Teses em curso


André Filipe Gonçalves Barreto

Immune modulation of the white-leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) through high performance microdiets for an improved disease resistance during the first stages of developmen

Supervisors:
Benjamin Costas Refojos (CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal)
Luís Eugénio Castanheira da Conceição (SPAROS)
Host Institution - CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal
Host Institution - CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal

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Diogo Manuel Andrade da Silva

Evaluate the potential of microplastics contamination in seafood

Supervisors:
Sandra Ramos (CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal)
Francisco Guardiola (CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal)
Marisa Almeida (CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal and FCUP – Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Portugal)
Host Institution - CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal

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Maria Luís de Vilar Correia Brito Bôto

Harnessing the cooperative potential of the marine microbiome for hydrocarbon degradation

Supervisors:
Ana Paula de Campos Mucha (CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Bioremediation and Ecosystems Functioning (EcoBioTec) Laboratory, University of Porto, Portugal)
Catarina Maria Pinto Mora Pinto de Magalhães (CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal)
Julie LaRoche (Dalhousie University, Department of Biology, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Canada)
Host Institution - CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal
Host Institution 2- Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Canada

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Mariana Luísa Baião Ramos de Oliveira

Finding chemical treasures in the sea: Bioprospection of Actinobacteria associated with marine sponges from Mozambique for the production of valuable bioactive compounds

Supervisors:
Maria de Fátima Carvalho (CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal)
Ralph Urbatzka (CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal)
Host Institution - CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal

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Rafaela Alexandra Perdigão Mendes

Unravelling marine microbial diversity for bioremediation of polluted environments

Supervisors:
Ana Paula Mucha (CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal)
Maria de Fátima Carvalho (CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal)
Catarina Magalhães (CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal and FCUP – Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Portugal)
Host Institution - CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal

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Regina da Conceição Gomes da Torre

Biogeographic characterization of transitional waters ecosystems for environmental quality assessment

Supervisors:
Olga Maria Oliveira da Silva (FCUP - Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto / CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto)
Sara Cristina Ferreira Marques Antunes (CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto / FCUP - Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto)
José António Morais Catita (University Fernando Pessoa / Paralab SA)
Host Institution - CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto
Host Institution 2- Paralab SA

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Rúben Micael Moreira Pereira

Impacts of microplastic contamination on primary producers and associated ecosystem services

Supervisors:
Sandra Cristina da Costa e Silva Ramos (CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto)
Marisa Almeida (CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto)
Pedro Manuel Silva Duarte (Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway)
Host Institution - CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto
Host Institution 2- Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway

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Sabrina Rodrigues Magalhães

Bioavailability and effects of microplastics in estuarine and coastal larval fish assemblages

Supervisors:
Sandra Cristina da Costa e Silva Ramos (CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto)
Marisa Almeida (CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto)
Michael Elliott (University of Hull, UK)
Host Institution - CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto
Host Institution 2- University of Hull, England

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Vasco Manuel Paiva Ferreira

Marine habitat classification for improved spatial information towards evidence-informed management of the Northern Littoral Marine Park

Supervisors:
Jorge Manuel dos Santos Gonçalves (CCMAR – Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Portugal)
Gerhard Michael Weber (ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto)
Michael Elliott (University of Hull, UK)
Host Institution - CCMAR – Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Portugal
Host Institution 2- Câmara Municipal de Esposende, Esposende, Portugal

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Unravelling marine microbial diversity for bioremediation of polluted environments

Rafaela Alexandra Perdigão Mendes

Thesis Project: The present PhD proposal aims to investigate the potential of native marine microorganisms for biodegradation of crude oil and other pollutants, to develop microbial consortia that can be used as bioremediation agents to respond to accidental anthropogenic pollution. Native microorganisms with ability to degrade the target pollutants will be selected from different marine environments, like deep-sea and coastal areas, through an enrichment process, using water and/or sediment, and their taxonomic and functional gene diversity will be characterized by metagenomics approaches. In parallel, microbial strains will be isolated, the most promising ones will be used for the development of microbial consortia and their biodegradation potential will be optimized in microcosm experiments. Then, some of the selected microbial consortia will be optimized for their biomass production. Finally, the biodegradation efficiency of bioremediation consortia will be validated in microcosm experiments mimicking the respective natural environmental conditions.

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Immune modulation of the white-leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) through high performance microdiets for an improved disease resistance during the first stages of development

André Filipe Gonçalves Barreto

Thesis Project: Shrimp produced in aquaculture is a highly valued commercial product whose demand has substantially increased in recent years. Nevertheless, the shrimp aquaculture industry still faces productive and environmental sustainability concerns. The shrimp initial stages of development are critical and are frequently associated with suboptimal growth and survival results due to problems in the transition of live feeds to inert microdiets. The existing microdiets still do not effectively replace live feeds which leaves room for the creation of solutions that enhance development during the initial stages and consequently improve the shrimp quality in the posterior stages. Additionally, industrial shrimp cultures are extremely susceptible to episodes of pathogenic origin that have disastrous consequences to production. The use of antibiotics in the aquaculture industry is limited, since its indiscriminate use can cause environmental problems and increase resistance between pathogens. Furthermore, shrimp depend uniquely on their innate immune system and cannot be vaccinated, which makes immunestimulation an extremely important strategy. Currently, it is known that the modulation of the immune system is possible through nutrition. Therefore, the potential of creating nutritional solutions that improve the immune condition of shrimp is foreseen as tremendous. In this scenario, this proposal aims to evaluate the effects of different feed prototypes developed for the initial stages of development of white-leg shrimp on their health status, immune condition, oxidative status and disease resistance. A series of experimental feeding trials using microdiets supplemented with health promoting additives will be conducted to evaluate their effects on white-leg shrimp larvae health status. Additionally, another series of experimental trials will be conducted using microdiets supplemented with various levels of specific compounds selected from the previous trials to evaluate their effects on immune condition, oxidative status and disease resistance of white-leg shrimp larvae.

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Evaluate the potential of microplastics contamination in seafood

Diogo Manuel Andrade da Silva

Thesis Project: Recently, a worldwide concern is growing on microplastics (MPs) presence in marine environments, respective impacts on marine ecosystems, and on goods and services provided. Seafood is one of the most important resources for human consumption, and its potential contamination with MPs is a critical concern for food security. MPs contamination has been reported for some seafood species (essentially fish and molluscs), although there is still limited information about MPs contamination in canned seafood (an important source of seafood) or even commercial fish feed (used for farmed organisms). Therefore, the present proposal aims to fill this knowledge gap by investigating MPs contamination in different seafood sources, such as relevant fish species for human consumption, varied canned seafood and fish feed. This work will also investigate fish feed as MPs contamination path of cultured species, contributing to improve food security and develop future actions to prevent MPs contamination in seafood.

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Harnessing the cooperative potential of the marine microbiome for hydrocarbon degradation

Maria Luís de Vilar Correia Brito Bôto

Thesis Project: Oil spills disasters are catastrophic events that represent a large input of petroleum compounds in marine environments. Microorganisms with the capacity to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons have been widely studied as a cost-effective treatment to accelerate the recovery of contaminated environments. However, the majority of these microorganisms are difficult to cultivate and its cooperative interactions during hydrocarbon degradation are largely unknown. This proposal aims to explore the genetic potential of marine hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms to improve their use as a biotechnological tool for bioremediation of oil spills. Marine microbiome from the NW Iberian Peninsula coast will be explored at functional level to identify communities with promising sets of genetic machinery to degrade hydrocarbons. In addition, culturing techniques will be applied to isolate bacterial strains with strong oil-degrading efficiency. These strains will be further used in in vitro studies for a deeper understanding of cooperative microbial mechanisms of hydrocarbon degradation using RNAseq approach.

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Finding chemical treasures in the sea: Bioprospection of Actinobacteria associated with marine sponges from Mozambique for the production of valuable bioactive compounds

Mariana Luísa Baião Ramos de Oliveira

Thesis Project: Marine sponges are generally characterized by a dense and diverse microbiome. Actinobacteria are among the most common sponge-associated microorganisms. Different species of these bacteria have been shown to produce a diverse range of promising bioactive secondary metabolites which might be valuable for drug development.
ln this work Actinobacteria will be isolated from marine sponges collected in South Mozambique and identified using molecular tools. Each bacterium will be grown in liquid medium and its crude biomass will be extracted using organic solvents. The obtained extracts will be tested for antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-obesity and/or anti-inflammatory activities. Bioactivity-guided fractioning will be performed until a pure compound is obtained and identified. lts chemical structure will be elucidated.
The aim of this research is to isolate and characterize novel natural compounds from sponge-associated Actinobacteria which exhibit beneficial human health characteristics, i.e., antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-obesity and/or anti-inflammatory activities.

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Biogeographic characterization of transitional waters ecosystems for environmental quality assessment

Regina da Conceição Gomes da Torre

Thesis Project: Over the past decades, human impact on the planet's biomes has been rapidly growing, be it due to the exponential industrial boom, ever-expanding metropolis, and the human need for natural resources. This impact is visible in both land-based biomes, but also in aquatic ones. For the latter, it is extremely important to keep an active quality monitoring, not only of the water, but also the sediments present within, in an effort to assure its suitability for both human use and the health of the local ecosystems. This work will focus on the sediments from a particular aquatic ecosystem transitional water bodies, in the North of Portugal. These will be characterized through the analyses of the physical and chemical parameters, and biological components. Focus will be placed on the study of the microbial communities - such as prokaryotic organisms, phytobenthic and macroinvertebrates; along with physical and chemical sediment characterization - by microscopy, particle size distribution, pH and salinity levels, presence of heavy metals, concentration of oxygen and total organic carbon. Moreover, obtained data will be processed and analyzed in an integrative and correlational approach.

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Impacts of microplastic contamination on primary producers and associated ecosystem services

Rúben Micael Moreira Pereira

Thesis Project: Due to its ubiquitous distribution, microplastics have become a worldwide concern, negatively impacting marine organisms and ecosystems services. Microplastic contamination in several marine species have been stressed by literature, however there are still few studies focusing on primary producers as phytoplankton and macroalgae. Primary producers play an essential role being responsible for key ecosystems services as oxygen production and blue carbon. Knowledge about the negative effects of microplastics contamination in primary producers while improving in recent years, is mainly focused on phytoplanktonic freshwater species and studies focusing macroalgae are limited. The present proposal will contribute to fill this knowledge gap through a work plan designed towards a mechanistic understanding about the effects of microplastic contamination on photosynthetic activity of phytoplankton and macroalgae. Afterwards, such effects will be introduced into ecosystem models for a proper upscaling and evaluation of the impacts of microplastic contamination on marine ecosystem services as blue carbon.

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Bioavailability and effects of microplastics in estuarine and coastal larval fish assemblages

Sabrina Rodrigues Magalhães

Thesis Project: Microplastics have been recognized as a contaminant of global concern, impacting marine organisms and overall ecosystems health. Planktonic organisms, as the vulnerable larval stages of fishes, are susceptible for microplastics, with demonstrating effects on feeding behavior, growth, and development. While improvements in understanding the negative effects of microplastics is increasing, mainly through laboratory studies, it is urgent to complement and further our scientific knowledge with data collected in the environment. In fact, there are still few studies dedicated to assess microplastics contamination in natural environments, as estuaries and coastal habitats. This PhD proposal will contribute to fill this knowledge gap, providing environmental data on the bioavailability, characterization and sources of microplastics contamination in estuarine and coastal ecosystems. Also, this proposal will contribute to further the scientific understanding about microplastics ingestion in planktonic organisms as fish larvae and their potential impacts as a vector of chemical and biological pollutants

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Marine habitat classification for improved spatial information towards evidence-informed management of the Northern Littoral Marine Park

Vasco Manuel Paiva Ferreira

Thesis Project: Environmental management and conservation requires standardized classifications and terminology to enable consistent mapping of the environment across all possible habitat types. Habitat classifications are required for reporting, mapping and comparative analysis of ecological data, this aids ranking of areas for conservation management, such as in selecting areas whose conservation requires the designation of special areas of conservation. The importance of a univocal habitat classification system is confirmed by the fact that a number of European policies, including the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD; 2008/56/EC), the Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE; 2007/2/EC), and the Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) roadmap (European Commission, 2008), aimed at marine mapping, assessment and reporting are increasingly using EUNIS habitat categories to guarantee a common shared classification system between Member States. The EUNIS (European Union Nature Information System) habitat classification system aims to provide a common European reference set of habitat types within a hierarchical classification, and to cover all habitats of Europe. For this reason, substantial efforts have been made to include information on marine benthic habitats from different regions, aiming to provide a comprehensive geographical coverage of European seas. However, there still remain many concerns on its applicability as only a small fraction of Europe’s seas are fully mapped. Our increasing knowledge of the marine habitats and some difficulties to implement the current EUNIS classification raise further issues to be resolved. While many projects have greatly increased our knowledge of the marine environment, they have also revealed a number of problems with the current version of the marine section of the EUNIS classification. One consequence of this is that, at a national level, there are many examples where habitat mapping studies have found difficulty in assigning their observations to the classes that currently exist in the EUNIS system.
Consequently, an effort should be made to improve the detail of biotope descriptions to include most of the local assemblages. Habitat-based marine spatial planning and management is a possible way to ensure sustainability of marine ecosystems and the services they provide and to enable comparisons between areas and organize information in maps and reports. Habitat maps will be used to identify sites that incorporate the ecological processes that support biodiversity, including the presence of exploitable species, vulnerable life stages, and habitat inter-connectivity. The proposal aims progress in the field of benthic habitat mapping founded on high-resolution environmental data sets that will undoubtedly help to examine patterns in community and species distributions, which is a vital first step in unravelling complexities and thus providing improved spatial information for the management of the Northern Littoral Marine Park (Esposende, Portugal).