I am currently working as a research assistant at the Okeanos Research Unit of the University of the Azores, collaborating in the annotation of deep-sea underwater images to improve our knowledge on the diversity and distribution of benthic species in the Azores. I completed a BSc in Biology in 2014 and a MSc in Ecology in 2016, both at the University of Coimbra. Before joining the Azores Deep-Sea Research group in 2021, I worked on several projects of marine conservation and biodiversity studies. From those I highlight my previous experience as a research fellow at MARE-ISPA where I was part of a national project that collected georeferenced information on the diversity and abundance of macrofauna and algae species along Portuguese coastal reefs. My work also involved assessing potential threats on existing MPAs and evaluating their protection effects to support conservation decisions and management plans.

My work as part of the Azores Deep-Sea Research group focuses on the identification and annotation of benthic species from underwater video footage collected in different deep-sea areas of the Azores region, including island slopes and seamounts. I will also collaborate in the surveys performed in the region to collect new underwater video footage to improve our knowledge on the distribution of deep-sea benthic communities.