CIIMAR’s Neptune Seminar with Ana Soares | Boca da Baleia
Cold-water corals and deep-sea sponges create complex habitats that support high biodiversity and are recognized as indicators of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs). In Portugal, information on their distribution remains scarce, particularly in deep and mesophotic areas. This study adopts a participatory approach that integrates fishers’ Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) with scientific data through interviews, bycatch sample collection, and a collaborative workshop. Seventy professional fishers contributed knowledge on species diversity and occurrence, while the partnership enabled the collection of over 360 coral and sponge specimens. The results provide new insights into biodiversity hotspots and highlight how co-produced knowledge can enhance ecosystem mapping, improve conservation planning, and foster inclusive management of deep-sea environments.
Ana Sofia Carvalho Soares is a marine biologist and PhD student in Marine Biology at the University of Porto. Her research focuses on integrating fishers’ ecological knowledge with scientific data to support the mapping and conservation of deep-sea vulnerable marine ecosystems along the Portuguese continental shelf and upper slope. She is a member of the Deep-Sea Biodiversity and Conservation Team at CIIMAR and has been involved in several projects, including DEEPbaseline, ATLANTIDA, SponBioDiv, TwinDEEPS, DEEPrelicts, BioProtect, and SpongeREST.
In case of any questions, please contact CIIMAR’s Seminar team, Marta Monteiro, Miguel Semedo, & Paulo Oliveira, at seminars@ciimar.up.pt
External members of CIIMAR should send an email to slopes@ciimar.up.pt, requesting authorization to enter the Porto Cruise Terminal area
CIIMAR members can also access last seminars recordings through the LINK.
