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I am a junior scientist with a bachelor's degree in Biology (2018) and a master's degree in Marine Ecology (2021), both at the University of Lisbon, Faculty of Sciences, Portugal. My area of expertise has been focused on the relationship between faunal population dynamics and marine ecosystem processes, mainly in coastal marine environments, assessing also major traits of keen and critical marine habitats. Between 2019 and 2023, I integrated the COBIO-NET international project to study mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and rocky shores biodiversity on extensive scientific expeditions in Africa (Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe), working with local restoration and conservation projects on these critical habitats. During this period, I also worked on African conservation projects with NGOs such as Flora and Fauna International, BirdLife International and Fundação Príncipe in field expeditions and training activities for local teams on monitoring marine biodiversity. I am the main author of the scientific paper "Patterns of fish distribution in tropical rock pools at Príncipe Island, Gulf of Guinea", published in the African Journal of Marine Science. Additionally, I am co-author of the scientific paper "Fish Assemblages in a Small Mangrove System on Príncipe Island, Gulf of Guinea" (published in Frontiers in Marine Science), of the book chapter "Global and Regional Context" (in the book "Western Indian Ocean Critical Habitats Outlook: Towards achievement of the Global Biodiversity Framework Targets") and of the "Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Inventory of São Tomé and Príncipe". Since 2023, I’ve started applying my expertise and broadening my experience to Iberian kelp forests. I joined SeaForester, a company focused on restoring seaweed populations, supporting research and development activities on kelp forest restoration and monitoring associated biodiversity. Since the beginning of 2025, I was granted a scholarship by FCT to pursue my PhD project, "KelpHome", which aims to analyse the importance of Iberian kelp forests as biogenic habitats, food sources and nursery grounds.
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
João Francisco Nunes de Azevedo e Silva

Citation names

  • Azevedo e Silva, João
  • J Azevedo e Silva
  • João Azevevedo e Silva

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
2C11-BF89-6C26

Websites

Knowledge fields

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

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
2025/01 - 2028/12/31
Ongoing
Aquatic Sciences - Biology and Ecology (Doutoramento)
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal

Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal

Instituto Politécnico de Leiria MARE, Portugal
"KelpHome: Importance of Iberian kelp forests as biogenic habitats, food source and nursery grounds" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2018 - 2021
Concluded
Marine Ecology (Mestrado)
Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
"Ecological characterization of the rocky shores of Príncipe Island, Gulf of Guinea" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2015 - 2018
Concluded
Biology (Licenciatura)
Major in Environmental Biology
Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution
Employer
2021 - 2023 Contracted Researcher (Research) Fauna and Flora International, United Kingdom

Others

Category
Host institution
Employer
2024/04/01 - Current Nature Conservation Technician Seaforester, Lda, Portugal
2023/07/01 - 2024/03/31 Professional Internship Seaforester, Lda, Portugal
2019 - 2023 Research trainee of the project CobioNet Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
2019/10 - 2019/11 Internship in Marine Biodiversity Collections Universidade de Lisboa Museu Nacional de História Natural, Portugal
2018/04 - 2018/06 Professional Internship at CRAM-ECOMARE Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center, Portugal
2017/06 - 2017/07 Internship in Ocean Pollution and Deep-sea Corals Universidade dos Açores Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas, Portugal
Projects

Contract

Designation Funders
2019 - 2023 Coastal biodiversity and food security in peri-urban Sub-Saharan Africa: assessment, capacity building and regional networking in contrasting Indian and Atlantic Oceans
Researcher
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Fundação Aga Khan Portugal
Ongoing
Outputs

Publications

Book chapter
  1. Paula, José; Azevedo e Silva, João; Cravo, Mariana. "Global and Regional Context". In Western Indian Ocean Critical Habitats Outlook: Towards achievement of the Global Biodiversity Framework Targets, 9-20. Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Environment Programme/Nairobi Convention Secretariat, 2023.
    In press
Journal article
  1. Azevedo e Silva, João; Almeida, AJ; Cravo, M; Pais, MP; Santos, Y; Paula, J. Corresponding author: Azevedo e Silva, João. "Patterns of fish distribution in tropical rock pools at Príncipe Island, Gulf of Guinea". African Journal of Marine Science 44 4 (2022): 353-366. http://dx.doi.org/10.2989/1814232x.2022.2143423.
    Published • 10.2989/1814232x.2022.2143423
  2. Cravo, Mariana; Almeida, Armando J.; Lima, Hamilton; Azevedo e Silva, João; Bandeira, Salomão; Machava-António, Vilma; Paula, José. Corresponding author: Cravo, Mariana. "Fish Assemblages in a Small Mangrove System on Príncipe Island, Gulf of Guinea". Frontiers in Marine Science 8 (2021): http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.721692.
    Published • 10.3389/fmars.2021.721692
Report
  1. Azevedo e Silva, João; Cravo, Mariana; Nina da Rocha; Kieran Murray; Luisa Madruga; Mafalda Navas. 2023. Inventário de Biodiversidade Marinha e Costeira de São Tomé e Príncipe (in layout).
  2. Azevedo e Silva, João; Cravo, Mariana; Nina da Rocha; Kieran Murray; Luisa Madruga; Mafalda Navas. 2023. Inventário da Biodiversidade Marinha e Costeira de São Tomé e Príncipe.. https://lnkd.in/dwcquSBX.
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. "Ecological characterization of the rocky shores of Príncipe Island, Gulf of Guinea". Master, Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10451/51941.
Activities

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role)
Institution / Organization
2019/02 - 2019/02 Organizing Committee of the Ecological Modelation Day First Edition at FCUL (2019/02)
Seminar (Member of the Organising Committee)
Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event
Event name
Institution / Organization
2025/04/01 - Current Introduction to Meta-analysis Workshop
Workshop
Introduction to Meta-analysis Workshop
Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Portugal
2025/03 - Current Marine Fish Identification Workshop
Workshop
Marine Fish Identification Workshop
Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Portugal
2024/03/07 - 2024/05/11 SDI Rescue Diver Course
Scuba Diving International (SDI) Portugal, Portugal
2024/04 - 2024/04 Adult, Child & Infant Emergency Care Course, with First Response Training International
2024/04 - 2024/04 Oxygen Administration Course, with First Response Training International
2022/09 - 2022/10 Online Course on Ecosystem Restoration (Part 1)
Other
United Nations Development Programme, United States
2020/10 - 2020/10 Online Course - "How to do an exhibition"
Other
Universidade de Lisboa Museu Nacional de História Natural, Portugal
2019/10 - 2019/10 Course on Data Management of Natural History Collections (NHC)
Other
Universidade de Lisboa Museu Nacional de História Natural, Portugal

Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal

Fundação Príncipe, São Tomé and Príncipe
2019/10 - 2019/10 Course on Natural History Collections: Theoretical-Practical Fundamentals
Other
Universidade de Lisboa Museu Nacional de História Natural, Portugal

Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal

Fundação Príncipe, São Tomé and Príncipe
2018 - 2018 SDI Advanced Adventure Diver (AAD) Course, Sesimbra, Portugal
Other
Scuba Diving International (SDI) Portugal, Portugal
2017/10 - 2017/10 Short Course "Conservation in Anthropogenic Environments: Challenges and Opportunities for Semi-Aquatic Carnivores"
Workshop
Universidade de Lisboa Centro de Ecologia Evolução e Alterações Ambientais, Portugal
2017/04 - 2017/04 Workshop on Benthonic Fish Identification - by the Scientific Diving Nucleus, FCUL
Workshop
Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
2017/02 - 2017/02 Research Conferences in Biology - 4rd Edition. With the Biology Students' Nucleus of FCUL
Conference
Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
2017 - 2017 Basking spot: Cycle of herpetological lectures - "Ecology and Conservation of Sea Turtles"
Conference
Associação Portuguesa de Herpetologia, Portugal
2017 - 2017 The Ocean's Value
Conference
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation UK Branch, United Kingdom
2016/10 - 2016/10 SDI Open Water Diver Course, Sesimbra, Portugal
Other
Scuba Diving International (SDI) Portugal, Portugal
2016/05 - 2016/05 Research Conferences in Biology - 3rd Edition. With the Biology Students' Nucleus of FCUL
Conference
Research Conferences in Biology - 3rd Edition
Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
2016/03 - 2016/03 XIX National Meeting of Biology Students, Coimbra
Conference
XIX National Meeting of Biology Students
2016/03 - 2016/03 Workshop "Entrepreneurship: from idea to product" within the framework of the XIX National Meeting of Biologists Conference, Coimbra
Workshop

Scientific expedition

Activity description Institution / Organization
2022/04 - 2022/12 Fieldwork expedition for the study of biodiversity associated with seagrass meadows and rocky shores on Inhaca Island, Mozambique (April-June and October-December 2022) - researcher at CobioNet Projetc
2019/10 - 2020/03 Fieldwork expedition for the study of mangrove and rocky shore habitats in Príncipe Island, São Tomé and Príncipe (Researcher in CobioNet Project)
2019/12 - 2020/02 Training and capacitation of the ProTetuga team from Fundação Príncipe, in GPS mapping of sea turtle activities. Fundação Príncipe, São Tomé and Príncipe
2020/01 - 2020/01 Participation in the monitorization of aquatic birds for BirdLife International's 2020 world census Birdlife International, United Kingdom
2020/01 - 2020/01 Participation in the monitorization of seabirds in the Tinhosa Islands with the Príncipe Foundation Fundação Príncipe, São Tomé and Príncipe
2018/11 - 2019/04 Volunteer work in the project "NEWCUMBER - Advances towards the sustainable rearing of sea cucumbers" (MARE -ULisboa): SCUBA diving sampling and dissection of sea cucumbers Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Portugal
Distinctions

Other distinction

2024 PhD reasearch grant
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal