Marina Carreiro-Silva

Principal Scientist

Marina is currently working with us with the position of Principal Scientist in the team.

Autobiography

I am a marine ecologist specialized on coral ecosystems working as an senior scientist at OKEANOS, University of the Azores. I hold a PhD degree in Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Sciences at the University of Maryland (USA). After studying tropical coral reefs in my early career, in 2007, I joined a multidisciplinary team at IMAR and OKEANOS engaged in the study of deep-sea ecosystems. To advance the team’s research competencies, I have conceived and installed a laboratory for the experimentation with cold-water corals, DeepSeaLab. I currently co-lead with Telmo Morato the Azores Deep-sea Ecology research group.

Research interest

My current research focuses on the study of the diversity, spatial distribution, and functioning of cold-water corals, linking those with their ecophysiological responses to climate change and human activities under ex-situ experimental conditions. I have also been dedicated in translating these research outputs into policy advice for the protection of deep-sea vulnerable marine ecosystems by working closely with the Regional Government of the Azores and through international deep-sea working groups, e.g. DOSI, DOOS, ICES WGDEC. I participated in several national and international research projects (H2020, FCT, PO Açores) on cold-water coral ecosystems as a PI or team member.

Publications

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
Democratizing deep-sea research for biodiversity conservation
Oct, 2025
4 team members involved
Deep Sea Research Part II Topical Studies in Oceanography
A cost-effective, open-source laboratory system for 3D photogrammetric analysis of corals
Aug, 2025
1 citations
0 team member involved
Marine Biodiversity
From physics to fish: 50 Years of research at Great Meteor Seamount, NE Atlantic
Jan, 2025
1 citations
2 team members involved
Deep Sea Research Part I Oceanographic Research Papers
Cold-water octocoral interactions with microplastics under laboratory conditions
Sep, 2024
3 citations
0 team member involved
Deep Sea Research Part I Oceanographic Research Papers
Spatial distributions, environmental drivers and co-existence patterns of key cold-water corals in the deep sea of the Azores (NE Atlantic)
Mar, 2023
20 citations
3 team members 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
28 citations Rising
2 team members involved
Deep Sea Research Part I Oceanographic Research Papers
Variability of deep-sea megabenthic assemblages along the western pathway of the Mediterranean outflow water
May, 2022
16 citations Rising
1 team member involved
Science
Protecting global marine animal forests
May, 2022
28 citations Hot
0 team member involved
Marine Ecology Progress Series
Benthic O2 uptake by coral gardens at the Condor seamount (Azores)
Feb, 2022
6 citations
1 team member involved
Frontiers in Marine Science
Where Is More Important Than How in Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Restoration
Oct, 2021
59 citations
1 team member involved
Frontiers in Marine Science
Active Ecological Restoration of Cold-Water Corals: Techniques, Challenges, Costs and Future Directions
Sep, 2021
24 citations Rising
1 team member involved
Deep Sea Research Part I Oceanographic Research Papers
Reproductive biology of two deep-sea octocorals in the Azores Archipelago
Jun, 2021
8 citations
0 team member involved
Scientific Reports
Contrasting metabolic strategies of two co-occurring deep-sea octocorals
May, 2021
19 citations
0 team member involved
Frontiers in Marine Science
Multidisciplinary Scientific Cruise to the Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Azores Archipelago
Nov, 2020
13 citations
0 team member involved
Ecological Indicators
Assessing the environmental status of selected North Atlantic deep-sea ecosystems
Sep, 2020
36 citations
1 team member involved
The Science of The Total Environment
Ervilia castanea (Mollusca, Bivalvia) populations adversely affected at CO2 seeps in the North Atlantic
Aug, 2020
11 citations
0 team member involved
Coral Reefs
Feeding biology of a habitat-forming antipatharian in the Azores Archipelago
Aug, 2020
14 citations
0 team member involved
Frontiers in Marine Science
Habitat Features and Their Influence on the Restoration Potential of Marine Habitats in Europe
Apr, 2020
43 citations
1 team member involved
Zenodo
MapGES 2019: Summer 2019 cruise on board of N/I Arquipélago
Mar, 2020
1 citations
4 team members involved
Marine Policy
The deep sea: The new frontier for ecological restoration
Aug, 2019
81 citations
1 team member involved
Zenodo
Greenpeace Pole-to-Pole expedition – Azores 2019
Jun, 2019
1 citations
2 team members involved
Frontiers in Marine Science
Global Observing Needs in the Deep Ocean
May, 2019
293 citations
1 team member involved
Coral Reefs
First description of polyp bailout in cold-water octocorals under aquaria maintenance
Jan, 2019
16 citations
0 team member involved
African Journal of Marine Science
Terrestrial discharge influences microbioerosion and microbioeroder community structure in coral reefs
Jan, 2018
2 citations
0 team member involved
ICES Journal of Marine Science
Bioerosion: the other ocean acidification problem
Mar, 2017
188 citations
0 team member involved
Deep Sea Research Part II Topical Studies in Oceanography
Reproductive biology of the black coral Antipathella wollastoni (Cnidaria: Antipatharia) in the Azores (NE Atlantic)
May, 2016
19 citations
0 team member involved
Marine Biodiversity
An Eguchipsammia (Dendrophylliidae) topping on the cone
Apr, 2014
8 citations
1 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
Marine Ecology Progress Series
Variability in growth rates of long-lived black coral Leiopathes sp. from the Azores
Oct, 2012
50 citations
1 team member involved
Marine Ecology Progress Series
Macrobioerosion of dead branching Porites, 4 and 6 years after coral mass mortality
Mar, 2012
48 citations
0 team member involved
Marine Pollution Bulletin
Phosphorus and nitrogen effects on microbial euendolithic communities and their bioerosion rates
Jan, 2012
26 citations
0 team member involved
Marine Biodiversity
Carrying behavior in the deep-sea crab Paromola cuvieri (Northeast Atlantic)
Apr, 2011
27 citations
1 team member involved

Projects

DEEP

ON-GOING PROJECT

DEEP: Deep-sea Ecosystem Evaluation for Policy solutions

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

2025.00366.AZO

Marine Beacon

ON-GOING PROJECT

Monitoring and elimination of bycatch of endangered and conserved species in th...

Funded by European Union’s Horizon Europe

101135237

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

MapGES2

ON-GOING PROJECT

Characterization of deep-sea habitats, for its mapping up to the outer limit of...

Funded by Regional Government of the Azores, EU, ACORES-14-62G4-FEDER-000001, PO Açores 2020, REACT-EU, ERDF

18/DRPM/2022, ACORES-14-62G4-FEDER-000001

Coral HotSpot

ON-GOING PROJECT

The Azores: a coral biodiversity hotspot and a coldspot of genomic information

Funded by FAM Foundation (Fundação Ana Mendonça)

FAM/GRANTS-2024_2025/05

MarinePlan

PROJECT

Improved transdisciplinary science for effective ecosystem-based maritime spatia...

Funded by European Union’s Horizon Europe

101059407 (MarinePlan)

ROLEX - Azor drift-cam project

PROJECT

ROLEX - Azor drift-cam project

Funded by ROLEX

ROLEX

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

iAtlantic

PROJECT

Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time

Funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020

818123 (iAtlantic)

DeepWalls

PROJECT

Exploring pristine deep-sea walls to establish baselines for Good Environmental...

Funded by Regional Government of the Azores, PO Açores 2020, European Regional Development Fund (ERDF / FEDER)

ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000124

ASPIRE

PROJECT

Exploration Command Center for the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer 2022 Mission

Funded by Regional Government of the Azores

iMAR

PROJECT

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

Funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020

824077 (EUROFLEETS+)

DEEPbaseline

PROJECT

Co-creating a knowledge baseline on the diversity and distribution of deep-sea s...

Funded by Fundação Oceano Azul; FUNDO para a Conservação dos Oceanos - 3ª Edição

Blue Azores

PROJECT

Blue Paper Cooperation protocol

Funded by Fundação Oceano Azul

ATLAS

PROJECT

A transatlantic assessment and deep-water ecosystem-based spatial management pla...

Funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020

678760 (ATLAS)

MapGES

PROJECT

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

Funded by Regional Government of the Azores, PO Açores 2020, European Regional Development Fund (ERDF / FEDER)

ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-00056

MarSP

PROJECT

Macaronesian Maritime Spatial Planning

Funded by Regional Government of the Azores, DRAM, European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)

5956275 (DRAM Azores Gov.)

DeepData

PROJECT

Data Science in the Azores Deep Sea

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

MIDAS

PROJECT

Managing Impacts of Deep-seA reSource exploitation

Funded by European Union’s FP7

603418

HERMIONE

PROJECT

Hotspot Ecosystem Research and Man’s Impact on European Seas

Funded by

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Location

Institute of Marine Sciences — Okeanos, University of the Azores

Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas — Universidade dos Açores

Rua Prof. Doutor Frederico Machado, No. 4
9901-862 Horta, Portugal

Contact

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