Azores Deep-sea Research

Inês Martins

Senior Scientist

0000-0002-5362-9801

9815-457B-C7CF

Ines-Martins

Inês is currently working with us with the position of Senior Scientist in the team.

Autobiography

Born and raised in Lisbon I arrived at Horta in 1999 to finish my degree in Marine Biology. Since then, I fall in love for the Azores and decided to stay and pursuit my ecotoxicologist career at DOP-UAç. To be able to work with deep-sea organisms having the deep-sea at our backyard is a privilege that is impossible to find elsewhere.

Research interest

I am an ecotoxicologist with a marine biology background. My research interests focus on identifying the molecular mechanism behind the regulation and detoxification of metal ions in deep-sea organisms; monitoring contaminants and evaluate the nutritional potential of commercial seafood items; study the anthropogenic activities impacts on cold-water corals using proteomics, zymology and gene expression as main tools to identify cellular oxidative stress; evaluate the impacts of microplastics as main vectors of contaminants in marine environments. In parallel I communicate science among the young audience and the general public because I believe that is our responsibility as a scientist to inspired people.

Publications

Marine Pollution Bulletin

Physiological responses of the cold-water octocoral Dentomuricea aff. meteor to sublethal effects of Cu exposure: A risk assessment to deep-sea mining activities

Jun, 2025

0 team member involved

Marine Pollution Bulletin

A modelling framework to assess multiple metals impacts on marine food webs: Relevance for assessing the ecological implications of deep-sea mining based on a systematic review

Apr, 2023

12 citations

0 team member involved

Scientific Reports

Local-scale feedbacks influencing cold-water coral growth and subsequent reef formation

Nov, 2022

22 citations

0 team member involved

Frontiers in Marine Science

Mechanical and toxicological effects of deep-sea mining sediment plumes on a habitat-forming cold-water octocoral

Oct, 2022

27 citations

2 team members involved

Marine Pollution Bulletin

Beyond deep-sea mining sublethal effects: Delayed mortality from acute Cu exposure of the cold-water octocoral Viminella flagellum

Sep, 2022

9 citations

0 team member involved

Frontiers in Marine Science

Modelling the Dispersion of Seafloor Massive Sulphide Mining Plumes in the Mid Atlantic Ridge Around the Azores

Jul, 2022

21 citations

1 team member involved

Aquaculture

The effect of rapid decompression on barotrauma and survival rate in swallowtail seaperch (Anthias anthias): Defining protocols for mitigating surfacing mortality

Aug, 2018

1 citations

1 team member involved

Environmental Pollution

Assessment of Cu sub-lethal toxicity (LC50) in the cold-water gorgonian Dentomuricea meteor under a deep-sea mining activity scenario

May, 2018

19 citations

0 team member involved

Deep Sea Research Part II Topical Studies in Oceanography

Element concentrations in cold-water gorgonians and black coral from Azores region

Jan, 2013

19 citations

1 team member involved

Projects

BioProtect

ON-GOING PROJECT

Advancing area-based management tools to accelerate the protection and restorati...

Funded by European Union’s Horizon Europe

101157341

REDRESS

ON-GOING PROJECT

Restoration of deep-sea habitats to rebuild European Seas

Funded by European Union’s Horizon Europe

101135492

CORHOLOA

PROJECT

The role of the microbiome in sustaining deep-sea coral holobiont’s health and r...

Funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P.

EXPL/CTA-AMB/1294/2021

MIDAS

PROJECT

Managing Impacts of Deep-seA reSource exploitation

Funded by European Union’s FP7

603418

Cruises

iMAR 2021

Integrated assessment of the distribution of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem along t...

Total of 2 crew members and 12 collaborators

Blue Azores 2018

Blue Azores Program: Expedition 2018

Total of 4 crew members and 1 collaborators

Terceira 2021

RV Pelagia cruise 64PE488: Terceira Island 2021

Total of 1 crew members and 7 collaborators

Greenpeace 2019

Greenpeace Pole-to-Pole expedition: Azores 2019

Total of 3 crew members and 1 collaborators

MapGES 2023 RV Arquipélago

Mapping deep-sea biodiversity and “Good Environmental Status” in the Azores

Total of 13 crew members and 1 collaborators

iAtlantic

MapGES

MapGES2

MapGES 2024 MT Physeter

Mapping deep-sea biodiversity and “Good Environmental Status” in the Azores

Total of 13 crew members and 1 collaborators

MapGES2

MarinePlan

MIDAS 2016

Investigation of Field Protocols for Deep Sea Mining Monitoring and Environmenta...

Total of 3 crew members and 8 collaborators

MIDAS

MedWaves 2016

MEDiterranean out flow WAter and Vulnerable EcosystemS

Total of 2 crew members and 46 collaborators

MapGES

ATLAS

DeepWalls 2020

DeepWalls Project: Summer 2020 survey with submersible LULA1000

Total of 3 crew members and 3 collaborators