The main subject of my recent research relates to marine macroinvertebrates as tools for long-term marine monitoring, namely in the marine twilight zone and the study of vulnerable marine species (corals, gorgonians, and sponges, among others). Monitoring approaches have been established, emphasising standardisation and replication, as reflected by the latest publications, supervised thesis (master's and PhD's), and project participation. I am currently a professor at the Biology Department of the University of Minho, where I teach Ecology, Zoology and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) related subjects and also a researcher at the Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), University of Minho (Portugal). My research is within the ecology realm, emphasising terrestrial and aquatic conservation issues, with a strong component regarding public and stakeholder engagement. With an initial approach to terrestrial ecology, I gradually shifted towards coastal and marine ecology, focusing on the distribution of species and biodiversity patterns, habitat evaluation and classification, ecological and terrain modelling, and habitat/species relationships. After acquiring the necessary work logistics for the laboratory I coordinate, my focus is nowadays on the vulnerable marine ecosystems of the mesophotic zone without abandoning the coastal infralittoral zone. Fundamental to my approach to littoral and infralittoral ecosystems has been the close contact with stakeholders, with emphasis on the fishers’ communities, and the general public, mostly from schools, aiming to bring to the society the acquired scientific knowledge and the importance of the natural values we are dealing with, reflected in numerous outreach activities. National and international collaborative ventures have resulted in several international peer-reviewed papers, various reports and national publications on science divulgation and a network of more than 100 collaborators. My participation in the Doctoral Program Marine Science, Technology and Management as U.Minho course director and as a member of the Academic and Executive Commissions has widened the international work relationships in marine biology, namely with our Galician colleagues. I place considerable effort in mentoring undergraduates and postgraduates, with more than 30 successful supervisions so far, including 1 post-doctoral fellow and 9 PhD students (3 ongoing)