I concluded my MSc on Biological Aquatic Resources by the Science Faculty of the Porto University in 2021, with the Azores Deep-Sea Research group. My thesis focused on developing a methodology that could constitute an objective tool to perform Good Environmental Status assessments in the deep-sea, by assessing the integrity of the seafloor with Cold-water corals as VME indicators. I am currently working as a research assistant with the Deep-sea research group, where I have contributed to the collection of video footage by partaking in surveys performed and analysed the images collected to characterize the existing biodiversity in the areas explored.
My research focuses on the description of deep-sea communities by identifying and annotating benthic fauna from video footage of the sea-floor, contributing to a better understanding of the existing deep-sea benthic biodiversity within the Azores region. I also participate in surveys to collect video footage of unexplored areas.