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Luís Afonso has a degree in Aquatic Sciences from the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Porto and a master's degree in Applied Marine Biology from the Department of Biology at the University of Aveiro. During his academic years, he was very active in youth organisations, holding various positions in the ICBAS Students' Association and in FOCA - Focus On Critical Actions. Throughout his academic career, he gathered various professional experiences with internships at the Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO) and the Interdisciplinary Centre for Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) and volunteered in sea turtle conservation in Cape Verde. Since 2020 he has been working in cetacean ecology, being an integral member of the CETUS Project (ongoing cetacean monitoring programme in the Eastern North Atlantic), participating in various expeditions as a marine mammal observer and gaining strong experience in fieldwork activities and participating in multidisciplinary at-sea campaigns for biodiversity monitoring and sampling. He was part of CIIMAR's Blue Young Talent (BYT) programme twice, as an undergraduate and later as a master's student (BYT Plus), when he was even presented with the Best Fellowship Award. For his master's thesis, he developed a methodology for monitoring cetaceans using environmental DNA on the north coast of continental Portugal, work that he is still focusing on. He was/is also a CIIMAR team member in different projects: ATLANTIDA (NORTE2020), GAMA (SEED CIIMAR Project), Atlantic Whale Deal (Interreg Atlantic, ongoing), EMPHATIC (Biodiversa+, ongoing) and REDUCE (Horizon EU, ongoing).
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Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Luís Manuel Ferreira Afonso
Gender
Male

Citation names

  • Afonso, Luís
  • Afonso, L

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
5F13-6C17-9230
ORCID iD
0000-0003-3978-1388

Telephones

Mobile phone
  • 914900121 (Personal)

Addresses

  • Terminal de Cruzeiros de Leixões. Av. General Norton de Matos S/N, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Matosinhos, Portugal (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Molecular Biology
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Ecology
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Biodiversity Conservation
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Marine Biology

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
Spanish; Castilian Elementary (A2) Elementary (A2) Elementary (A2) Intermediate (B1) Elementary (A2)
Education
Degree Classification
2021/10 - 2023/12
Concluded
 Biologia Marinha Aplicada (Mestrado)
Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal
"Environmental DNA: a novel cetacean monitoring technique in the north coast of Continental Portugal" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 18
2023/07 - 2023/07
Concluded
 Summer School for Bioinformatics (Outros)
Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
 NA
2023/02 - 2023/02
Concluded
 Advanced Course in Conservation of Sea Mammals and Turtles. AIMM Portugal (Outros)
Universidade de Aveiro Departamento de Biologia, Portugal
 20
2022/05 - 2022/07
Concluded
 Introduction to Photography (Outros)
Instituto Português de Fotografia, Portugal
 NA
2017/09 - 2021/04
Concluded
 Ciências do Meio Aquático (Licenciatura)
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal
"Cetáceos na Foz do Rio Douro. Uma abordagem à diversidade de espécies e às condições meteorológicas para monitorização" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 15
2019/01 - 2019/01
Concluded
 Survival and Safety at Sea (Outros)
FOR-MAR, Portugal
 NA
2018/07 - 2018/07
Concluded
 Open Water Diver (Outros)
Haliotis, Portugal
 NA
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2024/04 - Current Contracted Researcher (Research) Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2022/09 - 2023/07 Research Trainee (Research) Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2020/09 - 2021/06 Research Trainee (Research) Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2019/12 - 2020/09 Research Trainee (Research) Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2019/02 - 2019/06 Research Trainee (Research) Universidade do Porto Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Portugal
Universidade do Porto Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Portugal

Others

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2022/07 - Current Marine Mammal Observer Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2020/09 - Current Research Collaborator at CETUS Project Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2024/01 - 2024/02 Service Provider Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2023/06 - 2024 Service Provider WavEC Offshore Renewables, Portugal
2023/08 - 2023/11 Service Provider Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2019/06 - 2019/07 Volunteer Project Biodiversity, Cape Verde
Project Biodiversity, Cape Verde
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2025/01/01 - Current The Way of Water: Environmental DNA as a multi-utility tool for cetacean conservation
2024.04444.BD
PhD Student Fellow
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal

Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
Ongoing
2024/04 - Current EMPHATIC - E-DNA, Microbiomes, Photogrammetry and Hormones - Assessment Techniques In Cetaceans
n/a
Technical development
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
 European Biodiversity Partnership
Ongoing
2024/01 - Current Atlantic Whale Deal - Mitigating Ship Strikes and Enhancing Carbon Sequestration in the Atlantic
EAPA_00004/2022
Technical development
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
 European Union
Ongoing
2023/12 - Current REDUCE - Reducing bycatch of threatened megafauna in the East Central Atlantic
101135583
Technical development
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
 Horizon 2020
Ongoing
2023/07 - 2024/05 GAMA: Discovering Vasco da Gama & Vigo seamounts - expedition to the unknown
SEED 2023 - GAMA
Technical development
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
 Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental
Ongoing
2022 - 2023 ATLANTIDA - Platform for the monitoring of the North Atlantic ocean and tools for the sustainable exploitation of the marine resources
NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000040
Master's Student
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
 Comissao de Coordenacao e Desenvolvimento Regional do Norte
Concluded
2022 - 2023 Blue Young Talent Plus: Developing a novel eDNA technique for cetacean monitoring
na
Master Student Fellow
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
 Fundação Amadeu Dias
Concluded
2020 - 2021 Blue Young Talent: Using social media and citizen science platforms to study the diversity of marine mammals and turtles in poor-monitored regions
na
Bolseiro Licenciatura
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
 Fundação Amadeu Dias
Concluded

Other

Designation Funders
2020/09 - Current CETUS Project
NA
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
Ongoing
Outputs

Publications

Conference abstract
  1. Afonso, Luís; Valente, Raul; Joana Costa; Oliveira-Rodrigues, Cláudia; Nádia Silva; Anxo Gende; Ágatha Gil; et al. "Environmental DNA to characterise marine pelagic megafauna communities in Portuguese seamounts". Paper presented in Blue Think Conference 2024, Matosinhos, 2024.
    Accepted
  2. Oliveira-Rodrigues, Cláudia; Eduard Degollada; Bebiana Barbosa; Afonso, Luís; Bio, Ana; Valente, Raul; Anxo Gende; et al. "Exploring cetacean habitats and diversity: a multidisciplinary expedition to the high-seas Vasco da Gama Seamount and Vigo Bank, NW Iberia". Paper presented in 35th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, Catania, 2024.
    Published
  3. Anxo Gende; Valente, Raul; Afonso, Luís; Oliveira-Rodrigues, Cláudia; Ágatha Gil; Correia, Mafalda. "Summer spatial distribution of cetaceans in the high seas of the Eastern North Atlantic region and evidence of possible distribution shifts". Paper presented in 35th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, Catania, 2024.
    Published
  4. Afonso, Luís; Joana Costa; Correia, Mafalda; Valente, Raul; Eva Lopes; Maria Paola Tomasino; Ágatha Gil; et al. "Uncovering environmental DNA potential as a complementary cetacean monitoring technique in the north coast of continental Portugal". Paper presented in 35th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, Catania, 2024.
    Published
  5. Afonso, Luís; Joana Costa; Correia, Mafalda; Valente, Raul; Eva Lopes; Maria Paola Tomasino; Ágatha Gil; et al. "Environmental DNA as a cetacean monitoring tool in the Northern Coast of Continental Portugal". Paper presented in 4th Blue Think Conference, Porto, 2023.
    Published
  6. Afonso, Luís; Joana Costa; Correia, Mafalda; Maria Paola Tomasino; Valente, Raul; Eva Lopes; Ágatha Gil; et al. "Environmental DNA as a cetacean monitoring tool in the Northern Coast of Continental Portugal". Paper presented in 16th Youth Research Meeting of University of Porto (IJUP), Porto, 2023.
    Published
  7. João Teixeira; Oliveira-Rodrigues, Cláudia; Afonso, Luís; Ágatha Gil; Correia, Mafalda; Sousa-Pinto, Isabel; Valente, Raul. "Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) distribution in Northern Continental Portugal – preliminary analyses.". Paper presented in 16th Young Investigation Conference of University of Porto (IJUP), Porto, 2023.
    Published
  8. Ágatha Gil; Correia, Mafalda; Valente, Raul; Oliveira-Rodrigues, Cláudia; Afonso, Luís; Marieta Mihova; Alexandre Branco; et al. "Opportunistic data: use it or lose it?". Paper presented in 34th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, O Grove, 2023.
    Published
  9. Marieta Mihova; Joana Araújo; Valente, Raul; Oliveira-Rodrigues, Cláudia; Afonso, Luís; Ágatha Gil; Sousa-Pinto, Isabel; Correia, Mafalda. "First PhotoID catalogue of gregarious oceanic dolphins in the Northern coast of Continental Portugal: Delphinus delphis and Tursiops truncatus". Paper presented in 34th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, O Grove, 2023.
    Published
  10. Afonso, Luís; Joana Costa; Correia, Mafalda; Maria Paola Tomasino; Valente, Raul; Ágatha Gil; Oliveira-Rodrigues, Cláudia; et al. "Environmental DNA as a cetacean monitoring tool in the Northern Coast of Continental Portugal". Paper presented in 34th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, 2023.
    Published
  11. Oliveira-Rodrigues, Cláudia; Correia, Mafalda; Valente, Raul; Ágatha Gil; Afonso, Luís; Marieta Mihova; Sousa-Pinto, Isabel. "Distribution and habitat use of common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in the Northern coast of Continental Portugal.". Paper presented in 34th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, 2023.
    Published
Conference poster
  1. Veríssimo, A; Afonso, L; Mazzoldi, C; Zane, L; Godeeva, N; Snigirov, S; Kvach, Y. Corresponding author: Veríssimo, A. "Genetic stock structure and connectivity in Mediterranean and Black seas spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias". Paper presented in Tibe 2019, 2019.
  2. Veríssimo, A; Afonso, L; Mazzoldi, C; Zane, L; Gordeeva, L; Snigirov, S; Kvach, Y. "Genetic stock structure and connectivity in Mediterranean and Black seas spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias". Paper presented in 42nd International CIESM Congress, 2019.
Journal article
  1. Beatriz Santos; Luís Afonso; Filipe Alves; Ana Dinis; Rita Ferreira; Ana M. Correia; Raul Valente; et al. "Hidden in the blow - a matrix to characterise cetaceans’ respiratory microbiome: short-finned pilot whale as case study". Metabarcoding and Metagenomics (2024): https://doi.org/10.3897/mbmg.8.121060.
    10.3897/mbmg.8.121060
  2. Correia, Ana M.; Mihova, Marieta; Gil, Ágatha; Oliveira-Rodrigues, Cláudia; Afonso, Luís; Valente, Raul; Rosso, Massimiliano; Sousa-Pinto, Isabel; Pierce, Graham J.. "Cetaceans of north-western continental Africa (Morocco to Liberia): diversity and distribution". Frontiers in Marine Science 11 (2024): http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1427334.
    10.3389/fmars.2024.1427334
  3. Morais, Pedro; Afonso, Luís; Dias, Ester. "Harnessing the Power of Social Media to Obtain Biodiversity Data About Cetaceans in a Poorly Monitored Area". Frontiers in Marine Science 8 (2021): http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.765228.
    10.3389/fmars.2021.765228
Preprint
  1. Afonso, Luís; Joana Costa; Correia, Mafalda; Valente, Raul; Eva Lopes; Maria Paola Tomasino; Ágatha Gil; et al. "Environmental DNA as a complementary tool for biodiversity monitoring: A multi-technique and multi-trophic approach to investigate cetacean distribution and feeding ecology". 2024. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.03.11.584480.
    10.1101/2024.03.11.584480
  2. Beatriz Santos; Luís Afonso; Filipe Alves; Ana Dinis; Rita Ferreira; Ana Correia; Raul Valente; et al. "Hidden in the blow - a matrix to characterise cetaceans’ respiratory microbiome: Short-finned pilot whale as model species". 2024. https://doi.org/10.3897/arphapreprints.e121514.
    10.3897/arphapreprints.e121514
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. "Environmental DNA: a novel cetacean monitoring technique in the north coast of Continental Portugal". Master, Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, 2023.
  2. "Cetáceos na Foz do Rio Douro. Uma abordagem à diversidade de espécies e às condições meteorológicas para monitorização". Degree, Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, 2020.
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2024/04 Metabarcoding to detect cetaceans and prey species off the northern coast of mainland Portugal and comparison with visual monitoring Workshop - 35th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society
(Catania, Italy)
2023/06 Environmental DNA: A novel cetacean monitoring technique in the northern coast of Continental Portugal Blue Young Talent 2022/23 Closing Session
(Matosinhos, Portugal)
2022/12 CETUS - Cetacean Monitoring Programme in the Eastern North Atlantic CLIP Science Week
(Porto, Portugal)

Supervision

Thesis Title
Role 		Degree Subject (Type)
Institution / Organization
2024/09 - Current Optimising an eDNA methodology for the detection of the critically endangered Iberian harbour porpoise
Supervisor
 Biologia Marinha (Master)
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2023/09 - 2024/04 Discovering Vasco da Gama na Vigo Seamounts - a potential hotspot for cetacean ocurrence
Supervisor
 Ciências do Meio Aquático (Degree)
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role) 		Institution / Organization
2024/02 - Current Earth Day 2024 - Challenges of the Ocean Decade 2021-2030 (2024/04)
Round table (President of the Organising Committee)
 FOCA - Focus On Critical Actions, Portugal
2023/09 - Current MAELSTROM Project's Sunset Beach Cleanup (2024/09)
Other (Co-organisor)
 FOCA - Focus On Critical Actions, Portugal
2021/04 - Current Earth Day 2021 - Drop by Drop we change the Ocean (2021/04)
Symposium (Co-organisor)
 FOCA - Focus On Critical Actions, Portugal
2019/09 - Current II AEICBAS Marine Conservation Week (2020/02)
Other (President of the Organising Committee)
2018/10 - Current Nature Restauration Activities (Beach/River/Moountain Clean-ups and reforestation) (2018/10)
Other (Co-organisor)
 FOCA - Focus On Critical Actions, Portugal
2018/09 - Current I AEICBAS Marine Conservation Week (2019/02)
Other (Co-organisor)
2019/05 - 2020/01 I Jornadas do Mar (2019/12 - 2019/12)
Congress (President of the Organising Committee)

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2024/04 - Current Thinking outside the box: management challenges for the conservation of small coastal cetacean populations
Workshop
 34th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society
2023/09 - Current 4th Blue Think Conference
Conference
 4th Blue Think Conference
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2023/05 - Current 16th Youth Research Meeting of University of Porto (IJUP)
Meeting
 16th Young Investigation Conference of University of Porto
2023/04 - Current 34th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society. O'Grove, Spain
Conference
 34th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society
Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute, Spain
2023/04 - Current Student Workshop - QGIS
Workshop
 34th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society
2022/12 - Current Underwater Photography Workshop
Workshop
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2019/10 - Current 17th National Meeting of Youth Associations
Meeting
 17th National Meeting of Youth Associations
2024/04 - 2024/04 Advances in environmental DNA for monitoring and ecological studies of marine mammals
Workshop
 35th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society
2021/05 - 2021/07 Introduction to Photography
Workshop
Instituto Português de Fotografia, Portugal
2019/03 - 2019/03 VII AEICBAS Biomedical Congress
Congress
 VII AEICBAS Biomedical Congress
2018/03 - 2018/03 VI AEICBAS Biomedical Congress
Congress
 VI AEICBAS Biomedical Congress

Jury of academic degree

Topic
Role 		Candidate name (Type of degree)
Institution / Organization
2024/04 Discovering Vasco da Gama and Vigo Seamounts - a potential hotspot for cetacean occurrence
Supervisor
 Bebiana Barbosa (Other)
Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal

Association member

Society Organization name Role
2023 - Current FOCA - Focus On Critical Actions President
2021 - 2023 FOCA - Focus On Critical Actions Projects Coordinator
2021 - 2021 AEICBAS - ICBAS’ Students’ Association Supervisory Board
2018 - 2021 FOCA - Focus On Critical Actions Logistics Department
2018 - 2020 Board of AEICBAS - ICBAS’ Students’ Association Aquatic Sciences Department

Committee member

Activity description
Role 		Institution / Organization
2018 - 2020 Students’ representative on the Aquatic Sciences Course Committee Universidade do Porto Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Portugal

Course / Discipline taught

Academic session Degree Subject (Type) Institution / Organization
2023/09 - Current CETUS Project's Marine Mammal Observers trainning (Outros) Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2023 - Current CETUS Project's Land Based Monitoring Programme Trainning

Scientific expedition

Activity description Institution / Organization
2024/07 - Current CIIMAR Watch - CIIMAR's monitoring campaigns Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2024/03 - Current PELAGO 2024 Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, Portugal
2024/08 - 2024/08 CETUS Project's Cargo Routes 2024 Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2024/06 - 2024/06 One Health Scientific Expedition - Hospital Referência Veterinário Montenegro Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2021/06 - 2024/04 Monitoring campaigns in the scope of the ATLANTIDA Project (Norte 2020) Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2023/09 - 2023/10 GAMA: Expedition to the Vigo and Vasco da Gama Seamounts Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2023/08 - 2023/08 CETUS Project's Cargo Routes 2023 Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2023/03 - 2023/04 PELAGO 2023 Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, Portugal
2022/07 - 2022/08 Oceanographic Mission Azores 2022 Instituto Hidrográfico, Portugal
Distinctions

Award

2024 2nd on CIIMAR's Scientific Photography Contest
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal
2024 Student Award for Best Scientific Poster on the 35th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society
2023 Best Fellowship Award of the Blue Young Talent Plus (BYT+) Programme
Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal

Other distinction

2023 eDNA Colaborative Microgrant
eDNA Colaborative, United States