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This week, the Faculty of Science and Technology - DOP, University of the Azores, welcomed six international second-year students from the Erasmus Mundus Master in Marine Environment and Resources (MER), travelling from São Miguel campus.

During their one-week stay, the students had the opportunity to discover the Horta campus and take part in a range of activities as part of the Marine Ecology Field Course, combining classroom sessions with fieldwork and hands-on experiences in the marine ecosystems of the Azores.

The programme included cetacean acoustics and photo-identification activities, marine fieldwork, beach surveys to document coastal fauna and flora on Faial, and a field trip to Pico to investigate the occurrence of the invasive macroalga Rugulopteryx okamurae along the island’s southern coast. The students also visited local museums on Faial and Pico, complementing their scientific experience with an opportunity to explore the region’s natural and cultural heritage.

Initiatives like this strengthen collaboration between the different campuses of the University of the Azores, providing international students with a diverse learning experience and the opportunity to explore different marine environments across the archipelago, while reinforcing Horta’s role as a hub for marine science education and research.