Sofia Graça Aranha is a biologist and post-doctoral researcher at the University of Algarve with a PhD in Marine, Earth and Environmental Sciences, MSc in Marine and Coastal Systems, and a postgraduate degree in Marine Environmental Management. Her work is centered on the ecology of elasmobranchs (sharks, rays, and skates). Sofia has led and contributed to several nationally and internationally funded research projects, securing over €740,000 in competitive funding in the last 5 years. She was the project leader of DELASMOP (Save Our Seas Foundation), which investigated the survival potential and trophic ecology of deep-sea elasmobranchs and their overlap with crustacean bottom trawl fisheries. She was the co-PI of EMREP (EEA Grants Portugal), focused on developing and integrating electronic monitoring and reporting (iEMR) systems to remotely identify and reduce elasmobranch bycatch in Portuguese trawl fisheries. During her PhD, she conducted a transdisciplinary study under complex conditions, including the COVID-19 pandemic and motherhood. Her work evaluated (but not only) the post-capture mortality, stress physiology, trophic ecology, and spatial overlap with fisheries and deep-sea elasmobranchs in southern Portugal. Her research combined biochemical techniques, field experimentation, and applied outputs for policy and fishery stakeholders. Her MSc research assessed the trophic ecology of deep-sea sharks combining stable isotope analysis and RNA/DNA ratios for the first time to evaluate recent feeding activity in sharks, and her undergraduate work focused on shark taxonomy. Sofia has authored and co-authored peer-reviewed publications, and also reviewed several manuscripts for international journals. Recently, she reviewed the evaluation of demersal sharks for the Portuguese Red List Book, and participated in the IUCN ISRA workshop from SSC Shark Specialist Group, helping define important areas for sharks and rays (ISRAs) in Portugal. Sofia is the recipient of the FSBI Huntingford Medal (2023) for best early-career paper in Journal of Fish Biology and currently act as Assistant Editor of the Journal of Fish Biology and trustee of the Deep-Sea Biology Society (DSBS). In both roles, she helps evaluate candidates for awards and research grants, supporting the development of early-career researchers. She also supports the participation of the DSBS in research projects and the development of conferences. She has contributed to marine conservation efforts throughout her career. She co-founded the Sea Shepherd Brazil – Rio de Janeiro chapter in 2009, where she trained volunteers, led beach clean ups, whale watching trips and developed national campaigns such as Shark FREE and Divers for Sharks. Her science communication and outreach work is extensive. She has hosted two TV series in Brazil focused on aquatic species, and conducted environmental education activities in schools, univeristies and festivals, presented in several conferences and seminars, and was interviewed for magazines, radio, tv programs and podcasts. She is also a dive master and experienced field researcher, having volunteered on white shark projects in South Africa, and worked as a marine mammal observer in seismic campaigns.