I am an Azorean Portuguese marine biologist holding a licenciatura degree from the Faculty of Science of the University of Lisbon (1988) and a PhD from the Faculty of Science of the University of Liverpool (2005). I started working as a researcher in the technical officer career in the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries and Institute OKEANOS of the University of the Azores in 1990 and that kept me busy until 2013. Between August 2013 and December 2020, I was appointed as Regional Director of Sea Affairs (DRAM) of the Government of the Azores and between 2021 and 2022 as adviser to the Minister of the Sea of the Portuguese Republic. Meanwhile, I was president of the Observatory of the Sea of the Azores between 2009 and 2013 and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association for the Development and Training of the Sea of the Azores in 2019-2020. Since April 2022 I am back to the Azores academy.

Besides working, I love to share my time with family and friends, chatting, walking and travelling. I enjoy life and people, art and culture, particularly music and fine arts, marine and land nature, food and drinks.

During my earlier scientific career, I worked with cephalopods, fish and cold-water corals, in costal environments, pelagic realm, seamounts, oceanic ridges and deep hydrothermal vent fields, on biodiversity and biogeography, ecology, ecotoxicology and conservation. I participated in two dozen oceanographic campaigns, dived in several manned research submarines, presented lectures and posters in more than 75 scientific forums.

While working at the policy side I was committed to promote the sustainable use of the maritime space and marine resources in the Azores. I worked in areas such as: marine conservation, including marine protected areas; maritime spatial planning; coastal management; applied science to marine management; blue economy; maritime training for seafarers; and ocean literacy. Then, I was responsible for about two dozen of national and European projects, presented communications in about a hundred events, participated in more than twenty working groups and technical committees, promoted participatory citizenship in many thematic events and programs. I got administrative and financial skills while steering a team of about 40 staff and collaborators.

Today I am interested in promoting marine science to conservation and sustainable use of the of Azorean maritime space, working with several projects under development at the Institute OKEANOS, University of the Azores, namely on deep-sea benthic communities. I am also interested to deepen the existing knowledge on mesopelagic communities in the Azores waters namely about its role on the ecology processes occurring in the oceanic water column and in the pelagic-benthic interface, and to the resulting ecosystem services they provide.

Presently I am author and co-author of about 50 SCI indexed scientific papers, 17 books and book chapters and more than 150 other scientific and technical contributions.