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Vighnesh finished his B.Sc. in Zoology from the University of Mumbai in 2019 and an M.Sc. from Cochin University of Science and Technology in 2021. He was awarded the Erasmus- Mundus Joint Master's Degree (EMJMD) scholarship in 2021 to study in the International Master in Marine Biological Resources (IMBRSea) programme coordinated by Ghent University, from which he graduated with the highest distinction (summa cum laude) in 2023. Since then, he has been employed as a research fellow at Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR) - affiliated with Universidade do Algarve to work on the Carefish/catch project. His research interests lie in fish welfare, marine ecology, conservation, and other fisheries sciences. A passionate academic, he has been associated in various capacities with organisations like WWF, the Rufford Foundation, Wildlife Trust of India, Indian Forest Service, and Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli. Beyond academics, he is an avid reader of world literature, history, and philosophy, and indulges in hobbies like biking and cooking in his free time.
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Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Vighnesh Nilesh Samel

Citation names

  • Samel, Vighnesh

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
AF1E-14EE-DADC

Email addresses

  • vnsamel@ualg.pt (Professional)

Telephones

Mobile phone
  • (+39) 3478225047 (Personal)

Addresses

  • Rua Sporting Clube Farense, 12A, 7-ESQ, 8000-434, Faro, Faro, Portugal (Personal)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Marine Biology

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
English Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Advanced (C1) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2)
Marathi (Mother tongue)
Gujarat (Mother tongue)
Hindi Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2)
Urdu Upper intermediate (B2) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Upper intermediate (B2) Elementary (A2)
Education
Degree Classification
2021/09/19 - 2023/09/15
Concluded
 International Master of Marine Biological Resources (IMBRSea) (Master)
Major in Applied marine ecology and conservation- Applied megafauna conservation
Universiteit Gent, Belgium
"Assessing fish welfare during fixed-net capture off the Southern Portuguese coast (Algarve)" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 Summa cum laude, with 835/1000. Total credits: 120.
2019/07/01 - 2021/04/30
Concluded
 M.Sc- Marine Biology (Master)
Major in Marine Biology
Cochin University of Science and Technology, India
"A review on Mineral Accretion Technology and Electrotherapy as tools for marine habitat restoration" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 CGPA 9.8/10. Total credits: 80
2016/06 - 2019/11
Concluded
 B.Sc - Zoology (Bachelor)
Major in Zoology and Marine sciences
University of Mumbai, India
 SGPA: 9.83/10. Total credits: 120
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2023/08/01 - Current Research Assistant (Research) Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
2022/04/19 - 2022/06/19 Research Trainee (Research) Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, Italy
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, Italy
2019/04 - 2019/05 Research Assistant (Research) Wildlife Trust of India, India
Wildlife Trust of India, India
2018/04 - 2018/12 Research Assistant (Research) Rufford Foundation, United Kingdom
Rufford Foundation, United Kingdom

Others

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2023/03/01 - Current Volunteer RAAlg - Algarve Stranding Network, Portugal
Universidade do Algarve, Portugal
2017/07 - 2018/03 Project volunteer WWF-India, India
WWF-India, India
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2024/07/15 - Current LIFE Ilhas Barreira
Research Fellow
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
Ongoing
2022/07 - Current CareFish/Catch - Integrated Approaches to Improve Welfare in Commercial Fisheries
Research Fellow
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
 Open Philanthropy Project
Ongoing
2023/08 - 2024/01 iNOVPESCA- REDUÇÃO DE CAPTURAS ACIDENTAIS DE ESPÉCIES MARINHAS PROTEGIDAS EM PESCARIAS COSTEIRAS ALGARVIAS: INOVAÇÃO DE PROCEDIMENTOS E TÉCNICAS DE MITIGAÇÃO
Research Fellow
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Portugal
 Programa MAR2020
Concluded
2022/04/19 - 2022/06/19 MicroplastiX Integrated approach on the fate of microplastics towards healthy marine ecosystems - Integrated approach on the fate of microplastics towards healthy marine ecosystems
Master Student Fellow
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, Italy
 JPI Oceans
Ongoing
2018/04 - 2018/12 Assessing the Extent of Sea Turtle and Marine Mammal Bycatch in Small Scale Fisheries and Developing a Conservation Strategy along the Northern Arabian Sea Coast
Researcher
Rufford Foundation, United Kingdom
 Rufford Foundation
Concluded
2017/07 - 2018/03 Ek Prithvi - Building conservation leadership through education
Project Volunteer- Education and Outreach
WWF-India
Ongoing
Outputs

Publications

Conference abstract
  1. Samel, Vighnesh; Costa, Rita; Marçalo, Ana; Frade, Magda; Bentes, Luis; Gonçalves, Jorge; Guerreiro, Pedro. "Assessing fish welfare during fixed-net capture off the Southern Portuguese coast (Algarve)". Paper presented in 9th World Fisheries Congress, Seattle, 2024.
    Published
Conference paper
  1. Samel, Vighnesh; Costa, Rita; Marçalo, Ana; Frade, Magda; Bentes, Luis; Gonçalves, Jorge; Guerreiro, Pedro. "Assessing fish welfare in commercial fixed-net fisheries off the southern Portuguese coast". Paper presented in ICES ASC 2024, Gateshead, 2024.
    Accepted
Conference poster
  1. Samel, Vighnesh; Costa, Rita; Marçalo, Ana; Frade, Magda; Bentes, Luis; Goncalves, Jorge; Guerreiro, Pedro M. "Welfare assessment in pots and traps fisheries off the Southern Portuguese coast". Paper presented in ICES- ASC 2024, 2024.
  2. Frade, Magda; West, Katie; Samel, Vighnesh; Marçalo, Ana; Alves Costa, Rita; Bentes, Luis; Guerreiro, Pedro M; Goncalves, Jorge. "Assessment of welfare in artisanal longline fisheries operating off the Southern Portuguese coast". Paper presented in ICES ASC 2024, 2024.
Journal article
  1. Frade, Magda; Carvalho, Flávia; Samel, Vighnesh; Oliveira, Nuno; Almeida, Ana; Andrade, Joana; Gonçalves, Jorge MS.; Marçalo, Ana. "Mitigation measures to reduce seabird's interactions with bottom-set nets in southern Iberia". Ocean & Coastal Management 268 (2025): 107767. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107767.
    10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107767
  2. Marçalo, Ana; Samel, Vighnesh; Carvalho, Flávia; Frade, Magda; Erzini, Karim; Gonçalves, Jorge MS. "Evaluating dolphin interactions with bottom-set net fisheries off Southern Iberian Atlantic waters". Fisheries Research 278 (2024): 107100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2024.107100.
    Open access • Published • 10.1016/j.fishres.2024.107100
Report
  1. Carefish/catch consortium. 2024. Welfare assessment in longline fisheries..
  2. Carefish/catch consortium. 2023. Welfare assessment in purse seine fisheries..
  3. Carefish/catch consortium. 2023. Welfare assessment in pots and trap fisheries..
  4. Carefish/catch consortium. 2023. Welfare assessment in gillnet and trammel net fisheries. https://esszett.cloud/s/8CQos3JA3SbG5tD.
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2024/03/06 Assessing fish welfare during fixed-net capture off the Southern Portuguese coast (Algarve) World Fisheries Congress 2024
Aquatic Life Institute (ALI) (Seattle, United States)
2022/06/24 Assessment of the microbial plastisphere IMBRSea Annual Symposium, 2022
Universidade do Algarve (Faro, Portugal)

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2025/04/24 - Current Online Shoal 2025
Conference
 Online shoal 2025: fair- fish database
2025/03/28 - Current Exploring Fish Welfare in Commercial Fisheries: Insights from the Carefish/catch Project.
Conference
 Indians in Portugal: Advancement of Science and Technology
Ensino Lusófona, Portugal
2025/01/26 - 2025/02/01 Winter School in Interdisciplinary Biodiversity
Workshop
 Winter School in Interdisciplinary Biodiversity
Università Ca' Foscari, Italy
2023/09/12 - 2023/09/15 5th Summer Shoal on Fish Welfare
Conference
 Summer Shoal
Fair Fish International, Switzerland
Distinctions

Award

2019 N.N. Murthy Prize
Ramnarain Ruia Autonomous College, India