Ecology and restoration of riverine, estuarine and coastal habitats | Page 4 | - CCMAR -

Ecology and restoration of riverine, estuarine and coastal habitats

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ECOREACH
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Our research is mainly focused on biological and physical-chemical processes in transitional waters, from freshwater catchments to coastal marine

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The Ecoreach is a research unit of the Marine Sciences Centre (CCMAR). Our research is mainly focused on biological and physical-chemical processes from catchment through transitional water/nearshore areas and on restoration techniques to face global change and major anthropogenic threats, including the degraded upstream areas, directly impacting to the quality of the marine downstream ecosystems.  We aimed to understand the natural variability of aquatic ecosystems (freshwater inflow, tides, upwelling, winds) and the ecologic impacts of human activities (fisheries, pollution, dams, NIS/alien species, jellyfish proliferations, acidification), particularly at plankton and macrobenthos of riverine, estuarine and coastal areas in order to improve their use as bioindicators and develop adequate mitigation/restoration actions. The mitigation/restoration actions are based on Environmental (Bio)technologies mainly based on the use of biota communities, biodegradable substracta and freshwater treatment to remove biofouling, liquid-liquid extraction procedures aiming the (bio)remediation of metals-containing effluents, such industrial effluents and acid mine drainages, a special threat to water bodies all over the World. The group has been coordinating several environmental volunteer monitoring actions in aquatic ecosystems in order to contribute together with the competent authorities APA –ARH to ensure an early detection of aquatic degradation.

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Alexandra Teodósio's picture
Position:
Senior Researcher
Daniela Nobre's picture
Position:
Investigador
Eudriano Costa's picture
Position:
Investigador
Francisco Leitão's picture
Position:
Senior Researcher
Joana Cruz's picture
Position:
João Encarnação's picture
Position:
Investigador
João Nuno Monteiro's picture
Position:
PhD Student
José Max's picture
Position:
Postdoc
Juan Bueno Pardo's picture
Position:
Postdoc
Laura Sordo's picture
Position:
Investigador
Miguel Pinto's picture
Position:
Pedro Morais's picture
Position:
Vânia Baptista's picture
Position:
Investigador
Gallery
Publications
All Publications
Beltrán IMarín, Demaria F, Ofelio C, et al. Scientists' warning against the society of waste. Science of The Total Environment. 2022.
de Villalobos NFernández, Costa MClara, Marín-Beltrán I. A community of marine bacteria with potential to biodegrade petroleum-based and biobased microplastics. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 2022;185(114251).
Encarnação J, Teodósio MAlexandra, Morais P. Citizen Science and Biological Invasions: A Review. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 2021;8. doi:10.3389/fenvs.2020.60298010.3389/fenvs.2020.602980.s001
Baptista V, Costa EFS, Carere C, et al. Does consistent individual variability in pelagic fish larval behaviour affect recruitment in nursery habitats?. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 2020;74(6). doi:10.1007/s00265-020-02841-0
Baptista V, Leitão F, Morais P, Teodósio MAlexandra, Wolanski E. Modelling the ingress of a temperate fish larva into a nursery coastal lagoon. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 2020;235:106601. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2020.106601
Encarnação J, Seyer T, Teodósio MAlexandra, Leitão F. First Record of the Nudibranch Tenellia adspersa (Nordmann, 1845) in Portugal, Associated with the Invasive Hydrozoan Cordylophora caspia (Pallas, 1771). Diversity. 2020;12(6):214. doi:10.3390/d12060214
Bueno-Pardo J, Pierce GJ, Cabecinha E, et al. Trends and drivers of marine fish landings in Portugal since its entrance in the European UnionAbstract. Travers-Trolet M, ed. ICES Journal of Marine Science. 2020;77(3):988 - 1001. doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsaa010
Costa EFS, Mocuba J, Oliveira D, Teodósio MAlexandra, Leitão F. Biological aspects of fish species from subsistence fisheries in “Bons Sinais” estuary, Mozambique. Regional Studies in Marine Science. 2020;39:101438. doi:10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101438
Leitão F, Roa-Ureta RHernan, Cánovas F. Editorial: Vulnerability of Fisheries to Climate Change. Frontiers in Marine Science. 2020;7. doi:10.3389/fmars.2020.613793
Pinto P, Oliveira-Junior JMax Barbos, Leitão F, et al. Development of a Metric of Aquatic Invertebrates for Volunteers (MAIV): A Simple and Friendly Biotic Metric to Assess Ecological Quality of Streams. Water. 2020;12(3):654. doi:10.3390/w12030654
Vieira VMNCS, Mateus M, Canelas R, Leitão F. The FuGas 2.5 Updated for the Effects of Surface Turbulence on the Transfer Velocity of Gases at the Atmosphere–Ocean Interface. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 2020;8(6):435. doi:10.3390/jmse8060435
Leitão F. Mean Size of the Landed Catch: A Fishery Community Index for Trend Assessment in Exploited Marine EcosystemsTable_1.pdf. Frontiers in Marine Science. 2019;6. doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.0030210.3389/fmars.2019.00302.s001
Roa-Ureta RH, Santos MN, Leitão F. Modelling long-term fisheries data to resolve the attraction versus production dilemma of artificial reefs. Ecological Modelling. 2019;407:108727. doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2019.108727
Tiller R, Arenas F, Galdies C, et al. Who cares about ocean acidification in the Plasticene?. Ocean & Coastal Management. 2019;174:170 - 180. doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2019.03.020
Encarnação J, Morais P, Baptista V, Cruz J, Teodósio MAlexandra. New Evidence of Marine Fauna Tropicalization off the Southwestern Iberian Peninsula (Southwest Europe). Diversity. 2019;11(4):48. doi:10.3390/d11040048
Vasconcelos P, Carvalho AN, Piló D, et al. Recent and Consecutive Records of the Atlantic Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896): Rapid Westward Expansion and Confirmed Establishment along the Southern Coast of Portugal. Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences. 2019;35(2):485 - 494. doi:10.1007/s41208-019-00163-1
Leitão F, Relvas P, Cánovas F, Baptista V, Teodósio A. Northerly wind trends along the Portuguese marine coast since 1950. Theoretical and Applied Climatology. 2018. doi:10.1007/s00704-018-2466-9
Piló D, Barbosa AB, Teodósio MA, et al. Are submarine groundwater discharges affecting the structure and physiological status of rocky intertidal communities?. Marine Environmental Research. 2018;136:158 - 173. doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.02.013
Leitão F, Baptista V, Erzini K. Reconstructing discards profiles of unreported catches. Scientia Marina. 2018;82(S1):39. doi:10.3989/scimar.2018.82S110.3989/scimar.04723.08A
Leitão F, Maharaj RR, Vieira VMNCS, Teodósio A, Cheung WWL. The effect of regional sea surface temperature rise on fisheries along the Portuguese Iberian Atlantic coast. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 2018;28(6):1351 - 1359. doi:10.1002/aqc.v28.610.1002/aqc.2947
Seyer T, Morais P, Amorim K, Leitão F, Martins F, Teodósio MAlexandra. On the presence of the Ponto-Caspian hydrozoan Cordylophora caspia (Pallas, 1771) in an Iberian estuary: highlights on the introduction vectors and invasion routes. BioInvasions Records. 2017;6(4):331 - 337. doi:10.3391/bir10.3391/bir.2017.6.410.3391/bir.2017.6.4.05
Leitão F, Baptista V, Chícharo A, Hughes SJane, Vieira V, Chícharo L. The role of environmental and fisheries multi-controls in white seabream (Diplodus sargus) artisanal fisheries in Portuguese coast. Regional Environmental Change. 2016;16(1):163 - 176. doi:10.1007/s10113-014-0726-5
The Brazilian Seagrass and Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Habitats: the state of knowledge, conservation status and main threats. Brazilian journal of oceanography. 2016;64(2).
Sordo L, Santos R, Reis J, Shulika A, Silva J. A direct CO2 control system for ocean acidification experiments: testing effects on the coralline red algae Phymatolithon lusitanicum. PeerJ, DOI 10.7717/peerj.2503. In: Mares 2016. MARES 2016. ; 2016.
Leitão F, Encarnação J, Range P, Schmelz RM, Teodósio MA, Chícharo L. Submarine groundwater discharges create unique benthic communities in a coastal sandy marine environment. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 2015;163:93 - 98. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2015.06.007
Gonçalves R, Correia ADulce, Atanasova N, Chícharo A, Ben-Hamadou R, Chícharo L. Environmental factors affecting larval fish community in the salt marsh area of Guadiana estuary (Algarve, Portugal). Scientia Marina. 2015;79(1):25 - 34. doi:10.3989/scimar.2015.79n110.3989/scimar.04081.08A
Cruzeiro L, Degrève L. What is the shape of the distribution of protein conformations at equilibrium?. J Biomol Struct Dyn. 2015;33(7):1539-46. doi:10.1080/07391102.2014.966148
The western South Atlantic Ocean in a high-CO2 world: current measurement capabilities and perspectives. Environmental Management journal . 2015;57(3).
Encarnação J, Leitão F, Range P, Piló D, Teodósio MA, Chícharo L. Local and temporal variations in near-shore macrobenthic communities associated with submarine groundwater discharges. Marine Ecology. 2015;36(4):926 - 941. doi:10.1111/maec.12186
Brodie J, Williamson CJ, Smale DA, et al. The future of the northeast Atlantic benthic flora in a high CO2 world. Ecol Evol. 2014;4(13):2787-98. doi:10.1002/ece3.1105
Silva G, Lima FP, Martel P, Castilho R. Thermal adaptation and clinal mitochondrial DNA variation of European anchovy. Proc Biol Sci. 2014;281(1792). doi:10.1098/rspb.2014.1093
Pinto PIS, Estêvão MD, Power DM. Effects of estrogens and estrogenic disrupting compounds on fish mineralized tissues. Mar Drugs. 2014;12(8):4474-94. doi:10.3390/md12084474
Silva TS, da Costa AMR, Conceição LEC, Dias JP, Rodrigues P, Richard N. Metabolic fingerprinting of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) liver to track interactions between dietary factors and seasonal temperature variations. PeerJ. 2014;2:e527. doi:10.7717/peerj.527
Cardoso JCR, Félix RC, Bergqvist CA, Larhammar D. New insights into the evolution of vertebrate CRH (corticotropin-releasing hormone) and invertebrate DH44 (diuretic hormone 44) receptors in metazoans. Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2014;209:162-70. doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.09.004
Millot S, Cerqueira M, Castanheira M-F, Overli O, Oliveira RF, Martins CIM. Behavioural stress responses predict environmental perception in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). PLoS One. 2014;9(9):e108800. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0108800
Hardoim CCP, Costa R. Microbial communities and bioactive compounds in marine sponges of the family irciniidae-a review. Mar Drugs. 2014;12(10):5089-122. doi:10.3390/md12105089
Encarnação J, Leitão T, Morais P, et al. Effects of inter-annual freshwater inflow shifts on the community structure of estuarine decapods. Cahiers de Biologie Marine . 2013;54:181-189. doi:10.21411/CBM.A.782BAAB8
Encarnação J, Leitão F, Range P, Piló D, Chícharo A, Chícharo L. The influence of submarine groundwater discharges on subtidal meiofauna assemblages in south Portugal (Algarve). Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 2013;130:202 - 208. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2013.04.013
Chícharo A, Amaral A, Faria A, et al. Are tidal lagoons ecologically relevant to larval recruitment of small pelagic fish? An approach using nutritional condition and growth rate. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 2012;112:265 - 279. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2012.07.033
Range P, Piló D, Ben-Hamadou R, et al. Seawater acidification by CO2 in a coastal lagoon environment: Effects on life history traits of juvenile mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 2012;424-425:89 - 98. doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2012.05.010
Meyer S, Caldarone EM, Chícharo A, et al. On the edge of death: Rates of decline and lower thresholds of biochemical condition in food-deprived fish larvae and juveniles. Journal of Marine Systems. 2012;93:11 - 24. doi:10.1016/j.jmarsys.2011.09.010
Sordo L, Fournier J, Oliveira C, Gern F, Panizza A, Lana PC. Temporal variations in morphology and biomass of vulnerable Halodule wrightii meadows at their southernmost distribution limit in the southwestern Atlantic. . Botanica marina. 2011;54.
Faria AM, Muha T, Morote E, Chícharo A. Influence of starvation on the critical swimming behaviour of the Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) and its relationship with RNA/DNA ratios during ontogeny. Scientia Marina. 2011;75(1):87 - 94. doi:10.3989/scimar.2011.75n110.3989/scimar.2011.75n1087
Surface interactions of the epiphytic macroalga Hincksia mitchelliae (Phaeophyceae) with the shoalgrass, Halodule wrightii (Cymodoceaceae). Journal of Phycology 47. 2011;47.
Range P, Chícharo A, Ben-Hamadou R, et al. Calcification, growth and mortality of juvenile clams Ruditapes decussatus under increased pCO2 and reduced pH: Variable responses to ocean acidification at local scales?. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 2011;396(2):177 - 184. doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2010.10.020
Morais P, Babaluk J, Correia AT, Chícharo A, Campbell JL, Chícharo L. Diversity of anchovy migration patterns in an European temperate estuary and in its adjacent coastal area: Implications for fishery management. Journal of Sea Research. 2010;64(3):295 - 303. doi:10.1016/j.seares.2010.04.001
M. Olivar P, Diaz MV, Chícharo A. Tissue effect on RNA:DNA ratios of marine fish larvae. Scientia Marina. 2009;73(S1):171 - 182. doi:10.3989/scimar.2009.73s110.3989/scimar.2009.73s1171
Morais P, Chícharo A, Chícharo L. Changes in a temperate estuary during the filling of the biggest European dam. Sci Total Environ. 2009;407(7):2245-59. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.11.037
Chícharo L, Ben Hamadou R, Amaral A, et al. Application and demonstration of the Ecohydrology approach for the sustainable functioning of the Guadiana estuary (South Portugal). Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology. 2009;9(1):55 - 71. doi:10.2478/v10104-009-0039-3
Chícharo A, Chícharo L. RNA:DNA ratio and other nucleic acid derived indices in marine ecology. Int J Mol Sci. 2008;9(8):1453-71. doi:10.3390/ijms9081453
Borges R, Ben-Hamadou R, Chícharo A, Ré P, Gonçalves EJ. Horizontal spatial and temporal distribution patterns of nearshore larval fish assemblages at a temperate rocky shore. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 2007;71(3-4):412 - 428. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2006.08.020
Garrido S, Rosa R, Ben-Hamadou R, Cunha MEmilia, Chícharo A, van der Lingen CD. Effect of maternal fat reserves on the fatty acid composition of sardine (Sardina pilchardus) oocytes. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol. 2007;148(4):398-409. doi:10.1016/j.cbpb.2007.07.008
Santos AMP, Chícharo A, Santos ADos, et al. Physical–biological interactions in the life history of small pelagic fish in the Western Iberia Upwelling Ecosystem. Progress in Oceanography. 2007;74(2-3):192 - 209. doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2007.04.008
Chícharo L, Chícharo A. Applying the ecohydrology approach to the Guadiana estuary and coastal areas: Lessons learned from dam impacted ecosystems. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 2006;70(1-2):1 - 2. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2006.05.040
Chícharo L, Chícharo A, Ben-Hamadou R. Use of a hydrotechnical infrastructure (Alqueva Dam) to regulate planktonic assemblages in the Guadiana estuary: Basis for sustainable water and ecosystem services management. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 2006;70(1-2):3 - 18. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2006.05.039
Chícharo A, Chícharo L, Morais P. Inter-annual differences of ichthyofauna structure of the Guadiana estuary and adjacent coastal area (SE Portugal/SW Spain): Before and after Alqueva dam construction. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 2006;70(1-2):39 - 51. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2006.05.036
Faria A, Morais P, Chícharo A. Ichthyoplankton dynamics in the Guadiana estuary and adjacent coastal area, South-East Portugal. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 2006;70(1-2):85 - 97. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2006.05.032
Wolanski E, Chícharo L, Chícharo A, Morais P. An ecohydrology model of the Guadiana Estuary (South Portugal). Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 2006;70(1-2):132 - 143. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2006.05.029
Chícharo A, Esteves E, A Santos MP, Santos Ados, Peliz Á, Ré P. Are sardine larvae caught off northern Portugal in winter starving? An approach examining nutritional conditions. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 2003;257:303–309.
Chícharo A, Chı́charo L, Amaral A, Condinho S, Gaspar M. Chronic effects of dredging-induced stress on the clam (Spisula solida): nucleic acid and lipid composition. Fisheries Research. 2003;63(3):447 - 452. doi:10.1016/S0165-7836(03)00077-8
Chı́charo L, Chícharo A, Gaspar M, Regala J, Alves F. Reburial time and indirect mortality of Spisula solida clams caused by dredging. Fisheries Research. 2002;59(1-2):247 - 257. doi:10.1016/S0165-7836(02)00012-7
Chícharo L, Chícharo A, Esteves E, Andrade JPedro, Morais P. Effects of alterations in fresh water supply on the abundance and distribution of Engraulis encrasicolus in the Guadiana estuary and adjacent coastal areas of south Portugal. International Journal of Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology. 2001;1:341–346.
Chı́charo LMZ, Chícharo A, Alves F, Amaral A, Pereira A, Regala J. Diel variation of the RNA/DNA ratios in Crassostrea angulata (Lamarck) and Ruditapes decussatus (Linnaeus 1758) (Mollusca: Bivalvia). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 2001;259(1):121 - 129. doi:10.1016/S0022-0981(01)00229-5
Chícharo A, Chícharo LM, Galvão H, et al. Status of the Guadiana Estuary (south Portugal) during 1996-1998: An ecohydrological approach. Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management. 2001;4(1):73 - 89. doi:10.1080/146349801753569298
Gaspar MB, Dias MD, Campos A, et al. The influence of dredge design on the catch of Callista chione (Linnaeus, 1758). Hydrobiologia. 2001;465(1/3):153 - 167. doi:10.1023/A:1014587212528
Esteves E, Pina T, Chícharo A, Andrade JP. The distribution of estuarine fish larvae: Nutritional condition andco-occurrence with predators and prey. Acta Oecologica. 2000;21(3):161 - 173. doi:10.1016/S1146-609X(00)01078-X
Chı́charo LMZ, Chícharo A. Estimation of the life history parameters of Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck) larvae in a coastal lagoon (Ria Formosa — south Portugal). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 2000;243(1):81 - 94. doi:10.1016/S0022-0981(99)00112-4
Esteves E, Chícharo A, Pina T, Coelho ML, Andrade JP. Comparison of RNA/DNA ratios obtained with two methods for nucleic acid quantification in gobiid larvae. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 2000;245(1):43 - 55. doi:10.1016/S0022-0981(99)00150-1
Chícharo A, Chı́charo L, Valdés L, López-Jamar E, Ré P. Does the nutritional condition limit survival potential of sardine Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792) larvae off the north coast of Spain? RNA/DNA ratios and their variability. Fisheries Research. 1998;39(1):43 - 54. doi:10.1016/S0165-7836(98)00167-2
Chícharo A. Nutritional condition and starvation in Sardina pilchardus (L.) larvae off southern Portugal compared with some environmental factors. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 1998;225(1):123 - 137. doi:10.1016/S0022-0981(97)00212-8
Projects
Title Coordinator Time frame Funding CCMAR All
CLIMFISH CLIMFISH - fisheries vulnerability to climate change Francisco Leitão 05/01/2018 to 12/27/2021 COMPETE2020 151,442.00k€ 151.442,00k€
BIOFISH-QoL Integrative approach to enhance the quality of live in fishing communities of the ‘Bons Sinais’ estuary (Mozambique) Francisco Leitão 11/01/2018 to 06/30/2023 FCT 202,663.00k€ 449.279,00k€
BIOFISH-QoL Integrative approach to enhance the quality of live in fishing communities of the ‘Bons Sinais’ estuary (Mozambique) Francisco Leitão 11/01/2018 to 06/30/2023 AKDN foundation (AGA KHAN) 202,663.00k€ 449.279,00k€
News
News 
The CCMAR collaborated with the Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente in the Environmental Volunteering for Water, a program that made possible the development of a simple metric for monitoring aquatic invertebrates, to be used by...
Our researchers tested if fish larvae show some individuality throughout their growth.
The study demonstrated the relevance of combining fish larvae behaviour and oceanography processes in modelling the dispersion of fish larvae to estimate recruitment.
CCMAR's NEMA project participates with the organization of two Underwater FotoBlitz. The initiative takes place across the country from 10 to 18 October.
Marta Albo joined the ECOREACH group to collaborate on the Clima-Pesca project. Welcome to the team!
The ECOREACH group organized an intensive course on "Statistics applied to fisheries biology" for students, technicians and teachers from the Escola Superior de Ciências Marinhas e Costeiras and the Instituto Nacional de...