Interests and Expertise: Behavioural Ecology, Cognition, Neurobiology, Ecology, Physiology, Biogeography

José Ricardo Paula, FCT Junior Researcher

I study how behaviour evolves and adapt to different environments using integrative approaches (cognition, neurobiology, physiology and biogeography). I’m passionate about cooperation (mutualisms) mainly in marine ecosystems. I conduct my experiments using both lab and field based methods. 
​
Cleaning mutualisms are crucial ecological components of coral reefs, key to marine biodiversity and abundance in these ecosystems. Such mutualisms represent one of the most complex interspecific interactions between different species which involve a cleaner fish, which eat ectoparasites, dead tissue and mucous from client partners. The relevance of these mutualisms for biodiversity and the urgency to understand their responses to changing environments makes this research area of utmost importance. 

Academic Qualifications
2020. PhD in Biology (Marine Biology and Aquaculture), ​Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal (Part of the dissertation was performed at: Uppsala University, Sweden; Lizard Island Research Station, Australia; CRIOBE - Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l’Environnement​, French Polynesia) - Summa Cum Laude​
​2013. M.Sc. in Conservation Biology, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal (MSc dissertation performed at ISPA - Instituto Universitario and Lizard Island Research Station, Australia)
2011. Licenciatura in Evolutionary and Developmental Biology, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

Awards and Grants
2022 FLAD R&D@USA Grant
2022 Marie Sklodowska-Currie Seal of Excellence - European Commission
2021 FCT CEEC-IND Junior
2021 FCT PTDC Research Grant - ChangingMoods PTDC/BIA-BMA/0080/2021
2021 FLAD Science Award Atlantic - Finalist
2021 Early Career Research Grant - SPECO (PI)
2020 Best PhD in Ecology Award - SPECO and Amadeu Dias Foundation
2018 Lizard Island Doctoral Fellowship (PI)
2018 FENS Federation of European Neuroscience Societies Grant - Half-stipend for CAJAL Behaviour of Neural Systems course​
2018 Society for Experimental Ecology Travel Grant - SEB2018, Florence, Italy
2018 Society for Experimental Ecology Travel Grant - Two High CO2 Worlds, Azores, Portugal
2017 The Company of Biologists Grant (ref JEB-170212) (PI)
2016 4th International Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO2 World: Travel Grant Award, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
2015 Vitor Almada: Best Oral presentation Award - Portuguese Ethological Society
2014 UNESCO – IOC Award, Santos, SP, Brazil

Publications
36)  S. Ramírez-Calero, J. R. Paula, E. Otjacques, R. Rosa, T. Ravasi, C. Schunter (2022) Neuro-molecular characterization of fish cleaning interactions. Scientific Reports 12, 8468. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12363-6 

35) J. R. Paula, T. Repolho, A.S. Grutter, R.Rosa (2022) Access to cleaning services alters fish physiology under parasite infection and ocean acidification. Frontiers in Physiology 13, 859556. DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.859556/abstract Rising stars in aquatic physiology 2022

34) B. Duarte, T. Repolho, J.R. Paula, I. Caçador, A. Matos, R. Rosa (2022) Ocean acidification alleviates dwarf eelgrass (Zostera noltii) lipid landscape remodeling under warming stress. Biology, 11, 780. DOI: 10.3390/biology11050780

33) M. Franzitta, T. Repolho, J. R. Paula, I. Caçador, A.R. Matos, R. Rosa, B. Duarte (2021) Dwarf eelgrass (Zostera noltii) fatty acid remodelling induced by climate change. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 261, 107546. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107546

32)  F.O. Borges, C. Santos, J. R. Paula, E. Mateos-Naranjo, S. Redondo-Gómez, J.B. Adams, I. Caçador, V.F. Fonseca, P. Reis-Santos, B. Duarte, R. Rosa (2021) Invasion and extirpation potential of native and invasive Spartina species under climate change. Frontiers in Marine Science 8:696333. DOI:10.3389/fmars.2021.696333

31) J. R. Paula, D. Sun, V. Pissarra, P. Narvaez, A. Grutter, R. Rosa, P. Sikkel (2021) The role of corals on the abundance of a fish ectoparasite in the Great Barrier Reef Coral Reefs, 40, 535–542. DOI:10.1007/s00338-021-02051-8. 

30) J. R. Paula (2020) Lockdowns due to COVID-19 threaten PhD students’ and early-career researchers’ careers. Nature Ecology and Evolution 4, 999.

29) E. Otjacques, T.  Repolho, J. R. Paula, S. Simão, M. Baptista, R. Rosa (2020) Cuttlefish buoyancy control in response to food availability and ocean acidification. Biology 9 (7), 147.

28) J. R. Paula, E. Ojtjacques, C. Hildebrandt, A.S. Grutter, R. Rosa (2020) Ocean acidification does not affect fish ectoparasite survival. Oceans 1(1), 27-33. 

27) J. R. Paula, M. Baptista, F. Carvalho, T. Repolho, R. Bshary, R. Rosa (2019) The past, present and future of cleaner fish cognitive performance as a function of CO2 levels. Biology Letters 15. This work was featured in Biology Letters cover.

26) J. R. Paula, T. Repolho, M. Pegado, P-O Thörnqvist, R. Bispo, S. Winberg, P. L. Munday, R. Rosa (2019) Neurobiological and behavioural responses of cleaning mutualisms to ocean warming and acidification. Scientific Reports 9, 12728

25) A. Rodrigues, F. O. Borges, V. Pissarra, A. Maulvault, J. R. Paula, R. Bispo, R. Rosa (2019) First indication of deleterious impacts in white-seabream larvae (Diplodus sargus) survival and behaviour following acute venlafaxine exposure. Ecotoxicology 28, 612-618

24) M. Baptista, O. Azevedo, C. Figueiredo, J. R. Paula, M. Santos, N. Queiroz, R. Rosa, J. Raimundo (2019) Body size and season influence elemental composition of tissues in ocean sunfish Mola mola juveniles. Chemosphere 223, 714-722

23)  F. Borges, C. Santos, E. Sampaio, C. Figueiredo, J. R. Paula, C. Antunes, R. Rosa, T. F. Grilo (2019) Ocean warming and acidification may challenge the riverward migration of glass eels. Biology Letters 15, 20180627 

22) M. Baptista, A. Couto, J. R. Paula, J. Raimundo, N. Queiroz, R. Rosa (2018) Seasonal variations in the abundance and body size distribution of the ocean sunfish Mola mola in coastal waters off southern Portugal. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK 99, 1197-1203. 

21) G. Dionísio, F. Faleiro, R. Bispo, A. Lopes, S. Cruz, J. R. Paula, T. Repolho, R. Calado, R. Rosa (2018) Distinct Bleaching Resilience of Photosynthetic Plastid-Bearing Mollusks Under Thermal Stress and High CO2 Conditions. Frontiers in Physiology 9:1675

20) L. Mincarelli, J. R. Paula, P. Pousão-Ferreira, R. Rosa, P. Costa (2018) Effects of acute waterborne exposure to harmful algal toxin domoic acid on foraging and swimming behaviours of fish early stages. Toxicon 156, 66-71. 

19) A. Maulvault, C. Camacho, V. Barbosa, R. Alves, P. Anacleto, S. Cunha, J. Fernandes, P. Pousão-Ferreira, J. R. Paula, R. Rosa, M. Diniz, A. Marques (2018) Bioaccumulation and ecotoxicological responses of juvenile white seabream (Diplodus sargus) exposed to triclosan, warming and acidification. Environmental Pollution 245, 427-442. 

18) A. Maulvault, L. Santos, J. R. Paula, C. Camacho, V. Pissarra, F. Fogaça, V. Barbosa, R. Alves, P. Pousão Ferreira, D. Barceló, S. Rodriguez-Mozaz, A. Marques, M. Diniz, R. Rosa (2018) Differential behavioural responses to venlafaxine exposure route, warming and acidification in juvenile fish (Argyrosomus regius). Science of The Total Environment 634:1136-1147. 

17)  E. Sampaio, A. Lopes, S. Francisco, J. R. Paula, M. Pimentel, A. Maulvault, T. Repolho, T. Grilo, P. Pousão-Ferreira, A. Marques, R. Rosa (2017) Ocean acidification dampens physiological stress response to warming and contamination in a commercially-important fish (Argyrosomus regius). Science of The Total Environment 618:388-398. 

16) R. Rosa, J. Kelly, V. M. Lopes, J. R. Paula, J. Gonçalves, R. Calado, M. Norman, J. P. Barreiros (2017) Deep-sea seven-arm octopus hijacks jellyfish in shallow waters. Marine Biodiversity 49, 495-499. 

15) T. Repolho, B. Duarte, G. Dionísio, J. R. Paula, A. R. Lopes, I. C. Rosa, T. F. Grilo, I. Caçador, R. Calado, R. Rosa (2017) Seagrass ecophysiological performance under ocean warming and acidification. Scientific Reports 7:41443. 

14) E. Sampaio, A. L. Maulvault, V. M. Lopes, J. R. Paula, V. Barbosa, R. Alves, P. Pousão-Ferreira, T. Repolho, A. Marques, R. Rosa (2016) Erratum to: Habitat selection disruption and lateralization impairment of cryptic flatfish in a warmer, hypercapnic, and contaminated ocean. Marine Biology 163, 252.

13) E. Sampaio, A. L. Maulvault, V. M. Lopes, J. R. Paula, V. Barbosa, R. Alves, P. Pousão-Ferreira, T. Repolho, A. Marques, R. Rosa (2016) Habitat selection disruption and lateralization impairment of cryptic flatfish in a warm, acid, and contaminated ocean. Marine Biology 163, 217 

12) A. R. Lopes, M. Baptista, I. C. Rosa, G. Dionísio, J. Gomes-Pereira, J. R. Paula, C. Figueiredo, N. Bandarra, R. Calado, R. Rosa (2016) “Gone with the wind”: Fatty acid biomarkers and chemotaxonomy of stranded pleustonic hydrozoans (Velella velella and Physalia physalis). Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 66: 297-306. 

11) R. Rosa, J. R. Paula, E. Sampaio, M. Pimentel, A. R. Lopes, M. Baptista, M. Guerreiro, C. Santos, D. Campos, V.M.F. Almeida-Val, R. Calado, M. Diniz, T. Repolho (2016) Neuro-oxidative damage and aerobic potential loss of sharks under elevated CO2 and warming. Marine Biology 163, 119. 

10) M.C. Soares, J. R. Paula, R. Bshary (2016) Serotonin blockade delays learning performance in a cooperative fish. Animal Cognition 19, 1027-1030. 

9)    J.P. Messias, J. R. Paula, A.S. Grutter, R. Bshary, M.C. Soares (2016) Dopamine disruption increases negotiation for cooperative interactions in a fish. Scientific Reports 6:20817. 

8)    V.M. Lopes, F. Faleiro, M. Baptista, M. S. Pimentel, J. R. Paula, A. Couto, N. Bandarra, P. Anacleto, A. Marques, R. Rosa (2015) Amino and fatty acid dynamics of octopus (Octopus vulgaris) early life stages under ocean warming. Journal of Thermal Biology 55: 30-38. Times cited: 4

7)    M.R Payne, M. Barange, W.W.L. Cheung, B.R. MacKenzie, H.P. Batchelder, X. Cormon, T.D. Eddy, J.A. Fernandes, A.B. Hollowed, M.C. Jones, J.S. Link, P. Neubauer, I. Ortiz, A.M. Queiros, J. R. Paula (2015) Uncertainties in projecting climate change impacts in marine ecosystems. ICES Journal of Marine Science 73: 1272-1282. 

6)    E. Kulczykowska, S.C. Cardoso, M. Gozdowska, G. I. André, J. R. Paula, M. Ślebioda, R.F. Oliveira, M.C. Soares (2015) Brain levels of nonapeptides in four labrid fish species with different levels of mutualistic behavior. General and Comparative Endocrinology 222,99-105. 

5)    S.C Cardoso, A.S. Grutter, J. R. Paula, G.I. André, J.P. Messias, M. Gozdowska, E. Kulczykowska, M. C. Soares (2015) Forebrain neuropeptide regulation of pair association and behavior in cooperating cleaner fish. Physiology & Behavior 145, 1-7. 

4)    J. R. Paula, J.P. Messias, A.S. Grutter, R. Bshary, M. C. Soares (2015) The role of serotonin in the modulation of cooperative behavior. Behavioral Ecology 26,1005-1012 This work was featured in Behavioral Ecology cover.

3)    F. Faleiro, M. Baptista, C. Santos, M. L. Aurélio, M. Pimentel, M. R. Pegado, J. R. Paula, R. Calado, T. Repolho, R. Rosa (2015) Seahorses under a changing ocean: The impact of warming and acidification on the behaviour and physiology of a poor-swimming bony-armoured fish. Conservation Physiology 3, cov009.

2)    M.C Soares, G.I. André, J. R. Paula (2015) Preliminary notes on brain weight variation across labrid fish species with different levels of cooperative behaviour. Current Zoology 61, 274-280. 

1)    R. Rosa, M. Baptista, V. M Lopes, M. R. Pegado, J. R. Paula, K. Trübenbach, M. Costa Leal, R. Calado, T. Repolho (2014) Early-life exposure to climate change impairs tropical shark survival. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 281,1793-1793.