University of Aveiro, has been presented to the national school community as an example of goodpractices in tools of the Minister of the Education and Science. This citizen science project results from a partnership with Estarreja Secondary School. In the document “Orientações para a recuperação e consolidação das aprendizagens ao longo do ano letivo de 2020/2021” (DGE – Direção-Geral da Educação (Minister of the Education and Science)), the project is mentioned as an example of goodpractices for the management and operationalization of the students’ curriculum in the context of the Domains of Curricular Autonomy and for the reorganization of the school, encouraging the work of learning stations/laboratories. This document was distributed to all the national schools and is intended to be an essential support tool in planning the upcoming school year. This roadmap, that resulted from the current scenario of uncertainty due to the COVID pandemic, has supporting material, presents concepts, and several examples that will benefit the schools. The project was also selected by DGE to be part of a set of videos of successful projects dedicated to the initiative Curricular Autonomy and Flexibility. This video shows the different phases of the project and the integration of the several disciplines involved. It can be seen here (in Portuguese). Moreover, an article was written by two students involved in the project. The work was submitted to the 27º Young Scientists National Competition and was awarded  the 4th position (ex aequo  with another project) in a total of 95 candidates. During one year (2018/2019), with monthly fieldwork, the 11ºA class from The Estarreja Secondary School studied the structure and population density of the freshwater crayfish Procambarus clarkii in Fermelã, Estarreja. This invasive species is responsible for causing serious damage to  rice fields all over the world and its abundant presence in Baixo Vouga Lagunar can be an important aspect to be considered in studies related to agricultural management, given the intense rice production in the region. This project of citizen science was coordinated by Inês Rosa (CESAM), Joana Pereira (CESAM & DBio) and Sofia Guilherme (CESAM & DBio) at the University of Aveiro, and by the Estarreja Secondary School  teachers : Dorinda Rebelo (Biology & Geology), Cecília Bento (Physics & Chemistry), Deolinda Tavares (Philosophy) and Etelvina Bronze (Portuguese). The project also had the logistic support of the Municipality of Estarreja.

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  • CESAM is part of the UA team that coordinates national consortium for training in Marine studies

    Published in 11/9/2020

    CESAM is part of the UA team that coordinates the Regional Ocean Teacher Academy - Portugal, the national center of the Ocean Teacher Global Academy, a body of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO) for development and capacity building in Sea Sciences. The application submitted by Portugal, involving 17 national entities and 170 researchers and technicians specialized in the area of sea and oceans was approved in early September and the consortium is being formalized.More information: https://www.ua.pt/pt/noticias/11/64264

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  • CESAM researcher co-authors three chapters of the new book edited by Springer

    Published in 10/9/2020

    CESAM researcher Irina Gorodetskaya co-authors three chapters of the book entitled “Atmospheric Rivers” edited by Springer. This thematic is one of the expertise of this researcher and she participated in the authorship of the chapters “Global and Regional Perspectives”, “Effects of Atmospheric Rivers” and "The Future of Atmospheric River Research and Applications”. The book is available here.

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  • CESAM is partner of Escola Azul

    Published in 10/9/2020

    CESAM is one of the new partners of the initiative Escola Azul, an educative program of the Minister of Maritime Affairs through the Direção-Geral de Política do Mar. This program distinguishes and orientates schools that work in themes related with the sea, and offers a vast quantity of activities with the target audience ranging from pre-school children to teachers. In this initial phase, CESAM proposes activities on the scope of the infrastructure COBI (Biological Research Collection of Marine Invertebrates) and of projects and research done in the research unit (e.g. PERICLES and AIRSHIP projects), but more activities are being planned. Moreover, CESAM offers mentorship in several areas including physical oceanography, ecosystems and marine biodiversity, deep sea, marine biotechnology, coastal risks, marine pollution, and fishing and aquaculture. The mission of Escola Azul is to promote Ocean Literacy in the school community and create more responsible and participative generations able to contribute to the sustainability of the Ocean. More information on this program including the list of partners, schools and activities can be consulted here: www.escolaazul.pt.

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  • CESAM develops SENSECOR project: towards Covid-19's fast tracking

    Published in 10/9/2020

    The project SENSECOR - Immunosensory integrated system for a fast and efficient detection of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 coordinated by CESAM-Universidade de Aveiro (UA), aims to develop an earlier, fast and efficient screening tool to detect the virus SARS-CoV-2 in symptomatic patients and is highlighted in the UAOnline news. The project is coordinated by the researcher Catarina Marques and has an interdisciplinary team from UA, including a total of six researchers from CESAM, CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, Institute of Electronic Engineering and Informatics of Aveiro (IEETA) and IT2. The complete news can be read here.

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  • Jornada teórico-prática sobre Voláteis e Óleos Essenciais

    Published in 2/5/2022

    1 July 2022 Registration by sending the completed registration form, with proof of payment, by June 24, 2022 to acsf@ciencias.ulisboa.pt. Poster

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  • Researcher of CESAM awarded with an ERC Starting Grant in the amount of 2.25 million euros

    Published in 3/9/2020

    The researcher Sónia Cruz of CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Associated Laboratory of the University of Aveiro, was awarded with an ERC (European Research Council) Starting Grant in the amount of 2.25 million euros to develop the project KleptoSlug. The project “KleptoSlug - Kleptoplasty: The sea slug that got away with stolen chloroplasts” aims to study kleptoplasty in sacoglossan sea slugs. Kleptoplasty is a process in which an organism “steals” specific organelles of plant cells where photosynthesis occurs (chloroplasts) from another organism (algae). Strikingly, these chloroplasts keep their functionality even in the absence of essential components of the plant cell. This fascinating process remains unclear with several unresolved questions, which the project KleptoSlug aims to clarify. Some of the questions that the project will try to answer are: How can an organelle exclusive of algae and plants keep its functionality for long periods in an animal cell? What benefits have the animal in retaining the chloroplast in its cells? Is it just an extra “food reserve” or more than that? How do sea slugs cope with eventual undesirable effects during the process? By the end of the funded 5 years, it will be possible to unravel the cellular mechanisms supporting the sequestration and maintenance of functional chloroplasts inside animal cells, as well as to determine the role of photosynthesis in sea slugs. ERC, set up by the European Union in 2007, is the main European funding organization for excellent frontier research.

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  • CESAM is partner in a European project funded with 15 million euros

    Published in 3/9/2020

    The project SPRINT - Sustainable Plant Protection Transition: A Global Health Approach, funded by the European Commission through the program Horizon 2020, just started and has members of CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies in its team. The project has received funded of almost 15 million euros and is coordinated by Wageningen University. SPRINT will make an internationally valid contribution to assess integrated risks and impacts of pesticides on environment and human health, both at regional and European level. This way, the project will contribute to the adoption of innovative transition pathways towards more sustainable plant protection in the context of a global health approach. The team of University of Aveiro has experts in aquatic and terrestrial ecotoxicology and Environmental Risk Assessment with a vast experience in the study of impacts of pesticides in biodiversity. The coordination of this team is made by Doctor Nelson Abrantes.

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  • CESAM´s professor was interviewed by a national newspaper about Covid-19

    Published in 31/3/2020

    Macau closed its casinos for 15 days and measures the temperature at the entrance to public services. Taiwan imposes fines for those who violate measures. Millions of people in China are quarantined. Germans trust their health care system and employers. Portugal, at the tip of Europe, got ready for the battle against Covid-19. The tactics of a fight. Hard. Adelaide Almeida, researcher in the field of viruses and antibiotics, professor of microbiology, understands Macau's response. "It is the third coronavirus outbreak, Macau has the experience of other pandemics and was more frightened than us". The population was aware of the danger, the risks of another coronavirus that was being installed beside them. "People were scared and knew that they had to protect themselves, that they had to isolate themselves." Full news here.

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  • CESAM’s ERA Chair project approved

    Published in 25/3/2020

    The Project BESIDE - Institutional, BEhavioural, critical and adaptive economics towards SustaInable Development, management of natural capital and circular Economy, submitted by CESAM to the H2020 ERA Chairs call, was recently approved. Ana Isabel Lillebø, CESAM's Scientific Coordinator, will be the Coordinator of this Project. ERA Chairs projects bring outstanding academics, with proven research excellence and management skills, to universities and research institutions in Widening countries with potential for research excellence. BESIDE’s project aims to consolidate at the UA Associated Laboratory CESAM a research group of excellence in Environmental Economics and Natural Resources. This will boost the existing fundamental and applied research activities by filling the identified gaps on: i) financial impact of environmental policies, ii) high-skilled jobs opportunities, and iii) circular economy business models. An ERA Chair holder will be hired for the position of Coordinator Researcher and fund 5 researchers and 3 PhD students. BESIDE is fully aligned with UN sustainable development goals for 2030, EU priorities that include the commitment for an intelligent, sustainable and inclusive growth based on knowledge and innovation and the shared pursuit of excellence, and with the national and Centro-Portugal region research and innovation strategies for smart specialisation (RIS3).

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  • ISO Plenary Meeting for Soil Quality

    Published in 6/7/2020

    Between October 15th and 18th (2019), the annual Plenary Meeting of the Technical Commission (TC) 190 of the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) took place, for the first time, in Portugal, in a joint organization by members of the Universities of Aveiro, Coimbra, and Porto. Several international delegates, representing national standardization entities, governmental and non-governmental, met at the University of Aveiro for the standardization of regulation for the evaluation of soil quality.

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  • Perto de 700 mil pessoas viram documentário em que o CESAM é parceiro científico!

    Published in 26/3/2020

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    (Only available in Portuguese) Transmitido no passado domingo, dia 22 de março, pelo canal de televisão SIC, o programa “Lousada. Reencontro com a Natureza” foi visto por cerca de 700 mil pessoas, merecendo o destaque no site da SIC (https://sic.pt/maissic/2020-03-22-Documentario-Vida-Selvagem-gravado-por-equipa-portuguesa). Para este ano está prevista a produção de mais dois documentários, a exibir em horário nobre, que contarão com o envolvimento e a autoria de investigadores do CESAM. Divulgar como o conhecimento científico é cada vez mais importante nas nossas vidas e é uma das prioridades do CESAM. Quando este tempo, difícil para todos, passar iremos dar a conhecer novos projetos de divulgação de ciência, que queremos inclusivos e com um grande envolvimento da comunidade CESAM e UA, além de outros parceiros científicos.   Para quem não viu o documentário e tenha uma box TV, pesquise por Domingo 12H12 SIC  “Lousada. Reencontro com a Natureza”.   O programa “Lousada. Reencontro com a Natureza” traz ao grande ecrã histórias naturais desconhecidas do grande público, de que são exemplos: uma águia que alimenta as crias com favos de vespa asiática, as lutas entre enormes escaravelhos, até aos maiores lagartos da Europa que vivem num campo de futebol. Foram mais de 800 horas de filmagens de comportamentos animais, alguns nunca filmados antes em Portugal. Situado no norte de Portugal, Lousada é um concelho densamente povoado, e, como consequência, a paisagem é marcada por uma grande concentração de casas e outras estruturas humanas. Aqui, a atividade humana é intensa, mas, apesar do desaparecimento de grande parte dos habitats naturais, a vida selvagem tende a resistir e muitas espécies começam a aproveitar as oportunidades geradas pela presença humana. Vamos dar a conhecer um projeto de conservação da natureza inovador e o trabalho extraordinário de um grupo de pessoas dedicadas à proteção da diversidade biológica. "Lousada - reencontro com a Natureza" envolveu o apoio logístico dos biólogos e técnicos do Município de Lousada e do Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM) da Universidade de Aveiro, que foi parceiro cientifico.  

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  • A photography from a CESAM’s researcher was selected for the cover of the Marine Biotechnology Journal’s April issue

    Published in 23/3/2020

    A photography from Tânia Caetano, CESAM’s researcher, was selected for the cover of the Marine Biotechnology Journal’s April issue. The photography illustrates the culture of a halophilic microorganism from the Archaea domain surrounded by a high amount of salt. The scientific work included in the volume and which led to the selection of this image is entitled "Antibiotics from Haloarchaea: What Can We Learn from Comparative Genomics?”. The work was carried out by Inês Castro, MSc in Microbiology, from the Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory under the supervision of the Assistant Researcher Tânia Caetano and Assistant Professor with aggregation Sónia Mendo (CESAM&DBio).The study explores comparative genomics as method to deepen the knowledge on the mechanisms of secondary metabolites biosynthesis. The biosynthesis of halocins was used as proof-of-concept, which are antibiotics produced by Archaea halophils - the haloarchaea. + https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10126-020-09952-9

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  • "Lousada. Reencontro com a Natureza" - March 22, 12pm at SIC - with CESAM as scientific partner

    Published in 19/3/2020

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    'Lousada. Reencontro com a Natureza', portrays the work of inventorying the diversity of animals and plants and the conservation efforts to help wildlife in the municipality of Lousada. This is a territory with a strong human presence and therefore the natural areas are reduced and are dispersed throughout the landscape. But despite this, many species, some threatened, manage to survive in this region. 'Lousada. Reecontro com a Natureza' will bring to the big screen natural stories unknown to the general public like the largest lizards in Europe living in a football field. It is a documentary that portrays our natural values, their relationship with humanized spaces, but also social involvement, and the way in which this involvement results in the sustainability of the territory and the enhancement of Biodiversity. It will also showcase an innovative nature conservation project and the extraordinary work of a group of people dedicated to the protection of biological diversity. This 45 minutes documentary took about 18 months and over 800 hours of footage. Joaquim Pedro Ferreira, CESAM's researcher, shares the authorship of this documentary with Manuel Nunes and Milene Matos and the production with Pedro Miguel Ferreira. 'Lousada. Reencontro com a Natureza' is a Play Solutions-Audiovisuais and Municipality of Lousada Production, that has CESAM as scientific partner. 

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  • CESAM member nominated as national representative for the Management Committee of the new COST action in epigenetics/epigenomics

    Published in 2/9/2020

    The CESAM Professor and Researcher Glória Pinto has been nominated as national representative for the  Management Committee of the COST ACTION CA19125: EPI-CATCH - EPIgenetic mechanisms of Crop Adaptation To Climate cHange”. This new COST action aims to define, develop, generate and share new breaking knowledge and methodologies for the investigation of epigenetic mechanisms modulating plant adaptation to environmental stresses driven by climate change. More specifically, EPI-CATCH has been created with the objective of standardizing methodology in plant epigenetics/epigenomics and better integrate these data with other “omic” approaches, creating a pan-European framework for networking in this under-investigated research field. 

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  • Covid 19 - CESAM supports Hospital de Aveiro delivering protective material

    Published in 23/3/2020

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    "We responded positively to a challenge from the Centro Hospitalar do Baixo Vouga (CHBV) that asked for the provision of some protective materials. UA community responded immediately and continues to help and will be available to help in whatever is necessary," said Artur Silva, UA vice-rector for research.  In addition to the production and delivery of disinfectant, assured from CESAM by Anabela Pereira, Biology/Environmental Laboratories Technician, and Joana Barata, Technological Development Researcher,  the Academy responded to the request for delivery of protective material for the clinical staff of the Hospital de Aveiro with the delivery of lab coats, masks and gloves stored in the Chemistry, Biology and Environment Departments, Escola Superior de Saúde and ECOMARE, as well as in several Research Units (CESAM, CICECO, LAQV_REQUIMTE-Aveiro). + https://bit.ly/2QnUA2H

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  • Advanced Course: "How to work with ecotoxicology data – hands on course"

    Published in 2/5/2022

    Advanced Course "How to work with ecotoxicology data – hands on course" 11-15 July Registration: https://forms.office.com/r/RbvmtWNtYQ Poster  

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  • COVID-19 info

    Published in 21/5/2020

    Dear CESAM member: Taking into account the current situation and the recommendations by the Portuguese Government and the Rector of the University of Aveiro, CESAM staff has been reduced to a minimum possible onsite - the administrative staff is working remotely (those who are not on leave due to assistance to children). Until further notice, all communications with any staff member should favor the use of email and/or phone calls. As requested before please use institutional emails -this facilitates the correct and fastest way of response. We will try to keep things running as smoothly as possible. Please keep following the current situation which is updated regularly in the University of Aveiro website https://www.ua.pt/en/covid-19-info https://www.ua.pt/en/covid-19-faq       Imagem de mohamed Hassan por Pixabay 

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  • CESAM's Researcher - José Alves - signs an article in national newspaper

    Published in 16/3/2020

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    The land of make-believe — that will certainly be made to pay the bill! Since the Environmental Impact Assessment for Montijo Airport was made public, in July 2019, its failures, with regard to the evaluation of impacts on the birds of the estuary have come to be revealed. In September 2019, these limitations were presented in public consultation to the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA). In January 2020 they released a Declaration of Environmental Impact (DIA) “conditionally approving” the project — nullifying practically any subsequent discussion of this subject. However, it has now been reported that the technical report by specialists of the national authority for nature conservation (Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e Florestas — ICNF) attests that the impacts of this project “…call into question the integrity of the whole Special Protection Area” of the Tagus Estuary, and that the assessment of the ICNF “must be negative”, on pain of “possible future [European] community legislation.” Continue reading here: https://bit.ly/2vuTivS This article was written by the Researcher José Alves.

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  • CESAM participates in work that reveals that banana peels may be efficient in cleaning contaminated waters

    Published in 11/3/2020

    The PhD student of CESAM & CICECO Elaine Fabre is the first author of the article published in the journal Science of the Total Environment that shows that banana peels are highly efficient in removing heavy metals of contaminated waters, namely with mercury. The complete news can be read here and had a national visibility (e.g., SIC Notícias).

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  • CESAM brings closer researchers and the community with the new project "Ciência com Impacto"

    Published in 10/3/2020

    [Content only available in Portuguese] Que impacto têm as descobertas científicas na sociedade? E como podem ajudar na nossa vida quotidiana? Estas são as questões de partida que inspiram o “Ciência com Impacto”, uma nova iniciativa do Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM) da Universidade de Aveiro. O programa acaba de arrancar, tendo começado já a chegar ao grande público através de canais digitais, seguindo-se um conjunto de ações no terreno. “Ciência com Impacto” representa uma forma inédita de retirar as descobertas científicas do laboratório e dos gabinetes dos investigadores, divulgando-as e promovendo-as junto da comunidade. A ação é constituída por vídeos temáticos de três minutos e de podcasts com uma hora de duração. Estes conteúdos são divulgados com uma periodicidade semanal, com a publicação dos vídeos a alternar com a semana de divulgação dos podcasts. O primeiro vídeo já está disponível em https://cienciacomimpacto.pt e é protagonizado por Catarina Eira, investigadora do CESAM, que fala do seu trabalho na área da ecologia e conservação das populações de mamíferos marinhos que ocorrem na costa portuguesa. O primeiro podcast estará disponível na próxima segunda-feira, dia 16 de março. No âmbito da iniciativa “Ciência com Impacto” serão ainda realizados debates sobre temas da atualidade, associados às áreas do ambiente, saúde humana, ecologia, mar e biotecnologia, entre outros. Estes encontros contarão com a presença e o contributo de investigadores do CESAM e de outros atores relevantes para a temática abordada. A Bondalti, indústria química parceira do projeto, assume a produção, realização e divulgação dos podcasts, que estão a ser alojados num media host e disponibilizados nas plataformas habituais (em áudio) e no Youtube (em vídeo). Além desta divulgação, o podcast será emitido pela Rádio Voz da Ria, que se associa através da cedência dos estúdios. O Diário de Notícias também se associou e será criada uma rúbrica quinzenal intitulada "Ciência com Impacto", que publicará o podcast e uma entrevista editada a partir dele.  “Ciência com Impacto” contará, igualmente, com uma componente de ciência cidadã, de modo a envolver as empresas e o público em projetos de investigação.

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  • CESAM in the Science Week of a local school

    Published in 10/3/2020

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    [Text only available in Portuguese] Membros do Laboratório de Biotecnologia Molecular (Departamento de Biologia e CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro), estiveram presentes na Semana da Ciência da Escola Secundária Adolfo Portela em Águeda nos dias 04 e 06 de março. No primeiro dia, Joana Barbosa, recentemente doutorada foi apresentar o seu trabalho de Doutoramento numa palestra intitulada “Bactérias: Quando os vilões trabalham a nosso favor”. A palestra foi dirigida a cerca de 50 alunos e professores essencialmente do 10º e 11º anos. No dia 06 de março, investigadores do laboratório (um doutorado e estudantes de doutoramento e de mestrado) dinamizaram um workshop sobre Técnicas de Cultura de procariotas e avaliação de características fenotípicas. Este workshop foi dirigido a 20 alunos do 11º ano.

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  • Research project led by University of Aveiro receives 300 000 € funding to study Côa Valley

    Published in 9/3/2020

    The project rWILD-COA was approved for funding by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), in the scope of the International Research Program on Côa Valley, which aims to promote interdisciplinar and multidisciplinar R&D activities performed in the region of Côa Valley, classified by UNESCO as World Heritage Site in 2019. The project rWILD-COA - Ecological challenges and opportunities of trophic rewilding in Côa Valley, has a multidisciplinary and international team: João Carvalho (Principal Investigator), Rita T. Torres, Rui Morgado, Susana Loureiro and Carlos Fonseca, all from Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Association Rewilding Iberia, Association Transumância e Natureza, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and  Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona.   rWILD-COA will use Côa Valley as a natural laboratory to test and quantify the potential role of wild ungulates as ‘engineers’ of Mediterranean ecosystem. The project rWILD-COA will provide the necessary knowledge to the implementation of self-sustainable ecosystems. By integrating a variety of specialized teams and disciplines, rWILD-COA is aimed to i) evaluate the effects of extensive and intensive grazing and/or browsing on fire risk mitigation, ii) predict how ungulates impact soil ecological processes and functioning (e.g. soil microbial activity, biogeochemical cycling) by grazing, grubbing, trampling and dunging, and study how these activities influence vegetation structure and invertebrate communities through soil nutrient mediation, iii) explore the direct and indirect pathways by which ungulates buffer or strengthen changes in species richness and diversity in the face of other environmental perturbations, such as climate warming, and iv) analyse plant-soil feedback effects and the role of inter and intraspecific competition on foraging efficiency, diet quality and animal health of reintroduced individuals. the ecological and functional processes of the soil (e.g. microbial activity, biogeochemical cycles), and study how these activities influence the structure of the vegetation and the community of invertebrates through the mediation of the nutrients’ cycle, iii) evaluate the effects of intensive and extensive pastoralism in the mitigation of fire risk, and iv) analyze the effects of the resources competition in the quality of the diet and physiological parameters of reintroduced animals.

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  • Irina Gorodetskaya is interviewed regarding the temperature rise in Antarctic

    Published in 4/3/2020

    The national journal JPN wrote, on February 20, an article on the temperature record obtained in Antarctic. CESAM researcher Irina Gorodetskaya was interviewed to give her testimony on this thematic and the article was updated on February 26. Irina Gorodetskaya is an expert in meteorology and clime with several works in Antarctic. The article can be read here [in Portuguese].

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  • X Iberian Symposium - Minho River Basin & Final Seminar of the COOPERMINHO Project in Vila Nova de Cerveira, Portugal 25-26 Sep

    Published in 30/4/2020

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    O Simpósio vai decorrer em vila Nova de Cerveira de 25 a 26 de setembro de 2020. A realização do SIBHRM, com uma periodicidade bianual, junta participantes de Espanha e Portugal, no sentido de atualizar informação e promover a discussão sobre temas pertinentes para a região, tendo por base os recursos naturais e importância da preservação da biodiversidade associada ao Rio Minho. A edição deste ano, irá realizar-se em conjunto com o Seminário Final do projeto COOPERMINHO - Valorização da Produção Piscatória do Rio Minho – Contribuição para a Gestão e Valorização de Produtos da Pesca do Rio Minho – Comunicação e Formação Socioambiental da Comunidade Local para a valorização dos Recursos Piscícolas do Rio Minho. A inscrição neste evento é gratuita mas obrigatória e pode ser feita aqui. Datas importantes: Data limite de inscrição: 31 julho Data limite de envio de resumos: 31 julho Data limite de envio de trabalhos: 01 setembro

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  • Documentary with the support of CESAM will be soon released

    Published in 3/3/2020

    The documentary “Lousada - Reencontro com a Natureza” will be soon released in the national TV channel, SIC. This documentary involved the logistic support of biologists and technicians of the Municipality of Lousada and CESAM, which was the scientific partner. Joaquim Pedro Ferreira, researcher of CESAM, shared the authorship and direction of this documentary. Placed in the North of Portugal, Lousada is a place with a dense population and, as a consequence, the landscape has a big concentration of houses and other human-built structures. Regardless the elimination of several natural habitats, the wild life often resists and several species took profit from the opportunities created by the human presence. The company Play Solutions Audiovisuais and the Municipality of Lousada present natural histories unknown for the general public, such as: an eagle that feeds its offspring with honeycombs of Asian hornets, the fights between huge scarab beetles, and the largest lizards in Europe living in a football field. The documentary resulted from more than 800 filming hours of animal behavior, some of them were never registered in Portugal. We invite you to meet an innovative project of nature conservation and the extraordinary work of a group of people dedicated to the protection of biodiversity. The trailer can be seen here.

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  • A new book on Methods to Study Litter Decomposition - A Practical Guide was published with the contribution of CESAM’s researchers

    Published in 28/8/2020

    A new  book on Methods to Study Litter Decomposition - A Practical Guide was published with the contribution of CESAM’s researchers to the following chapter:   Flindt, M.R., A.I. Lillebø, J. Pérez, V. Ferreira (2020) Total phosphorus, nitrogen and carbon in leaf litter. In: Methods to Study Litter Decomposition: A practical guide. Scientific Editors: Baerlocher, Felix, Gessner, Mark O., Graça, Manuel A.S., Springer. Chapter 11, pp 91-105.    

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  • CESAM promotes contest that combines science and art

    Published in 2/5/2022

    As part of the celebration of its 20th anniversary, the CESAM is launching the 1st science and art contest, aimed at teams that include integrated members and post-graduate students of CESAM. The contest runs until May 30th. CICA - Science with Art is a contest at the interface between science and art, which aims to fund the creation and development of actions that express, in an artistic way, the areas of intervention of CESAM, while stimulating scientific literacy. The motto of the contest is "art as a vehicle for the democratization of science" and, as such, it is intended to value proposals that combine scientific knowledge with art and education for science. The winning proposal, selected by a jury, will have a CESAM contribution of up to 4000 €. Proposals must be sent to cesam-divulga@ua.pt by May 30, 2022. Learn more about the conditions of participation here. Pamphlet

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  • Catarina Eira gives the alarm: At least one dolphin dies per day in Portugal due to fishing nets

    Published in 2/3/2020

    The CESAM researcher  Catarina Eira, explains in the online journal Observador, how fishing nets can contribute to the extinction of some dolphin species and possible solutions to this problem. Data result from LIFE+ project MarPro.

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  • CESAM participates in a sea turtle conservation project on the beaches of Angola

    Published in 2/3/2020

    Cambeú project is focused in the protection of sea turtles that spawn in the beaches of Angola and that are seriously threaten. The news was given by UAOnline and was also highlighted by the journal Wilder [in PT].

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  • Book of CESAM in Science Communication

    Published in 27/2/2020

    [Content only available in Portuguese] Já pode ser lido o livro Comunicação de Ciência – das universidades ao grande público, editado pelas Edições Afrontamento (coleção Biologicando). Este livro foi publicado no âmbito das atividades do CESAM e conta com a contribuição de vários membros e colaboradores desta unidade de investigação. A obra é dirigida a todos os que ambicionam melhorar as suas capacidades de comunicação para vários públicos e responde a várias questões que assolam os Cientistas, Comunicadores e a Sociedade. O Reitor da Universidade de Aveiro, prof. Paulo Jorge Ferreira, refere no antelóquio que “com abordagens teóricas e práticas na dose certa, os onze capítulos focam-se naquilo que deve ser a comunicação de ciência das universidades para o grande público, nas várias formas que pode assumir e nos diversos contextos em que pode acontecer”. Assim, neste livro, poderá ler-se como comunicar ciência (desde um artigo científico a uma banda desenhada) e em contextos variados (por exemplo Centros de Ciência Viva e ONG). Este livro pretende não só beneficiar a comunidade científica e a Ciência, mas também a Sociedade, contribuindo para melhorar a prática da comunicação e a discussão das questões teóricas que fundamentam essa prática.

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  • ANICT 2020 local symposium - March 5th , UA

    Published in 24/2/2020

    ANICT 2020 events are a group of local symposia, organized by the scientific community in various parts of the country, with the aim of collecting information on the main problems that doctoral researchers face in the development of their work activity, as well as presenting and discussing concrete proposals with priority scientific policies that the government should implement. The relevance and urgency of these events is related to the mandate of the Comissão de Avaliação de Alto Nível de avaliação do Programa de Estímulo ao Emprego Científico, which should present its recommendations to the Government, by the end of March 2020. ANICT invites the entire community to participate in the events. Specifically, the event to be held at the University of Aveiro will take place on March 5th at Carlos Borrego Amphitheater (DAO), between 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm, with the organization and moderation of CESAM Scientific Coordinator Ana Lillebø and the researchers Sónia Cruz and João Amaral.  

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  • Asian clams clean contaminated water

    Published in 18/2/2020

    Work of CESAM with University of Porto explores the potential of an invasive species to treat contaminated waters. The complete news here.

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  • CESAM hosts the series Bio Id & Ciência

    Published in 2/3/2020

    [Content only available in Portuguese] O objectivo da série é dar a conhecer a diversidade de organismos, o seu papel nos ecossistemas e o contributo que têm dado à ciência. Cada episódio, com periodicidade quinzenal, inicia com uma espécie de “bilhete de identidade” de um organismo e dará a conhecer as descobertas científicas que lhe estão associadas. É um catálogo de diversidade biológica, desde bactérias a grandes vertebrados, dado a conhecer por investigadores do CESAM. Esta produção audiovisual insere-se no cumprimento da missão do CESAM de promoção e divulgação do conhecimento científico. O primeiro episódio pode ser visto aqui. Esta série era antes uma iniciativa do Departamento de Biologia da Universidade de Aveiro e que também teve a colaboração de vários membros do CESAM. Todos os vídeos publicados até ao momento podem ser vistos aqui.

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  • CANCELLED - Public presentation of the project CIÊNCIA COM IMPACTO

    Published in 5/3/2020

    FOR PERSONAL AND FAMILIAR REASONS OF ONE OF THE INVOLVED PARTIES, THIS EVENT WAS CANCELED AND WILL BE POSTPONED FOR A NEW DATE NOT YET CONFIRMED. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE. [Text available only in Portuguese] O CESAM-Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar tem uma nova iniciativa que pretende retirar as grandes e pequenas descobertas científicas do laboratório e dos gabinetes dos investigadores. O projeto terá o nome de Ciência com impacto e a sua apresentação pública será no dia 06 de março, pelas 15h no Auditório do ISCA da Universidade de Aveiro. Ciência Com Impacto é um projeto de divulgação e promoção do conhecimento científico produzido nas áreas do ambiente, saúde humana, do mar, da ecologia e da biotecnologia por investigadores do Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM) da Universidade de Aveiro.  O principal objetivo deste projeto é mostrar como o conhecimento científico, que está a ser gerado neste preciso momento, tem impacto nas nossas vidas e no nosso quotidiano, como esse conhecimento resolve problemas, ajuda a tomar decisões e como permite que sejamos cidadãos mais ativos e responsáveis. Ciência Com Impacto será constituída por vídeos temáticos de três minutos e de podcasts com uma hora de duração. Estes conteúdos terão uma periodicidade quinzenal: a publicação dos vídeos alterna com a semana de divulgação dos podcasts. Serão ainda realizados debates sobre temas da atualidade, associados às áreas do ambiente, saúde humana, ecologia, mar e biotecnologia, entre outros que contarão com a presença e o contributo de investigadores do CESAM e de outros atores relevantes para a temática abordada. Ciência Com Impacto terá, também, uma componente de ciência cidadã de modo a envolver as empresas e o público em projetos de investigação. Ciência Com Impacto é um projeto da Universidade de Aveiro, que conta com o apoio da produtora Play Solutions Audiovisuais  e a parceria da Bondalti – a maior indústria química portuguesa. 

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  • CESAM faculty is the new CTO of ForestWISE

    Published in 14/2/2020

    Carlos Fonseca, professor of CESAM, took office as CTO of the Collaborative Laboratory ForestWISE on February 10, in a ceremony which had the presence of the Minister Manuel Heitor. The event at UTAD, brought together companies and public institutions interested in seeking answers to the challenge of an integrated management of rural fires. The complete news here.

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  • CESAM in the scientific commission of Jornadas Luso-Espanholas de Hidrografia

    Published in 13/2/2020

    The Instituto Hidrográfico (Portugal) and Instituto Hidrográfico de la Marina (Spain) co-organize, for the first time, the 1st Luso-Spanish Journeys on Hydrography. The CESAM researcher, Doctor Ana Lillebø, belongs to the scientific commission of this event. These journeys will happen in Instituto Hidrográfico from 23 to 25 June. This event occurs in the context of the World Hydrography Day (21 June) and is an opportunity for the scientific community discuss themes related with hydrographic engineering and in related areas. The themes that are going to be addressed in the journeys are: Hydrography Cartography Navigation and Maritime Services Oceanography Marine Geology Chemistry in marine environments Sea Technologies Marine Geospatial Data infrastructures Important dates: Abstract submission: 13 Mar Extended abstract submission: 04 May Release of temporary program: 15 Apr Registration: 15 Apr – 09 Jun More information here.

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  • CESAM inputs for the declaration and themes for the 2020 UN Ocean Conference

    Published in 10/2/2020

    Following the participation in the Preparatory Meeting of the 2020 United Nations Ocean Conference held in the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 4-5 February CESAM’s representatives contributed to the stakeholders E-Consultation on elements for the declaration and themes for the interactive dialogues of the 2020 United Nations Ocean Conference that will take place in Lisbon, 2-6 June. The complete CESAM’s contributions can be read here (line 99).

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  • CESAM went to school on April 26, 27 and 29

    Published in 29/4/2022

    On April 26, 27 and 29, several CESAM researchers were with two 9th grade and one 12th grade classes of the Aveiro School Grouping, to talk about science and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, as well as share their paths as researchers.

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  • A new Open Access book was published with the contribution of CESAM’s researchers

    Published in 27/8/2020

    A new Open Access book - O’Higgins T., Lago M., DeWitt T. (eds) (2020) Ecosystem-Based Management, Ecosystem Services and Aquatic Biodiversity, Springer, 580pp (ISBN : 978-3-030-45842-3) - was published with the contribution of CESAM’s researchers to the following chapters:   Culhane F.E., Robinson L.A., Lillebø A.I. (2020) Approaches for Estimating the Supply of Ecosystem Services: Concepts for Ecosystem-Based Management in Coastal and Marine Environments. In: O’Higgins T., Lago M., DeWitt T. (eds) Ecosystem-Based Management, Ecosystem Services and Aquatic Biodiversity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45843-0_6Lillebø A.I., Teixeira H., (...) Nogueira A.A.J.  (2020) Mitigating Negative Unintended Impacts on Biodiversity in the Natura 2000 Vouga Estuary (Ria de Aveiro, Portugal). In: O’Higgins T., Lago M., DeWitt T. (eds) Ecosystem-Based Management, Ecosystem Services and Aquatic Biodiversity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45843-0_24McDonald H., (…) Teixeira H. (2020) Ecosystem-Based Management for More Effective and Equitable Marine Protected Areas: A Case Study on the Faial-Pico Channel Marine Protected Area, Azores. In: O’Higgins T., Lago M., DeWitt T. (eds) Ecosystem-Based Management, Ecosystem Services and Aquatic Biodiversity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45843-0_25     Download book here: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-45843-0

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  • Participatory meeting on the control of invasive species in Ria de Aveiro had the presence of CESAM

    Published in 6/2/2020

    The Directorate-General responsible for nature conservation and forests convene on February 03 2020, in University of Aveiro, a participatory meeting on the control of invasive alien species in Ria de Aveiro. Several entities of the region of Aveiro were present, including University of Aveiro represented by CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies. The participatory meeting organized by the Direção Regional da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas do Centro focused on the “Control of invasive alien species in Natura 2000 Site Ria de Aveiro in the context of the commemoration of the World Wetlands Day, this year dedicated to the theme Wetlands and Biodiversity. The main goal of the meeting was to prepare and operationalize a control plan of the invasive alien species in Ria de Aveiro Site. Invasions has been identified in the National Strategy for the Conservation of Nature and Biodiversity 2030 as one of the major threats to biodiversity. CESAM researcher Heliana Teixeira, was invited to be present in the meeting and presented the first exhaustive survey of the aquatic invasive alien species in Ria de Aveiro that has been made by her team. Professor Hélia Marchante from Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra and researcher of CFE- UC, co-responsible for the platform Invasoras.pt, was also present and reported the terrestrial invasive alien species that constitute major impacts and of higher concern in the area. Several entities of the Central region of Portugal participated in this meeting, including municipalities, environmental agencies, relevant Directorates-General, University of Aveiro represented by CESAM, other high education entities, Guarda Nacional Republicana, Port of Aveiro administration and Capitania.

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  • CESAM present in the Ocean Conference Preparatory Meeting in New York

    Published in 5/2/2020

    In anticipation of the 2020 United Nations Ocean Conference, the General Assembly of UN decided to convene a two-day preparatory meeting from 4-5 February 2020 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Ana Lillebø, the Scientific Coordinator of CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and representatives of the CESAM thematic line Marine Ecosystems & Resources are present in this event. The 2020 United Nations Ocean Conference will be held in Lisbon, 2-6 June 2020 co-hosted by Government of Portugal and Kenya. This event comes at a critical time as the world is strengthening its efforts to mobilize, create and drive solutions to realize the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. In anticipation of this Conference, the General Assembly organized a preparatory meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York aiming to discuss the actions to support the implementation of UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 14 – Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Universidade de Aveiro is present in this event with Ana Lillebø, CESAM’s scientific Coordinator, together with Ricardo Calado and Cristina Pita, coordinator and co-coordinator of the CESAM thematic line Marine Ecosystems & Resources, respectively. The main aims of this thematic line are to contribute to a Blue Society, where solutions are inspired by the ocean, and improve ocean and coastal decision-making, supported by solid scientific knowledge. This is in line with the ultimate goal of the 2020 United Nations Ocean Conference which is to use science and innovation to improve the knowledge on marine ecosystems and manage the marine resources in a sustainable way. At the opening of the meeting, the delivery from the Portuguese Minister of the Sea, Dr. Ricardo Serrão Santos, highlighted that “Portugal, as a strong voice for ocean law and governance, and for science-based policy, will stay at the forefront of the advocacy for the recognition that we need transformative action”, reinforcing the relevance of this theme at a national level in the future.  More on this preparatory meeting and on the 2020 United Nations Ocean Conference here.

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  • Portuguese newspaper Público takes CESAM researcher to the area that will be impacted by the construction of the new airport in Lisbon

    Published in 4/2/2020

    The Portuguese newspaper Público made na article on the impact of Montijo Airport in birds and took the CESAM researcher, José Alves, and Joaquim Teodósio from the Portuguese society of birds (SPEA - Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves). Watch the video here [in PT]. This issue was cover on the today’s newspaper.

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  • CESAM paper is highlighted in Nature Climate Change

    Published in 3/2/2020

    The work of CESAM researcher Isabel Lopes and collaborator Cátia Venâncio entitled Active emigration from climate change-caused seawater intrusion into freshwater habitats was highlighted in the prestigious journal Nature Climate Change. One of the aims of this research was to answer the question if mobile freshwater organisms emigrate from salinity-disturbed habitats, i.e. if they avoid the salinity stress. Results show that planktonic crustacean (Daphnia magna), epibenthic ostracod (Heterocypris incongruens), frog (Xenopus laevis) and zebrafish (Danio rerio) show this behavior.  Seawater intrusion is an expected event under climate change scenarios, resulting in a salinization of low-lying coastal freshwater ecosystems. Usually, ecological risk assessment of this intrusion is based in standard toxicity tests.  The highlight given by Nature Climate Change is a call for attention that, for mobile organisms, stress avoidance emigration may occur and it will be important to consider it to assess the full risk of local losses due to salinization.

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  • CESAM researcher in Dutch media talking about the threat to the national bird

    Published in 31/1/2020

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    The black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa) is one of many wader species that uses the Tagus estuary as resting and feeding area during the winter, and one which is predicted to be seriously affected by the new Lisbon airport, located in the Montijo peninsula, in the middle of the Tagus estuary. The breeding population of black-tailed godwit in central Europa (particularly the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and England) has suffered drastic declines of 30-49% during the last 26 years. Due to such negative population trend, the species is classified as “near threatened” by the International Union for Nature Conservation, and is currently targeted by several conservation programs, many of which financed by the European Union (Life Projects, Agri-Environemtal Schemes, etc.). And, in the Netherlands, the black-tailed godwit is the national bird! José Alves, DBIO & CESAM researcher was interview this week by broadcaster from Friesland (Omrop Fryslan), Dutch province where black-tailed godwits are very abundant. The new was published on-line and broadcasted in the radio and tv, reaching national media (e.g. NOS), which in turn lead to environmental NGOs asking the Dutch government about the issue. The news has been gaining momentum in the Netherlands and “it is very interesting to notice that an EU member state dedicates so much attention to one species, when in Portugal, where many other species will be directly affected by the airport location, this topic has had little to no debate”.

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  • CESAM in an inventory of pollinator insects in the spaces of UA

    Published in 31/1/2020

    About 200 species of insects, mainly pollinators, were identified in 3 spaces of Universidade de Aveiro (UA) on the scope of the Master thesis in Applied Ecology of David Alves supervised by the researchers of Department of Biology and CESAM, Olga Ameixa and Paula Maia. More information on this work here [in PT].

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  • 6th Smart Green Homes Open Campus: 120 publications and 23 patents

    Published in 30/1/2020

    The project Smart Green Homes (SGH) that has CESAM members in its team boosted another edition of the Smart Green Homes (SGH) Open Campus in 29 January at Universidade de Aveiro. This event gathered the researchers of this project in the discussion and presentation of the worked obtained so far. The complete news here [in PT].

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  • CESAM participates in event organized by the Ministry of the Sea on the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development

    Published in 30/1/2020

    Ministry of the Sea, Academia das Ciências de Lisboa and the Portuguese Committee for IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission)/UNESCO are organizing a session dedicated to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development: From challenges to actions. This session will be held on the 14th February 2020 in Academia das Ciências de Lisboa. Program includes the participation of experts that will present and debate on how Ocean Science can contribute to Sustainable Development and the objectives of Agenda 2030. The event will have the presence of the Minister of the Sea, Dr. Ricardo Serrão Santos and of the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Eduaction, Dr. Manuel Heitor. Prof. Luis Menezes Pinheiro, President of the Portuguese Committee for IOC and researcher at CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Universidade de Aveiro, will share the opening session with the Minister of the Sea and will be the moderator of the panel The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Doctor Ana Hilário, researcher at CESAM, with a recognized curriculum on deep sea ecosystems, will be a speaker in the round table Ocean observation and protection measures. The complete program of the event can be consulted here. This session will be interesting for all including young researchers and post-grad students. The event is public but requires registration through the email: eventos@dgpm.mm.gov.pt.  UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development was declared by the United Nations and will be held from 2021 to 2030 aiming to provide a common framework to ensure that ocean science can fully support countries to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Decade will provide a unique opportunity to create a new foundation, across the science-policy interface, to strengthen the management of our oceans and coasts for the benefit of humanity. The Decade will strengthen the international cooperation needed to develop the scientific research and innovative technologies that can connect ocean science with the needs of society. The Decade will require the engagement of many different stakeholders to create new ideas, solutions, partnerships and applications, these include: scientists, governments, academics, policy makers, business, industry and civil society. More information on the Decade here.

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  • CESAM work shows that the quality of water in Lisbon may be “seriously compromised”

    Published in 3/2/2020

    The research work of Diana Vieira and  Marta Basso together with researchers from University of Lisbon, warns that, as a consequence of the forest fires of 2017 in the Centre of Portugal, the supply of water from Rio Zêzere may be impacted. The news was disseminated in several national media and can be read here: Público [in PT] RTP online [in PT] Visão [in PT] TSF [in PT] Expresso [in PT]

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  • PAMPitUP Project promotes voluntary work on April 30th

    Published in 29/4/2022

    The PAMPitUP Project is promoting a volunteer action for planting trees and other native plants in Marinha de Santiago da Fonte, at the University of Aveiro. This action takes place tomorrow, April 30, from 10am to 1pm, and the meeting point is the Marinha de Santiago da Fonte, at the University of Aveiro.These actions will contribute to the ecological and cultural restoration of this emblematic site.

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  • CESAM paper is cover in Environmental Science & Technology journal

    Published in 22/1/2020

    The paper Structural features and pro-inflammatory effects of water-soluble organic matter in inhalable fine urban air particles authored by CESAM members, together with researchers from iBiMED and QOPNA & LAVQ-REQUIMTE of Universidade de Aveiro, is cover of the next number Environmental Science & Technology journal. In this work, researchers collected inhalable fine particulate matter from the atmosphere to identify differences in the composition of water-soluble organic matter (WSOM), and the oxidative and pro-inflammatory potential of WSOM samples in alveolar macrophages, which are related with the physiological responses of the immune system. Researchers concluded that exposure to these particles induced a moderate pro-inflammatory status, which may lead to a long-term reduction in the response capacity of the macrophages to further pro-inflammatory stimuli. These results suggest that, a decrease in the capacity of the alveolar macrophages to deal with pathogens may occur as a long-term effect. However, these are only preliminary results and further studies are necessary to understand the mechanisms responsible to cause the apparent increase of susceptibility to respiratory diseases due to the inhalation of these particles.

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  • Researcher of CESAM is guest editor in a special issue of the journal Animals

    Published in 4/8/2020

    The researcher of CESAM Rita Tinoco Torres is the guest editor in a special issue of the journal Animals. The subject of this special issue is “Wildlife Diseases” and the deadline for manuscripts submission is May 31, 2021. More information about this Special Issue can be read here.

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  • CESAM researcher and Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds raise complaint against Portuguese Government due to a violation of an international agreement

    Published in 21/1/2020

    CESAM researcher, José Alves, together with the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA - Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves) and a researcher from MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, raised a complaint against Portuguese Government, accusing it of violating the AEWA – African Eurasian Waterbird Agreement, following the construction of a new airport at Montijo, Portugal. AEWA is an international agreement that protects 255 aquatic bird species. The news was published in the nature magazine Wilder – Rewilding your days and can be read here (in Portuguese).

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  • CESAM researcher is co-organizing a SEB+ session at the annual conference of the Society for Experimental Biology

    Published in 21/1/2020

    Diana Madeira, CESAM's post-doctoral researcher, is organizing a special session SEB+ at the annual conference of the Society for Experimental Biology (SEB), in collaboration with Prof Piero Calosi (Université du Québec à Rimouski, Canada).  The SEB annual meeting will take place in Prague from the 7th to the 10th of July 2020 and is a multi-disciplinary conference for researchers working on animal, plant and cell biology. It gathers over 800 biologists from all over the world and it will give its participants a great networking opportunity. The special SEB+ session co-organized by Diana Madeira will take place on the 11th of July 2020 and is titled “Within and transgenerational plastic responses and adaptive evolution of marine metazoans in a changing ocean: from molecules to biotic communities”. In more detail, the topics to be discussed in this session include: - Impacts of global change on marine biodiversity: trends and challenges for research and conservation - Tools and methodological developments to study global change impacts on biodiversity -Development of an integrated approach to global change research and biodiversity conservation  This SEB+ session, associated to the main event, will give its participants the opportunity to:  1. Interact with several of the world's top experts on climate change and marine biodiversity  2. Participate in open discussions 3. Present a poster or deliver a talk  4. Share ideas and establish multi-disciplinary collaborative networks Abstracts should be submitted until the 13th of March 2020 here.

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  • Key messages for the new EU Biodiversity Strategy from ALTER-Net

    Published in 9/6/2020

    ALTER-Net, the international network that has CESAM as a member, and EKLIPSE offer 12 messages to contribute to the development of the next EU biodiversity strategy.  In June 2019, researchers, scientists, decision-makers, and practitioners of several disciplines convened in Ghent for the 2019 ALTER-Net & EKLIPSE Conference. The purpose of this conference was to consider the post-2020 European Biodiversity Strategy and the role of research in shaping this strategy and its goals. The primary output of this conference is a collection of the 12 Key Messages, which have now been published and submitted to the European Commission. Here you can read all the messages and the full argumentation for each message.

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  • Minister of the Sea present in an event organized by CESAM on the scope of the deep ocean in the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development

    Published in 24/1/2020

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    Deep ocean is the major bioma of the planet and many remain unknown, particularly regarding biodiversity and ecosystems functioning. However, it is largely recognized that human well-being is highly related with the integrity of the deep ecosystems due to several services such as climatic regulation and resources availability. In general, for society, the deep ocean is a remote and unknown place with almost no biodiversity and clear inaccessibility. Nevertheless, a combination of geological, physical and geochemical factors creates a vast number of complex habitats with unique characteristics that, together, contribute to the environmental balance of our planet. Fauna from these habitats, present specific adaptations to high pressure, darkness, low temperatures, lack of food and, in some cases, isolation. Consequently, generally, animal physiology and the function of deep ocean ecosystems are highly different from the ones of terrestrial and shallow waters environments. Moreover, biodiversity from bathyal and abyssal depths is among the more elevated in the planet and the discovering potential is huge ranging from new genetic resources to new roles that these habitats play in the marine environment. In this context, the functioning and the ecosystem services supported by deep ocean biodiversity together with the impacts and resilience of the deep-ocean to human activity, is a major gap of knowledge. Historically, one of the great limitations to the knowledge of the deep ocean is the fact that the approach is fragmented and biased, with data collected mainly in the North Hemisphere and in the Exclusive Economic Zones of developed countries. United Nations have declared 2021-2030 as the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and on its roadmap, UN recognizes the lack of data in the deep ocean as an obstacle to the sustainable management of the oceans and requests the scientific community collaboration and coordination when planning the oceanic science. Scientific community in the deep ocean has answered to this challenge through two international initiatives: (1) Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) which contributes to the identification of the priority scientific questions for the Decade and the technological potential necessary to answer these questions, and (2) the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) that supports a working group aiming to plan a global approach using standard and adapted methods to the different habitats for the acquisition and integration of biological data of the deep ocean, and create technology transfer resources and capacitate human resources for the ocean sciences. CESAM has an essential role in this process, by coordinating these working groups. Moreover, CESAM had organized a DOSI workshop for the identification of the scientific priorities for the Decade (October 2018) and is now receiving SCOR for its first meeting (22-24 January 2020). This event will have a public session on January 24 which will have the presence of several national and international researchers, together with the national Minister of the Sea, Dr. Ricardo Serrão Santos. The program of this public event can be consulted below.   THE DEEP OCEAN IN THE UNDECADE OF OCEAN SCIENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT  24 January 2020, University of Aveiro (Anfiteatro do DEMaC, Building 9, room 9.1.1) 14.30 Welcome and introduction Prof. Paulo Jorge Ferreira, Rector of the University of Aveiro (TBC); Dr. Ana Hilário, University of Aveiro 14.50 Advances since the Census of Marine Life (2000-2010) and challenges for the next decade Dr. Paul Snelgrove, Memorial University, Newfoundland, Canada 15.10 Deep-Ocean science programmes in the Decade Prof. Lisa Levin, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, USA 15.30 The role of Portugal in a Decade of deep-ocean science Dr. Ricardo Serrão Santos, Minister of the Sea, Portugal & Member of the Executive Planning Group of the Decade 16.00 Round table discussion Moderator: Dr. Ana Colaço, University of the Azores, Portugal  

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  • Unique ethnobiological research on the sea lamprey in Minho River involves CESAM members

    Published in 17/1/2020

    CESAM, together with the Department of Biology of Universidade de Aveiro, contribute to the project CCOPERMINHO, in which it is responsible for a unique ethnobiological research in Minho River foccused in the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus. More information on this work here [in PT]. In the context of this project, do not miss the premiere of the documentary COOPERMINHO on the 22nd of January at Universidade de Aveiro.

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  • Thematic Agenda for Research and Innovation – Climate Change is available to the public

    Published in 14/1/2020

    The finished document of the Thematic Agenda for Research and Innovation on Climate Change is already available at the site of FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (https://www.fct.pt/agendastematicas/altclim.phtml.pt). Some CESAM members had an important role in this document, namely, Prof. Henrique Queiroga, who participated as a Redactor, and Prof. Carlos Borrego and Doctor Sandra Rafael, who collaborated as experts. This Agenda is part of a group of fifteen Thematic Agendas at the responsibility of FCT, following an annex of the Council of Ministers decision nº 32/2016 on the commitment to the future (in PT). These agendas intend to mobilize experts from R&D institutions and companies in the identification of challenges and opportunities for the national scientific and technological system until 2030. The process of creation of the Agendas has been inclusive and dynamic, involving experts from academia, research centers, companies and public entities, but also citizens. Presently, the Agenda for Climate Change, is waiting for the graphic design but is already available to consult and download here.

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  • The premiere of the documentary "Cooperminho" will be on January 22nd at 3pm in the Meeting Room of CESAM

    Published in 13/1/2020

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    https://projetocooperminho.com/

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  • UGIIC 2020 - Urban Green Infrastructure International Conference

    Published in 2/1/2020

    The project GENESIS - Green roofs and walls ENvironmental Economic and SocIal Savings: Modelling uncertainty and investors / users preferences in all-inclusive cost-benefit analysis of green roofs and walls, which has CESAM members on its team, is organizing the URBAN GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE to be held in Lisbon, 2-3 April 2020. Besides having the presence of CESAM members in the organizing committee, Professor Ana Isabel Miranda and researcher Vera Rodrigues are in the scientific committee. UGIIC 2020 is an interdisciplinary conference on green infrastructures (GI) and nature-based solutions (NBS) for cities. The aim of this event is to share and discuss the most recent work on green walls and green roofs, bringing together researchers, architects, engineers, urban planners, landscape architects and policy-makers from different nationalities. More information here. Important dates: - Abstract submission: 31 Jan - Paper/poster submission: 31 Jan - Presentation submission: 29 Feb

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  • Webinar: Impactos dos incêndios florestais nos ecossistemas aquáticos

    Published in 29/4/2022

    Under the scope of the AQUAFIRE and FIREMIX projects we are organising the webinar - Impacts of forest fires on aquatic ecosystems,. The webinar will take place on May 3rd, 14H15-17H15 and you can participate through the link: https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/84453263092     Poster

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  • CESAM wishes you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

    Published in 20/12/2019

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    How many irrelevant e-mails do you send in one day? 65? You have just contributed with the same amount of CO2 as if you were driving a car for only 1 km! In 2020, CESAM proposes you to strive to be more mindful & sustainable and avoid sending irrelevant e-mails. https://tinyurl.com/environmental-impact-of-emails  

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  • CESAM welcomes researchers from several parts of the world with the main objective of creating a MSc Programme in Aquaculture and Fisheries

    Published in 20/12/2019

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    Between 17 and 19 December the University of Aveiro hosted several researchers from Palermo University in Italy, Dubrovnik University of Croatia, EMUNI (Euro-Mediterranean University) in Slovenia, University of Alexandria in Egypt, University of Aswan in Egypt and Arab Academy of Sciences and Maritime Transport in Egypt for the start-up meeting of the Erasmus+ FishAqu project ("Knowledge Exchange in sustainable Fisheries management and Aquaculture in the Mediterranean region"). The main objective of this project is to create a Master's programme in Aquaculture and Fisheries in the light of the principles of the Bologna process. The beginning of this meeting was marked by the welcome reception by the Vice-Rector of the University of Aveiro, Professor Artur Silva. During the meeting the bases for the implementation and execution of the project were established and the curricular development will be based on future meetings in Aveiro and Marsa Matrouh in Egypt, as well as in Piran in Slovenia. This project involves, among other activities, the mobility of teachers and students from the University of Aveiro to Egypt where they will participate in the teaching of Master's modules, as well as the reception at the University of Aveiro of Egyptian students. http://fishaqu.eu/

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  • CESAM researcher writes an opinion article comparing the action of the government when facing the pandemic and the Montijo Airport

    Published in 3/8/2020

    The researcher José A. Alves writes an opinion article in the national newspaper Público. In this article, he compares the action of the Portuguese government when facing the present pandemic in which the experts were essential in the decision-making, with the process of the construction of the new Airport in Montijo in which experts were ignored. The opinion of José A. Alves may be read in Portuguese or in English.

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  • Birds also drink palm wine in Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau

    Published in 17/12/2019

     [Content only available in Portuguese] Investigadores do CESAM – Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, FCUL - Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa observaram três espécies de aves a alimentarem-se de seiva de palma, parcialmente fermentada, aproveitando a recolha feita nas palmeiras pelas populações locais para produção de vinho de palma, no Arquipélago dos Bijagós, Guiné Bissau. São poucos os grupos de animais vertebrados que conseguem alimentar-se de seiva de plantas, no entanto, algumas espécies de aves e mamíferos incluem este recurso altamente energético na sua dieta. Um estudo realizado em 2019 por investigadores do CESAM – Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, FCUL - Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa documentou (Jorge Gutiérrez, Teresa Catry, José Pedro Granadeiro), pela primeira vez, três espécies de aves (Tecelão-malhado Ploceus cucullatus, Engole-malagueta Pycnonotus barbatus (na imagem) e Beija-flor do Gabão Anthreptes gabonicus) a alimentarem-se em pontos de recolha de seiva de palma. Na verdade, o consumo de “vinho de palma”, produzido a partir da seiva recolhida das palmeiras, é uma prática comum em muitos países do Oeste Africano. Para isso os habitantes locais fazem cortes no topo das árvores a partir dos quais extraem a seiva.  Neste trabalho, que decorreu durante três meses na ilha de Orango, no arquipélago dos Bijagós, as aves foram observadas a tirar partido desta oportunidade, bebendo diretamente dos pontos de recolha de seiva nas palmeiras. Esta seiva, além de rica em açúcares, pode também ser uma fonte de água importante na época seca. No entanto, “Apesar de não se terem observado alterações no comportamento destas aves, esta seiva já está parcialmente fermentada, contendo entre 5,6 e 7,6 % de álcool (o equivalente a uma cerveja). De alguma forma estas espécies parecem estar adaptadas para lidar com este nível de álcool, mas serão necessárias mais experiências para o provar” explica Jorge Gutiérrez, um dos autores deste trabalho. Os autores destacam ainda que é muito interessante “o facto destas aves potencialmente aprenderem este comportamento de aproveitamento deste recurso umas com as outras, podendo servir como modelos de estudo de transmissão cultural em ambiente selvagem”.  Este é um exemplo de um caso em que o Homem facilita o acesso de alimento a estas espécies de aves que, de outra forma, não conseguiriam aproveitar este recurso. Interessante também é o facto destas aves parecerem estar familiarizadas com a localização e produção dos diferentes pontos de recolha e defenderem-nos ativamente de outras que tentem alimentar-se neles. Os próximos passos serão “investigar a ocorrência deste comportamento em outras ilhas do arquipélago dos Bijagós e realizar experiências com aves marcadas individualmente para se perceber a relevância do vinho de palma na sua alimentação e o potencial papel da transmissão cultural neste comportamento” diz Jorge Gutiérrez. O artigo original pode ser lido aqui. O trabalho foi realizado no âmbito do projeto MigraWebs. [Créditos da imagem: Jorge Gutérrez]

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  • Workshop on Soil Research @CESAM - Celebrating the World Soil Day 18 December - UA

    Published in 19/12/2019

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  • Project TraSeaFood on the traceability of geographic origin of marine resources was presented at ECOMARE

    Published in 13/12/2019

    A presentation workshop took place December 10 at ECOMARE (University of Aveiro), featuring project TraSeafood - Traceability of Geographic Origin as an Intelligent Appreciation Path for Endogenous Marine Resources (PTDC / BIA-BMA / 29491/2017). This project is supported by FCT/MEC through national funds, and co-funding by FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and Compete 2020. The whole project research team was present at the workshop, as well as representatives of Autoridade Marítima Nacional, Direção-Geral de Recursos Naturais, Segurança e Serviços Marítimos (DGRM), Direção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária (DGAV) and several other partner entities that are part of the stakeholders’ committee of project TraSeafood. Speakers presented the biogeochemical and biochemical techniques employed, as well as the statistical models developed, that already allowed to establish the best methodologies to achieve a reliable traceability of the geographical origin of various marine organisms collected along the Portuguese continental coast and Galicia. TraSeafood project will continue until May 31, 2021 assisting law enforcement agencies to combat illegal fishing and expose fraudulent practices and/or threats to public health.

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  • Special Issue on Functional Aquafeeds co-edited by CESAM researchers Miguel C. Leal and Ricardo Calado

    Published in 9/12/2019

    Miguel C. Leal and Ricardo Calado, researchers at CESAM and members of the Marine Biotechnology & Aquaculture (MBA) research group, co-edited a Special Issue on Functional Aquafeeds published by the Journal of the World Aquaculture Nutrition (Wiley). In the editorial of this Special Issue both researchers highlight that “lack of suitable legal frameworks that encompass the most recent scientific breakthroughs often postpone their use by the industry. If such regulatory bottlenecks arise for functional aquafeeds, aquaculture may not be able to deliver the world its much needed sustainably farmed protein.” [Caption of image: Infographic of the Featured article in JWAS Special Issue Functional Aquafeeds]

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  • Homenagem ao Professor Casimiro Pio, 1º Coordenador Científico do CESAM, continuamos a contar consigo!

    Published in 18/12/2019

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  • A paper from CESAM researchers is highlighted in Environmental Science & Technology journal

    Published in 15/1/2020

    The paper “Structural features and pro-inflammatory effects of water-soluble organic matter in inhalable fine urban air particles” (https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b04596), from the Environmental Processes & Pollutants research group, in partnership with researchers from iBiMED and QOPNA & LAVQ-REQUIMTE from the University of Aveiro, has recently been accepted for publication in the prestigious journal Environmental Science & Technology. The article was also selected for the cover of Environmental Science & Technology journal, Volume 54, number 2, to be published in January 2020.

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  • Lisa Sousa, investigadora do CESAM, em destaque no Caderno produzido pelo Açoriano Oriental sobre a Conferência Internacional “Governança dos Oceanos em Regiões Arquipelágicas”

    Published in 3/12/2019

    Lisa Sousa, investigadora do CESAM e do grupo COPING do Departamento de Ambiente e Ordenamento, em destaque no Caderno produzido pelo Açoriano Oriental sobre a Conferência Internacional “Governança dos Oceanos em Regiões Arquipelágicas”, que decorreu no Faial em outubro. A Conferência reuniu mais de 80 convidados e 195 participantes de vários países do mundo para partilhar conhecimento e debater os desafios da gestão e governança do mar. Discutiram-se temas como a monitorização e avaliação dos recursos marinhos, literacia para os oceanos, socioeconomia das pescas, ordenamento do espaço marítimo e áreas marinhas protegidas. A investigadora foi convidada a apresentar os resultados da Avaliação Ambiental Estratégica (AAE) do Plano de Situação do Ordenamento do Espaço Marítimo. Este trabalho foi coordenado pela Professora Doutora Fátima Lopes Alves e Doutora Lisa Sousa, no âmbito do contrato celebrado com a Direção-Geral de Recursos Naturais, Segurança e Serviços Marítimos (DGRM). A AAE foi realizada, em paralelo com o Plano de Situação, pela Universidade de Aveiro e em estreita ligação com as equipas da administração responsáveis pela elaboração do Plano no Continente (DGRM), Madeira (DROTA - Direção Regional do Ordenamento do Território e Ambiente) e Açores (DRAM - Direção Regional dos Assuntos do Mar). Teve como objetivo identificar, descrever e avaliar os eventuais efeitos significativos no ambiente, resultantes das opções estratégicas de desenvolvimento propostas pelo Plano de Situação, tendo sido garantida uma abordagem de natureza estratégica consonante com um processo de AAE. O acompanhamento contínuo, interativo e sistemático do Plano de Situação permitiu potenciar os efeitos positivos decorrentes da sua implementação, bem como minimizar os efeitos negativos, nomeadamente através da identificação de medidas de minimização desses efeitos, integradas nas boas práticas constantes do Plano de Situação, para cada uso/atividade, e estabelecer diretrizes de monitorização, integradas na respetiva monitorização do plano. Link para o Caderno do Açoriano Oriental: https://www.acorianooriental.pt/files/multimedia/docs/249.pdf

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  • CESAM and CICECO jointly organize Science Communication workshops

    Published in 29/4/2022

    As part of the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the Center for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) and the Aveiro Institute of Materials (CICECO), associated laboratories of the University of Aveiro, a series of workshops dedicated to Science Communication is being organized, aiming to empower researchers with knowledge and techniques to better communicate their work. The first one takes place already on May 4th. According to Sir Mark Walport (2013), “Science isn’t finished until it’s communicated. The communication to wider audiences is part of the job of being a scientist, and so how you communicate is absolutely vital.” However, communicating science to non-specialized audiences is not always an easy task. In order to enable CESAM and CICECO researchers to better communicate their results, the associated laboratories of the University of Aveiro are organizing a series of free workshops, limited to 20 participants. Applications from other researchers will also be accepted, if there are vacancies, and priority will be given in order of registration. The program of the first series includes three workshops, which will take place in the meeting room on level 5 of Building 3, from 03:00pm to 05:00pm: May 4, 2022 - Writing a press release - Pedro Farias (Press Officer | UA) June 29, 2022 - Capturing images with a cell phone for science dissemination - Joaquim Pedro Ferreira (Communication Manager | CESAM&CICECO, UA) July 13, 2022 - Image editing - Luís Carvalheiro (Technician | CESAM, UA) A second series dedicated to other themes related to Science Communication is planned for September 2022. Guarantee your spot, sign up here. Poster

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  • World Soil Day Lecture - 04 December - UA

    Published in 28/11/2019

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  • UA-WOMAN - 04 December - with CESAM researcher Mónica Amorim

    Published in 25/11/2019

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    Mónica Amorim Principal:Ecotoxicology: Several years were devoted to the development of an active research programme in ecotoxicology, mostly terrestrial, in field and laboratory, addressing a series of both fundamental and pre-normative research questions. In the area of soil ecotoxicology research activities include the development of the avoidance behaviour test, genomic tools and use of multi-species tests; refinement of existing protocols and development of new bioassays to assess soil contamination. Additionally, has developed and implemented in E. albidus a behavioural test - avoidance test - having shown its high ecological relevance.Specialization:Ecotoxicogenomics: Extensive progresses have taken place since 2006, such as the development and the enrichment of a new microarray [1], developed for the first time for an Enchytraeid (E. albidus)[2], and is now an Agilent custom platform. At present E. crypticus was subject of a massive parallel sequencing (454-pyrosequencing) and a high gradient Nimblegen microarray is validated. [2] http://bioinformatics.ua.pt/enchybase/Nanotoxicology: Collaborating with both national and international experts in the area. Developments in soil nanotoxicology, which are far less studied than in water media, present particular challenges. Investigation is progressing (3 publications 2011) and rapidly moving.Other skills/activities:Standardisation of new guidelines, and joining ring tests that precede it, such as the Bioacumulation in Oligochaetes, Collembolan Reproduction test (addition of a new test species) or the Evaluation of a biotest battery for the ecotoxicological characterisation of waste and waste eluates. Promoted and optimized the development of novel avoidance behaviour tests for Enchytraeids, having initially produced 3 papers that kicked research in this topic with other species. [1] A microarray is a multichannel lab chip. It is a solid matrix (usually a glass slide or a thin silicone celular film) that tests high amounts of biological material in high-throughput. Also called a gene chip. Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/484499905744703/ Online broadcast: https://youtu.be/Azg1gw_W1vw          

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  • CESAM researcher participates in a workshop from Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (Brasil)

    Published in 25/11/2019

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    Ana Lillebø, researcher and scientific coordinator of CESAM, participated as a lecturer in the workshop 'BIOGEOGRAPHY AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES PROVIDED BY COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS' held on November 21 and 22, 2019, at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (Brasil). https://tropikos.weebly.com/news.html

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  • 4 out of 19 approved projects by the call for Projects to Prevent and Fight Forest Fires are coordinated by CESAM

    Published in 3/8/2020

    CESAM coordinates 4 out of the 19 approved projects approved in the framework of the 3rd Call for R&D Projects to Prevent and Fight Forest Fires, indicating the strong capacity of research in this specific area. A total of 81 projects were submitted to FCT, aiming to promote scientific research and innovation, enabling the production of new knowledge as well as strengthen technical skills, in different important areas for the prevention and fight of agricultural fires, in a multidisciplinary perspective, and incorporating a component of dissemination and application of the results. The CESAM approved projects were: - BioValChar – Valorização sustentável de biomassa residual para biochar | Luís Tarelho - Fogo controlado, risco de incêndio e produtividade do eucaliptal: da investigação à prática | Sofia Corticeiro - Smoke Storm – previsão e comunicação do fumo de incêndios florestais | Ana I. Miranda - Partilhar as decisões nas florestas – metodologia participativa para o envolvimento do público e dos atores sociais na proteção e valorização das florestas em Portugal| Sandra Valente Read more here.

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  • DBio & CESAM´s PhD graduated publishes on Science about changes in biodiversity

    Published in 17/6/2022

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    Laura Antão graduated by the University of Aveiro and the University of St Andrews, under the supervision of Dr Maria Dornelas and Professor Amadeu Soares, and currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki, published in the high impact journal Science under BDio&CESAM´s affiliation. The work is about the rapid change on biodiversity driven by climate change and other human influences. The team analysed the global patterns in temporal change in biodiversity using a large quantity of time-series data from different regions (the data include many different ecosystems across continents and cover the marine, terrestrial and freshwater realms (BioTIME database*)). Their findings reveal clear spatial patterns in the rates of richness and composition change, where marine taxa exhibit the highest rates of change. The marine tropics, in particular, emerge as hotspots of species richness losses. Given that human activities are affecting biodiversity in magnitudes and directions that differ across the planet, these findings will provide a much needed biogeographic understanding of biodiversity change that can help to inform conservation prioritization." * citation: Dornelas M, Antão LH, Moyes F, Bates, AE, Magurran, AE, et al. BioTIME: A database of biodiversity time series for the Anthropocene. Global Ecol Biogeogr. 2018; 27:760 - 786. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12729  

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  • DBio & CESAM´s PhD graduated publishes on Science about changes in biodiversity

    Published in 17/6/2022

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    Laura Antão graduated by the University of Aveiro and the University of St Andrews, under the supervision of Dr Maria Dornelas and Professor Amadeu Soares, and currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki, published in the high impact journal Science under BDio&CESAM´s affiliation. The work is about the rapid change on biodiversity driven by climate change and other human influences. The team analysed the global patterns in temporal change in biodiversity using a large quantity of time-series data from different regions (the data include many different ecosystems across continents and cover the marine, terrestrial and freshwater realms (BioTIME database*)). Their findings reveal clear spatial patterns in the rates of richness and composition change, where marine taxa exhibit the highest rates of change. The marine tropics, in particular, emerge as hotspots of species richness losses. Given that human activities are affecting biodiversity in magnitudes and directions that differ across the planet, these findings will provide a much needed biogeographic understanding of biodiversity change that can help to inform conservation prioritization." * citation: Dornelas M, Antão LH, Moyes F, Bates, AE, Magurran, AE, et al. BioTIME: A database of biodiversity time series for the Anthropocene. Global Ecol Biogeogr. 2018; 27:760 - 786. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12729  

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  • Wilder spoke with José Alves, CESAM researcher, about the Montijo Airport and its consequences for the population of birds

    Published in 19/11/2019

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    In early November, Wilder went to Estuário do Tejo to see how thousands of birds could be affected by the new airport (Montijo). Wilder spoke with José Alves, researcher at CESAM, who has been studying migratory birds from Estuário do Tejo for 15 years. Full news here, but only in portuguese.

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  • CESAM gets funding to study cockles

    Published in 22/11/2019

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    Although they play a crucial role in the ecosystem and its importance in the economy of the coastal zones and the region, the cockle is an illustrious unknown to science towards its distribution, evolution and health of its populations in Ria de Aveiro. Therefore, the COACH project - “A cooperative approach applied to the conservation and management of cockles” was one of three funded by the Oceans Conservation Fund. The COACH project, coordinated by Luísa Magalhães, aims to collect multifactorial information on cockle fishing, its biology and the physical-chemical characteristics of the places where it occurs. Full news here, but only in portuguese.

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  • Study from CESAM researchers - 'Striped dolphins as trace element biomonitoring tools in oceanic waters: Accounting for health-related variables' was published on 'Science of the Total Environment' journal

    Published in 11/11/2019

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    In Europe, monitoring contaminant concentrations and their effects in the marine environment is required under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC). The striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) is the most abundant small cetacean species in Portuguese oceanic waters, representing a potential biomonitoring tool of contaminant levels in offshore waters. Concentrations of nine trace elements were evaluated by ICP-MS in kidney, liver and muscle samples of 31 striped dolphins stranded in the Portuguese continental coast. The mean renal Cd concentration was high (19.3?μg.g−1 wet weight, range 0.1–69.3?μg.g−1 wet weight) comparing to striped dolphins from other locations. Therefore, the present study reports a possibly concerning level of Cd in the oceanic food chain in Portuguese offshore areas. This study also aimed at evaluating potential relationships between trace element concentrations and striped dolphins' biological and health-related variables. Individual length was related with some of the trace element concentrations detected in striped dolphins. Indeed, Cd, Hg and Se bioaccumulated in larger animals, whereas the reverse was observed for Mn and Zn. Striped dolphins with high parasite burdens showed higher levels of Hg, while animals showing gross pathologies presented higher concentrations of Cd and Se. This study reported relationships between trace element concentrations and health-related variables for the first time in striped dolphins and it also provided information on the relative contamination status of Portuguese oceanic waters in comparison to other regions in the world. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969719344018?via%3Dihub

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  • Poster of Rafael D. S. Tavares was the winner of the event "One Health Day"

    Published in 9/12/2019