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Ana Margarida Amaral Portuguese | Senior Science Manager | PhD (2009, University of Santiago de Compostela) Senior science manager and researcher with extensive experience in the transversal coordination, governance, and strategic support of scientific services at CCMAR. Operates at the interface between science, services, and institutional management, working closely with users, researchers, technical teams, and leadership to ensure effective service delivery, access coordination, and compliance with ethical, legal, and safety frameworks. Holds a hands-on role in coordinating access to national and European research infrastructures, including services aligned with EMBRC Portugal, with a strong focus on quality assurance, sustainability, and user-oriented service models. Acts as Liaison Officer and Technological Core Facility Manager at CCMAR (CTS), with a proven track record in research infrastructure access management, transnational access (TNA), and European collaborative projects, bridging academia, industry, and policy. Responsible for infrastructure access and service provision in several major European projects, including AQUASERV-RI, IRISCC, AQUARIUS-RI, AQUAEXCEL3.0, AGROSERV, and ISIDORe (Integrated Services for Infectious Disease Outbreak Research). Serves as Portuguese Liaison Officer for EMBRC-ERIC (European Marine Biological Resource Centre), a distributed European research infrastructure supporting fundamental and applied research based on marine bioresources and ecosystems. Co-founder of SciGest – Associação Portuguesa para a Gestão de Ciência (2025), a national professional association dedicated to strengthening research management and administration (RMA) in Portugal through community building, professional recognition, capacity development, and alignment with European best practices. Demonstrates extensive experience in stakeholder engagement, liaising with academia, research institutions, and industry through European platforms and infrastructures (e.g. EMBRC, AquaExcel, Assemble Plus, ShareBiotech). Strong involvement in laboratory licensing and regulatory compliance, including biohazard and radiological safety, animal experimentation, occupational health and safety, and legal frameworks governing the provision of marine organisms from the wild, including Nagoya Protocol compliance. Provides scientific consultancy in marine sciences, with expertise in environmental impact assessment, aquaculture development, bivalve production, marine biology, and science-based nature tourism, frequently addressing highly specific and applied industry challenges.
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Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Ana Margarida Araújo Amaral

Citation names

  • Amaral, Ana
  • Amaral, A.M.
  • Amaral, A.

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
F61F-CD31-2466

Email addresses

  • amamaral@ualg.pt (Professional)

Telephones

Telephone
  • 289800051 (Professional)

Addresses

  • CCMAR. Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, edif 7, 8005-139, Faro, Faro, Portugal (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Marine Biology
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Ecology

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Advanced (C1) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
French Elementary (A2) Elementary (A2) Elementary (A2) Elementary (A2) Elementary (A2)
Spanish; Castilian Intermediate (B1) Advanced (C1) Intermediate (B1) Advanced (C1) Intermediate (B1)
Education
Degree Classification
2002 - 2009
Concluded
 Biologia Marinha e Aquacultura (Doutoramento)
Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
"Gestión de la acuicultura de la almeja fina, R. decussatus (Linnaeus, 1758) en la laguna Ria Formosa (sur de Portugal): efectos sobre el ecossistema y la fisiología de la espécie." (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 Sobresaliente Cum Laude
1995 - 1999
Concluded
 Biologia Marinha e Pescas (Licenciatura)
Universidade do Algarve - Campus de Gambelas, Portugal
" Fisiologia energética da amêijoa boa (Ruditapes decussatus)" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 14
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2012/12/01 - Current Auxiliary Researcher (Research) Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
2011/11/01 - 2012/11/30 Auxiliary Researcher (Research) Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2007/04/19 - 2011/09/30 Research Assistant (Research) Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
2004/04/19 - 2007/04/18 Research Assistant (Research) Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
1999/01/01 - 2002/01/01 Research Assistant (Research) Universidade do Algarve - Campus de Gambelas, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2005/05 - 2007/12 nutritional condition of fish larvae in major protected marine areas of the South Portugal (Ria Formosa and Estuário do Guadiana)
grant.Provided by PTCRIS: 59200
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Contract

Designation Funders
2024/04/01 - 2031/03/31 AQUASERV - RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES FOR SUSTAINABLE AQUACULTURE, FISHERIES AND THE BLUE ECONOMY
101131121
Infrastruture manager under TNA WP activities
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
 Horizon 2020
Ongoing
2024/04/01 - 2028/09/30 IRISCC - Integrated Research Infrastructure Services for Climate Change risks
Grant agreement ID: 101131261
Infrastruture manager under TNA WP activities
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
Ongoing
2024/03/01 - 2028/02/29 Aquarius- Aqua Research Infrastructure Services for the health and protection of our unique, oceans, seas and freshwater ecosystems
Grant agreement ID: 101130915
Infrastruture manager under TNA WP activities
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
Ongoing
2022/09/01 - 2027/08/31 AGROSERV - Integrated SERvices supporting a sustainable AGROecological transition
Grant agreement ID: 101058020
Infrastruture manager under TNA WP activities
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
Ongoing
2021/01/01 - 2025/12/31 Centre for Marine and Environmental Research
LA/P/0101/2020
10.54499/LA/P/0101/2020
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal

Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Ongoing
2020/11/01 - 2025/10/31 AQUAculture infrastructures for EXCELlence in EUropean fish research 3.0
871108
10.3030/871108
Infrastructure manager under TNA WP activities
European Commission
Ongoing
2017/10/01 - 2022/09/30 ASSEMBLE Plus Association of European Marine Biological Laboratories Expanded
Grant agreement ID: 730984
Infrastruture manager under TNA WP activities
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
Concluded
2021/05 - 2022/06 MarTECH Algarve - TRANSFERÊNCIA DO CONHECIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO NO SETOR DO MAR
Project ALG-05-3559-FSE-000020
Researcher
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
Concluded
2017/05/01 - 2021/09/30 European Marine Biological Resource Centre Portugal
PINFRA/22121/2016 ALG-01-0145-FEDER-022121
Researcher
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Algarve
Concluded
2015/10 - 2020/09 AQUAculture infrastructures for EXCELlence in European fish research towards 2020
652831
Infrastruture manager under TNA WP activities
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
Concluded
2019/01/01 - 2019/12/31 Centre of Marine Sciences
UID/Multi/04326/2019
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
2019/01/01 - 2019/12/31 CCMAR Base funding
UIDB/Multi/04326/2019
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
2015/06/01 - 2019/05/31 EMBRIC European Marine Biological Research Infrastructure Cluster to promote the Blue Bioeconomy
654008
Researcher
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
Concluded
2015/10 - 2016/09 pp2EMBRC – Second preparatory phase of the European Marine Biological Resource Centre
689173
Technical development
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
Concluded
2010/01 - 2013/06 SHAREBIOTECH- SHARING LIFE SCIENCE INFRASTRUCTURES AND SKILLS TO BENEFIT THE ATLANTIC AREA BIOTECHNOLOGY SECTOR
2009-1/127
Researcher
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Conference abstract
  1. Range, Pedro; Chícharo, Maria Alexandra; Piló, David; Ben-Hamadou, Radhouane; Eloíse Sá; Amaral, Ana; Chícharo, Luís. "Effects of seawater acidification by CO2 on RNA/DNA ratios of bivalves in a coastal lagoon environment". Paper presented in Third International Symposium on the Ocean in a High CO2 world, Monterey, 2012.
    Published
Journal article
  1. Amaral, A.. "Prevalence of hemic neoplasia in cockles and co-habiting bivalve species in the western coast of France and the southern coast of Portugal". Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B. (2026): https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.30.667629v1.full.pdf.
    In press
  2. Bruzos, Alicia L.; Santamarina, Martín; García-Souto, Daniel; Díaz, Seila; Rocha, Sara; Zamora, Jorge; Lee, Yunah; et al. "Somatic evolution of marine transmissible leukemias in the common cockle, Cerastoderma edule". Nature Cancer 4 11 (2023): 1575-1591. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43018-023-00641-9.
    10.1038/s43018-023-00641-9
  3. Clark, Melody S.; Thorne, Michael A. S.; Amaral, Ana; Vieira, Florbela; Batista, Frederico M.; Reis, Joao; Power, Deborah M.. "Identification of molecular and physiological responses to chronic environmental challenge in an invasive species: the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas". Ecology and Evolution 3 10 (2013): 3283-3297.
    10.1002/ece3.719
  4. Philippart, Catharina J. M.; Amaral, Ana; Asmus, Ragnhild; van Bleijswijk, Judith; Bremner, Julie; Buchholz, Fred; Cabanellas-Reboredo, Miguel; et al. "Spatial synchronies in the seasonal occurrence of larvae of oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and mussels (Mytilus edulis/galloprovincialis) in European coastal waters". Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 108 (2012): 52-63.
    10.1016/j.ecss.2012.05.014
  5. Chícharo, M.A.; Amaral, A.; Faria, A.; Morais, P.; Mendes, C.; Piló, D.; Ben-Hamadou, R.; Chícharo, L.. "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 112 (2012): 265-279. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84866928796&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/j.ecss.2012.07.033
  6. Chícharo, L.; Ben-Hamadou, R.; Amaral, A.; Range, P.; Mateus, C.; Piló, D.; Marques, R.; Morais, P.; Chícharo, M.A.. "International Centre for Coastal Ecohydrology - Applying the ecohydrology approach for the sustainable functioning of coastal ecosystems". IAHS-AISH Publication 338 (2010): 163-165. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-79551536285&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
  7. Chícharo, L.; Hamadou, R.; Amaral, A.; Range, P.; Mateus, C.; Piló, D.; Marques, R.; Morais, P.; Chícharo, M.. "Application and demonstration of the ecohydrology approach for the sustainable functioning of the guadiana estuary (South Portugal)". Ecohydrology and Hydrobiology 9 1 (2009): 55-71. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-77749292158&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.2478/v10104-009-0039-3
  8. Chícharo, L.; Faria, A.; Morais, P.; Amaral, A.; Mendes, C.; Chícharo, M.A.. "How to sample larval fish for taxonomical and ecophysiological studies in shallower temperate coastal ecosystems?". Cahiers de Biologie Marine 50 4 (2009): 311-318. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-77649287049&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
  9. Chícharo, M.A.; Chícharo, 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 63 3 (2003): 447-452. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-0037810422&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/S0165-7836(03)00077-8
  10. Chicharo, MA; Amaral, A; Condinho, S; Alves, F; Regala, J; Gaspar, M; Chicharo, L. "Adenylic-derived indices and reburying time as indicators of the effects of dredging-induced stress on the clam Spisula solida". Marine Biology 142 6 (2003): 1113-1117.
    10.1007/s00227-003-1037-4
  11. Chícharo, L.M.Z.; Chícharo, M.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 259 1 (2001): 121-129. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-0035972067&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
    10.1016/S0022-0981(01)00229-5
  12. Pampanin, DM; Amaral, AM; Chicharo, MA; Marin, MG. "EFFECT OF ANOXIA ON DNA, RNA AND PROTEIN CONTENTS IN THE VENUS CLAM CHAMELEA GALLINA". ITALIAN JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY 50 1/2 (2001): 59-60.
Preprint
  1. Alicia L. Bruzos; Angèle Moulin; Géo Bujard; Anthony Sturbois; Alejandro Viña-Feás; Ana Margarida Amaral; Camille Détrée. "Prevalence of hemic neoplasia in cockles and co-habiting bivalve species in the western coast of France and the southern coast of Portugal". 2025. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.07.30.667629.
    10.1101/2025.07.30.667629

Other

Other output
  1. Effect of sex on ratios and concentrations of DNA and RNA in three marine species. The aim of the present study was to quantify differences in RNA:DNA ratios between male and female fish Pomatoschistus microps, crustaceans Crangon crangon, and bivalves Ruditapes decussatus. RNA:DNA ratios were greater in females than in males, especially because of a greater RNA content per unit dry weight in females. Sexual dimorphism in addition to physiological and behavioural differences bet. 2007. Teodosio, Maria; Araújo Amaral, Ana Margarida; Morais, Pedro; Chicharo, Luis. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/12121.
    10.3354/meps332241
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2025/10/14 Management of TNA to AQUAEXCEL3.0 aquaculture facilities & user support at CCMAR (Portugal) Final Meeting of the EU project Aquaexcel 3.0
INRAE -France's National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (Paris, France)
2025/10/06 ABS and the Nagoya Protocol in Marine Biology Curso internacional: Oceanografia multiescala, do micro ao macro 2025
CCMAR (Faro, Portugal)
2025/10/03 Nagoya Protocol & ABS in Blue Biotechnology: Why It Matters Seminário da UC de Biotecnologia Azul, da licenciatura em Gestão Marinha e Costeira (GMC)
Universidade do Algarve (Faro, Portugal)
2025/04/02 "Exploring Marine Research Infrastructures: Access Opportunities by CIMAR-LA." Discover how to access top European research infrastructures and secure funding for your project. The speakers will also present the state-of-the-art research infrastructures available to all CIMAR-LA members and how EMBRC is accelerating marine science and innovation, offering access to marine biodiversity, ecosystems, and advanced research services across Europe. Exploring Marine Research Infrastructures: Access Opportunities by CIMAR-LA
CCMAR (Faro, Portugal)

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role) 		Institution / Organization
2011/10/21 - Current Workshop: Biotecnologia Qualidade da água e Qualidade do ar (2011/10/21 - 2011/10/21)
Conference (Member of the Organising Committee)

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2022/06/27 - 2022/07/01 2022 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. For Ana Amaral, responsible for the access to CCMAR infrastructures, "conserving and exploring oceans and marine resources for sustainable development is also about sharing scientific resources and research infrastructures, sharing marine biological samples, reducing ocean sampling effort and sharing knowledge between scientists, stakeholders and industry."
Conference
 United Nations Oceans Conference 2022

Association member

Society Organization name Role
2025/09/25 - Current SCIGESTPT - Associação Portuguesa para a Gestão de Ciência Membro da Comissão Instaladora e Associado Fundador

Interview (newspaper / magazine)

Activity description Newspaper / Forum
2023/10/02 Cancros em berbigões sequenciados em estudo que envolveu a Universidade do Algarve Os genomas de cancros transmissíveis de bivalves foram sequenciados pela primeira vez, revelando níveis de instabilidade genómica que não são observados noutros cancros, revela um estudo em que participou o Centro de Ciências do Mar da Universidade do Algarve. RTP noticias
Distinctions

Award

2005 Concurso de Ideias de Negócios / Business Ideas Competition
ANJE Associação Nacional de Jovens Empresários, Portugal