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Mariana Silva completed a PhD in Marine Sciences in December 2025 at the Univeristy of Azores - Institute of Marine Sciences (Okeanos), following an Erasmus Mundus MSc in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (EMBC+) in 2017 (Ghent University) and a BSc in Biology in 2015 (University of Algarve). Her research focuses on bioenergetic and ecological modelling of marine megafauna particularly deep-diving cetaceans, integrating biologging data, prey characteristics and physiological proxies to assess energy balance, vulnerability and population-level consequences of environmental and anthropogenic stressors. She has published peer-reviewed articles, contributed to technical reports and monitoring manuals and presented her work at national and international conferences and workshops. She has participated in national and EU-funded projects, including roles as PhD fellow and senior research technician collaborating within multidisciplinary and international research networks.
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Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Mariana Silva

Citation names

  • M. F. P., Silva
  • Silva, M. P.
  • Silva, Mariana

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
581B-32FA-32F6
ORCID iD
0000-0003-2159-092X

Addresses

  • Rua Prof Dr Frederico Machado, 4, 9901-862, Horta, Faial, Portugal (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Ecology

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
Education
Degree Classification
2021/04/01 - 2025/12/05
Concluded
 Marine Sciences (Doutoramento)
Major in Marine Ecology
Universidade dos Açores Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar Okeanos, Portugal
"Assessing the energetic consequences of disturbance on a marine top predator" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 Apr. Distinção
2015/09 - 2017/08
Concluded
 Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (EMBC+) (Mestrado)
Universiteit Gent, Belgium
"Social sounds of humpback whales from Southern Africa" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2012/09 - 2015/07
Concluded
 Biology (Licenciatura)
Universidade do Algarve, Portugal
"Survival, growth and metabolism of Australoheros facetus kept in different salinities" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution		 Employer
2019/06 - 2019/08 Research Trainee (Research) Museu da Baleia da Madeira, Portugal
2017/08 - 2018/12 Research Assistant (Research) School for Field Studies, United States
School for Field Studies, United States
2014 - 2014 Research Trainee (Research) Zoomarine do Algarve, Portugal
2014 - 2014 Research Trainee (Research) Serviço do Parque Natural da Madeira, Portugal

Other Careers

Category
Host institution		 Employer
2019/08 - 2021/03 Técnico Superior (Técnico Superior) Fundação Gaspar Frutuoso, Portugal
Universidade dos Açores Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar Okeanos, Portugal

Others

Category
Host institution		 Employer
2018 - 2018 Divemaster East Bay Resort, Turks and Caicos Islands
2016/07 - 2016/08 Marine Biologist guide Rota dos Cetáceos, Portugal
2015/07 - 2015/08 Marine Biologist guide Rota dos Cetáceos, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2021/04/01 - 2025/12/05 Assessing the energetic consequences of disturbance on a marine top predator
M3.1.a/F/028/2020
PhD Student Fellow
Universidade dos Açores Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar Okeanos, Portugal
 Fundo Regional para a Ciência e Tecnologia
Concluded
2022 - 2022 Understanding energy-mediated responses of sperm whales to environmental shifts using a bioenergetic modelling approach
2022/0211
PhD Student Fellow
Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento
Concluded
2022 - 2022 Understanding energy-mediated responses of sperm whales to environmental shifts using a bioenergetic modelling approach
2022
PhD Student Fellow
Society for Marine Mammalogy, United States
 Society for Marine Mammalogy
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Conference paper
  1. Baduy, Flavia; Soares, Diogo; Teixeira, Daniela; Silva, M. P.; Soares, Jéssica; Canario, A. V. M.; Saraiva, João L.; Guerreiro, Pedro M. "Dispersion of the invasive Australoheros factus into upper estuaries may be deterred by salinity-related effects on both physiology and behaviour". Paper presented in VI Iberian Congress of Ichthyology, Murcia, 2016.
  2. Baduy, Flávia ; Soares, Jéssica; Silva, M. P.; Canario, A. V. M.; Saraiva, João L.; Guerreiro, Pedro M. "Critical thermal maximum and minimum in Australoheros facetus, a neo-tropical invader in the Iberian Peninsula". Paper presented in VI Iberian Congress of Ichthyology, 2016.
  3. Baduy, Flávia ; Soares, Jéssica; Silva, M. P.; Canario, A. V. M.; Saraiva, João L.; Guerreiro, Pedro M. "THERMAL ENDURANCE MECHANISMS IN Australoheros facetus, AN INVASIVE FRESHWATER FISH IN PORTUGAL". Paper presented in VI Iberian Congress of Ichthyology, Murcia, 2016.
Conference poster
  1. Mariana P. Silva; Oliveira, Cláudia; Prieto, Rui; Silva, Mónica A.; New, Leslie; Pérez-Jorge, Sergi. "Estimating energy expenditure of sperm whales’ social units". Paper presented in 36th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, 2025.
  2. Mariana P. Silva; Gridley, T.; James, B.; Elwen, S.. "Investigating the social sounds from ‘super-groups’ of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) from South Africa". Paper presented in 9th Jagna International Workshop: Stochastic Analysis – Mathematical Methods and Real World Models, 2020.
Journal article
  1. Silva, M. P.; Oliveira, Cláudia; Prieto, Rui; Silva, Mónica A.; New, Leslie; Pérez-Jorge, Sergi. "Bioenergetic modelling of a marine top predator's responses to changes in prey structure". Ecology and Evolution 14 3 (2024): https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11135.
    Published • 10.1002/ece3.11135
  2. Gridley, T.; M. F. P., Silva; Wilkinson, C.; Seakamela, S. M.; Elwen, S. H.. "Song recorded near a super-group of humpback whales on a mid-latitude feeding ground off South Africa". The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 143 4 (2018): EL298-EL304. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.5032126.
    10.1121/1.5032126
Magazine article
  1. Silva, Mariana; Blasco-Monleón, Sandra; Gonçalves, João M.. "Fondos de arena. Una fauna todavia poco conocida. Una monitorización de extracción de arena innovadora", Revista de La Sociedad Atlántica de Oceanógrafos, 2020
Manual
  1. Silva, Mariana; Blasco, Sandra; Gonçalves, João M.. Manual de monitorização da extração de sedimentos móveis subtidais nos Açores. 2020.
Report
  1. Silva, M. P.. 2025. Case study applying the bioenergetic modelling framework to selected marine megafauna of the Azores.
  2. Silva, M. P.. 2025. Review and synthesis of bioenergetic modelling methodologies for cetaceans in the Azores.
  3. Silva, M. P.. 2025. Bioenergetic modelling framework for cetaceans in the Azores: structure and components.
  4. Silva, M. P.. 2025. Compilation of preliminary database on diet and prey parameters for bioenergetic modelling in the Azores.
  5. Gonçalves, João M; Silva, Mariana; Blasco, Sandra; Simões, Júlia ; Medeiros, Ricardo. 2020. Relatório técnico final das campanhas de monitorização dos fundos marinhos arenosos subtidais dos Açores.
  6. Silva, Mariana; Blasco, Sandra; Gonçalves, João M.. 2020. Guia de identificação de espécies em fundos marinhos arenosos subtidiais nos Açores / Species identification guide on sandy sublittoral bottoms of the Azores.
  7. Gonçalves, João M.; Silva, Mariana; Simões, Júlia ; Medeiros, Ricardo. 2019. Relatório técnico final das campanhas de monitorização dos fundos marinhos arenosos subtidais dos Açores.
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. Mariana P. Silva. "Assessing the energetic consequences of disturbance on a marine top predator". PhD, Universidade dos Açores Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar Okeanos, 2025.
  2. "Social sounds of humpback whales from Southern Africa". Master, 2017.
  3. "Survival, growth and metabolism of "Australoheros facetus" kept at different salinities". Degree, Universidade do Algarve, 2015.

Other

Dataset
  1. Silva, M. P.; Oliveira, Cláudia; Prieto, Rui; Silva, Mónica A.; New, Leslie; Pérez-Jorge, Sergi. Foraging data to model energy acquisition and requirements of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) to understand energy-mediated responses to changes in prey structure. PANGEA. 2024.
    doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.968456
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2025/05 Predict energetic impacts and responses of a marine top predator (finalist in the Three Minute Thesis competition, 3MT) Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition
University of Azores (Azores, Portugal)
2024/11 Estimating energy expenditure of sperm whales’ social units 25th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals
The Society of Marine Mammalogy (Perth, Australia)
2023/09 Bioenergetic modelling of a marine top predator’s responses to changes in prey structure European Conference on Ecological Modelling (ECEM)
(Leipzig, Germany)
2023 Bioenergetic modelling of a marine top predator’s responses to changes in prey structure Beyond Whale Watching
University of Azores (Horta, Portugal)
2023 Understanding energy-mediated responses of a marine top predator to prey structure shifts using a bioenergetic modelling approach Jornadas Oceanográficas e Ecológicas - MARCET II
(Horta, Portugal)
2022 Understanding energy-mediated responses of sperm whales to environmental shifts using a bioenergetic modelling approach 24th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals (SMM)
(Palm Beach, Florida, United States)
2020 Extraction of underwater sands in the Azores: need for economy and ecological impacts 27th APDR Congress “Sustainable Managemenet of the Sea for Sustainable Regional Develoment”
Associação Portuguesa para o Desenvolvimento Regional (Angra do Heroísmo (Terra-Chã), Azores, Portugal)
2019 Understanding the role of acoustic cues in the formation and cohesion of super-groups of humpback whales World Marine Mammal Science Conference (WMMSC)
The Society of Marine Mammalogy (Barcelona, Spain)
2019 Understanding the role of acoustic cues in the formation and cohesion of super-groups of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) XXVII International Bioacoustics Council Meeting (IBAC)
International Bioacoustics Council (Brighton, United Kingdom)
2019 Understanding the role of acoustic cues in the formation and cohesion of super-groups of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB) Easter Meeting
The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB) (York, United Kingdom)
2017 Social sounds from 'super' groups of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) from South Africa XXVI International Bioacoustics Council Meeting (IBAC)
International Bioacoustics Council (Haridwar, India)

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event		 Event name
Institution / Organization
2026/03/05 - 2026/03/06 REMORA Online Training on European Research Funding Strategy & Proposal Development “Thinking Like a Champion & Horizon Europe Intelligence” delivered by Key Innovations Ltd. Training in Horizon Europe proposal development, covering strategic planning, funding frameworks and methods to design and evaluate competitive proposals.
Other
 REMORA Online Training Program 2026: Thinking and Acting like a Champion & Horizon Europe Intelligence
2024 - 2024 Participated on the Cachalote Consortium Workshop (2024): Behaviour, ecology and the structure of sperm whale societies -– transforming science into stewardship for ocean nomads
Workshop
 25th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals
Society for Marine Mammalogy, United States
2023/01 - 2023/01 Participated on the international workshop "OCEAN Workshop on Marine Mammal Ship Strike Mitigation" (Horta, Azores, Portugal, 2023). Organized in the scope of project “OCEAN - Operator-Centered Enhancement of Awareness in Navigation” (2023/01/24 - 2023/01/26)
Workshop
Universidade dos Açores Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar Okeanos, Portugal

IMAR - Instituto do Mar, Portugal
2023 - 2023 Participated on the international workshop "Ecological modelling for environmental risk assessment – career pathways" (Leipzig, Germany, 2023)
Workshop
 European Conference on Ecological Modelling (ECEM)
2023 - 2023 Participated on the international workshop "Computational notebooks for open, reproducible, and productive research" (Leipzig, Germany, 2023)
Workshop
 European Conference on Ecological Modelling (ECEM)
2022/11 - 2022/11 Visual Communication for Scientists (short course): training focused on visual communication principles for scientific contexts including the design of clear and effective figures and presentations. The course involved hands-on work using image-editing software (e.g. GIMP/Photoshop) and presentation tools (PowerPoint), with emphasis on visual clarity, data storytelling and science communication.
Other
 Visual Communication for Scientists (short course)
Universidade dos Açores Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar Okeanos, Portugal

Association member

Society Organization name Role
2025 - Current European Cetacean Society
2022 - Current Society for Marine Mammalogy

Journal scientific committee

Journal title (ISSN) Publisher
2025/07/15 - Current Ecological Modelling (1872-7026) Elsevier

Scientific expedition

Activity description Institution / Organization
2019/08 - 2021/03 Field work for PLASMAR/PLASMAR+ Project. Developed and applied monitoring methodologies for subtidal sandy seabeds affected by commercial sand extraction, supporting ecosystem-based marine spatial planning (EU MSFD, Descriptor 6). Conducted SCUBA- and vessel-based surveys, including onboard sampling with dredge vessels. Laboratory analyses and GIS-based spatial analyses (ArcGIS) of benthic and sediment data. Contributed to technical reports, monitoring manuals, and species identification guides for regional environmental management. Universidade dos Açores Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar Okeanos, Portugal
2019/10 - 2019/10 Participated in a demersal survey aboard the R/V Arquipelago at the Condor Seamount: data collecting on deep-sea fish abundance, biology and ecology; contribution to monitoring and sustainable management of benthic resources in the Azores. Universidade dos Açores Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar Okeanos, Portugal
2017/08 - 2018/12 Field work at the Center for Marine Resource Studies (CMRS) South Caicos (Turks and Caicos Islands). Supervised student field exercises and ensured safety during SCUBA and field activities; taught classroom modules in tropical marine ecology. Conducted scientific surveys on sea turtles (acoustic and flipper tagging), elasmobranchs (drum lining; acoustic, PIT, ROTO tagging) and benthic habitats (coral reef health, fish abundance and diversity). School for Field Studies, United States