On January 12, CIIMAR hosted the 2nd progress meeting of the PERMAMERC project.
On January 12, CIIMAR hosted the 2nd progress meeting of the PERMAMERC project, bringing together a diverse and international team comprising ecologists, environmental chemists, and microbiologists from Portugal and Canada (Instituto Superior Técnico, CIIMAR, IGOT, Trent University, Laval University, Trieste University). The project focuses on investigating the Fate and Impact of Mercury Biogeochemistry in Permafrost Thaw Ecosystems.
Funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) and coordinated by the researcher João Canário from Instituto Superior Técnico, the PERMAMERC project aims to unravel the complexities of mercury dynamics in permafrost thaw environments.
During the meeting, outcomes from missions to the Canadian Arctic and Greenland, conducted as part of the PERMAMERC project during the summers and winters of 2022 and 2023, were discussed. CIIMAR’s team, led by researcher Catarina Magalhães, is actively contributing to the project by studying the microorganisms involved in mercury transformations. They are employing advanced, non-culture-dependent techniques, such as next-generation sequencing, to understand the role of microbes in the mobilization of mercury within the environment.
