​Catarina Santos, PhD Student

I am a young and enthusiast PhD student at Rui Rosa Lab, under supervision of Rui Rosa (University of Lisbon, Portugal). As a Marine Biology Fanatic and a person that quite enjoys living in this planet, I have made my purpose in life to investigate the effects of climate change in marine organisms. So far I have been blessed with the opportunity to work in a highly dynamic team of crazy scientists and study the impacts of climate change on a diverse range of organisms, from Giant clams to sharks. I like sharks very much. I am also keen on people knowing about sharks (and all things marine) so science communication is another dream of mine.
After finishing my master's degree Iast year I am currently pursuing a PhD opportunity to study the impacts of climate change related stressors in the sensorial biology of sharks, namely in their mysterious sense of electroreception.
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Interests and Expertise: Behavioural Ecology, Climate Change, Sensorial Biology, Electroreception, Photobiology, Sharks, Hammerheads, Giant clams, Seahorses.

Academic Qualifications
2015. Master Degree in Marine Sciences - specialization in Marine Biology and Ecology.  Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

​2013. Licenciatura in Biology - Marine Biology branch, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Portugal.

Publications
Master Thesis:
Santos, C. (2015) Giant Clams in a Changing Ocean – Effects of Ocean Warming and Acidification on Tridacna maxima, a solar-powered bivalve. Master Thesis. Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto.

National Publications:
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Santos, C. (2015) Tridacnas: Gigantes dos Recifes. Portugala 16:7-8.

International Publications:

Rosa, R., Paula, J. R., Sampaio, E., Pimentel, M., Lopes, A. R., Baptista, M. Guerreiro, M., Santos, C., Campos, D., Almeida-Val, V.M.F., Calado, R., Diniz, M., Repolho. (2016) Neuro-oxidative damage and aerobic potential loss of sharks under elevated CO2 and warming. Marine Biology 163(5): 1-10. 

Rosa, R., Pimentel, M., Galan, J. G., Baptista, M., Lopes, V. M., Couto, A., Guerreiro, M, Sampaio, E., Castro, J., Santos, C., Calado, R., Repolho, T. (2016). Deficit in digestive capabilities of bamboo shark early stages under climate change. Marine Biology 163(3): 1-5. 

Rosa. I.C., Raimundo, J., Lopes, V.M., Brandão, C., Couto, A., Santos, C., Cabecinhas, A.S., Cereja, R., Calado, R., Caetano, M., Rosa, R. (2015) Cuttlefish capsule: an effective shield against contaminants in the wild. Chemosphere 135: 7-13. 

Faleiro, F., Baptista, M., Santos, C., Aurélio, M.L., Pimentel, M., Pegado, M.R., Paula, J.R., Calado, R., Repolho, T., Rosa, R. (2015). Seahorses under a changing ocean: the impact of ocean warming and acidification on a poor swimmer bony-armoured fish. Conservation Physiology 3: 1-7.

Oral Presentations:

Grilo, T.F., Paula, J.R., Pimentel, M.S., Santos, C., Rosa, R. (2016) Impaired riverward migration behaviour of glass eels under climate change.4th International Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO2 World. 3-6 May, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. 

Faleiro, F., Baptista, M., Santos, C., Aurélio, M. A., Pimentel, M., Pegado, M.R., Paula, J.R., Calado, R., Repolho, T., Rosa, R. (2015) Seahorses under a changing ocean: the impact of warming and acidification on the behaviour and physiology of a poor-swimming bony-armoured fish. European Congress of Ichthyology XV, 7-11 September, Porto, Portugal. 

Santos. C., Paula, J., Aurélio, M., Baptista, M., Rosa, R. (2015) Eye for an eye – Agonistic interactions in a future hot acidified ocean. 34th International Ethological Conference, 9-14 August, Cairns, Queensland, Austrália. 

Santos, C., Pimentel, M., Rosa, R., Hinzmann, M., Machado, J. (2015) Studies with Crassostrea gigas under hypercapnia and warming conditions: evaluation of immune system, oxidative stress ans shell structure. Aquaculture Research Workshop, AQUAIMPROVE Project: Sustainable Aquaculture and Animal Welfare (ON2), 18 December, Porto, Portugal.

Faleiro, F., Santos C., Aurélio M.L., Baptista M., Pimentel M.S., Calado R., Repolho T., Rosa R. (2014) Crossing-over the limits of seahorses: the impact of ocean warming and acidification on a bony-armoured poor swimmer fish. International Congress on the Biology of Fish. August 3-7, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Poster Presentations:

Carvalho, F., Paula, J.R., Lopes, A.R., Santos, C., Rosa, R., (2016) Effect of ocean warming and acidification on fish brain development
XIII SPE Congress, 13 and 14 October, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal. 

Santos C., Paula, J.R., Baptista, M., Carvalho, F., Aurélio, M., Rosa, R. (2016) Intraspecific Interactions in a Future Hot and Acidified Ocean. XIII SPE Congress, 13 and 14 October, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.

Santos C., Hinzmann M., Dionísio G., Cyrne R., Rosa I., Calado R., Machado J. and Rosa R. 2016. Giant clams under the microscope – Histological approach to the effects of ocean warming and acidification on a solar-powered symbiotic relationship. Poster presented at the 50th Meeting of the Portuguese Microscopy Society, 29 and 30 of June in Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar University of Porto, Porto.

Hinzmann M., Santos C., Pimentel M., Rosa R. and Machado J. 2016. Effects of ocean warming and acidification on Crassostrea gigas, an invasive yet valuable resource – a microscopic perspective. Poster presented at the 50th Meeting of the Portuguese Microscopy Society, 29 and 30 of June in Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar University of Porto, Porto.

Santos, C., Dionísio, G., Cyrne, R., Hinzmann, M., Duarte, B. A., Lopes, A., Madeira, V., García, L.M., García-Morales, L.M., Machado, J., Rosa, R. (2016) Giant Clams in a changing Ocean: Effects of Ocean Warming and Acidification on a Solar-powered Bivalve. 4th International Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO2 World. 3-6 May, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. 

Santos, C., Rosa, I., Machado, J., Hinzmann, M., Pimentel, M., Francisco, S., Rosa, R. (2016) The Future of an Ecosystem Engineer: Effects of Ocean Acidification and Rising Temperatures in Crassostrea gigas Juveniles. 4th International Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO2 World. 3-6 May, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. 

Rosa, I.C., Lopes, V.M., Raimundo, J., Couto, A., Santos, C., Cereja, R., Calado, R., Caetano, M., Rosa, R. (2015) Cuttlefish capsule: An effective shield against contaminants in the wild. Cephalopod International Advisory Council, 6-14 November, Hakodate, Japan.