I am a Research Assistant at the University of Lisbon, working mainly on shorebird and seabird ecology, but also with a strong interest on the conservation of steppe birds. My main research is focused on key state-of-the-art aspects of the ecology of coastal and marine birds in the contrasting ecological contexts of tropical, sub-tropical and temperate estuarine/marine ecosystems.
Work with coastal birds (shorebirds) aims at implementing a long-term international program focused on intercontinental (African-European) migratory connectivity and the role of migrants in ecological networks, using estuarine birds as models. In particularly, research is focused in (1) developing methods to quantitatively assess the quality of foraging and roosting resources in both temperate and tropical estuaries, (2) characterizing migratory connectivity of shorebirds within the East Atlantic Flyway (Europe and Africa), (3) describing the structure and functioning of food webs leading to shorebirds and (4) assessing the role of these migrant birds on the dynamics of coastal ecosystems.
Fieldwork has been carried out in Portugal, Morocco, Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau.
