Research Interests

Ecology, Behaviour and Conservation of Aquatic/Semiaquatic (e.g., Semiaquatic mammals, Fish, Crayfish) and Terrestrial (particularly Carnivores and other Mammals) organisms, which I study using Field (VHF/GPS telemetry, resource sampling, sign surveys, camera traps) and Molecular techniques, as well as advanced Statistical and ecological Modelling approaches (e.g., Mixed-effects models, Geostatistical models applied to Dendritic Networks, Home Range/Movement Models).

I'm also strongly interested in Theoretical as well as Applied Ecology, and enthralled by novel methods. Here two examples:

• I've used novel stream geostatistical models accounting for spatial autocorrelation in dendritic ecological networks (e.g. rivers) to model the distribution of two invasive crayfish species (Filipe et al. 2017) and Pyrenean desman (Quaglietta et al. 2018).

• Check out the R package SiMRiv which my friend and colleague M. Porto and I released to fill a software gap: simulating spatially-explicit movements in linear/dendritic environments (e.g., rivers), and our two papers illustrating software's capabilities on Movement Ecology and its application in the context of road ecology - If you want to collaborate, see the GitHub Open Collaborative Project on Movement Ecology Simulation Software SiMRiv!

Research Lines

• Effects of hydroelectric infrastructures and other anthropogenic stressors on semiaquatic mammals' ecology and freshwater habitat fragmentation;

• Movement ecology, particularly in linear habitats (e.g. rivers) and heterogeneous landscapes, including prediction of wildlife road mortality risk;

• Distribution, feeding ecology, landscape genetics and conservation of the endangered Pyrenean desman;

• Feeding ecology of invasive crayfish through DNA barcoding.

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Research/Academics activities

• REVIEWER for several international, peer-reviewed, sci-impacted scientific journals (e.g. Mammal Review, Ecological Applications, Animal Conservation, Journal of Mammalogy, PLoS ONE, Ecological Indicators, Mammalian Biology, Hystrix - the Italian Journal of Mammalogy, Intergovernamental Painel for Climate Change 2013/2014, Wildlife Society Bulletin, Journal of Nature Conservation, Mammal Study, Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals, IUCN Otter Specialist Group Bulletin).

• Established worldwide network of collaborations.

• Current or former MEMBER of several national and international organizations (e.g. Dam Removal Europe, International Bio-Logging Society, IUCN SSC Otter Specialist Group, IUCN SSC Small Mammal Specialist Group, IUCN SSC/WI Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, IUCN CEM Mediterranean-Type Ecosystem Group, IUCN CEM Climate Change Adaptation Group, IUCN CEM Ecosystem Restoration Group, IUCN CEM Ecosystems Red List Group, Sociedad Ibérica de Ictiología (SIBIC), Sociedad Española para la Conservación y Estudio de los Mamíferos (SECEM), Associazione Teriologica Italiana (ATIt), Associação dos Cientistas e Investigadores Italianos em Portugal (HIPÁCIA)).

• Authored & coordinated my Ph.D. and Post-Doc projects, including the recruitment, formation and supervision of many students and volunteers, Portuguese and foreigners (from USA, UK, Brasil, Ukraine, Portugal, Italy).

• Part of the organizing committee of the VII Dam Removal Europe International Seminar in Lisbon in May 2022, and part of the Scientific Committee of the IUCN OSG XII International Otter Congress held in Brazil in August 2014, co-organizer of the III Meeting of the Hymalayan Otter Network, Katmandu, Nepal in January 2020, helper at the European Otter Workshop, Padula, Italy, 2003.

• I've been 5 times in academic juries (5 Msc and 2 Bsc theses) and in one PhD Committee.

• Consultancies: I worked and continue to work as freelance consultant for several NGOs and other Institutions (see 'Consultancy').

• Experience in River Restoration techniques (e.g., Dam Removal, Riparian vegetation plantation and other natural engineering techniques and Nature-Based Solutions applied to rivers).

• Regular attendant in River Restoration and Nature-Based Solutions conferences and workshops (e.g., “Building WWFs European river restoration pipeline with Nature-based Solutions”, Padua, Italy, June 2024; “Best Practice of River Restoration – Application of Natural Engineering Techniques”, Azambuja, Portugal, Oct 2022; 7as Jornadas de Restauro Fluvial, LNEC, Portugal, Nov 2022; “Natural Engineering”, Sintra, Portugal, 2017).

• Attendant of the course of Wildlife monitoring Techniques Wolf monitoring, taught by ISPRA, Italy, August 2020. 20h.

• Hand-reared orphaned otter cubs (scientific responsible for a Portuguese project joining ICNF, Évora University, Zoomarine and CRASSA, and member of the IUCN Otter Specialist Group’s Task Force for otters in captivity). 

• I 've been part of an informal "Bio-logging" internal sub-group of the CIBIO (together with F. Lima, N. Queiroz, R. Seabra, J.P. Silva and F. Álvares), aimed at fostering research and collaborations on this topic in Portugal and within the CIBIO, as well as at planning and building new, low­cost bio data­loggers.

• Executed several Mammals post-mortem analyses (photos below).

Participation in Research Projects

Collaborator in field and laboratory work of different national and international scientific projects. Examples:

• Sabor-LTER – Sabor fragmentation experiment: undertanding long-term ecological consequences of infrastructure development and compensatory mitigation. 2011-2015

• EnvMetaGen - Capacity Building at InBIO for Research and Innovation Using Environmental Metagenomics project (H2020-WIDESPREAD-2014-2; Proj Nº 668981). 2015-

• FRESHING - Next-generation biomonitoring: freshwater bioassessment and species conservation improved with metagenomics. 2018-

• FRESHCO - Multiple implications of invasive species on Freshwater Mussel coextinction processes. 2016-

• Aquatic mammal research in the Brazilian Amazon, including visits to traditional riverine communities for assessment of human-Giant otter conflicts, Giant otter trapping trials, and Giant otter and pink dolphin necropsies (Mamirauá Institute, Tefé, Amazonas).

• Patterns of habitat use by fish in Mediterranean intermittent streams and Monitoring Program of water quality and ecological status of the primary net of EFMA in Portugal.

• Mammal nocturnal counts and radio-tracking in the Mediterranean Montado in Portugal.

• Roe deer captures in Mediterranean forests in Italy.

Students supervision

I've supervised 9 Msc theses, 4 Bsc. theses and 2 internships from 15 students from Italy, Portugal and Brazil, affiliated with Portuguese and Italian Universities, and been part of academic juries 8 times (5 Msc and 2 Bsc theses and 1 PhD thesis). More details in the students page.

Teaching

I developed courses that inclusively served a diverse student population in very varied, multi-cultural contexts, from universities (Italy and Portugal) to private institutions (Brazilian Amazon and Portugal), always garnering positive feedback from both my former students and supervisors. Some examples: 

• Invited by prof Olivier Gimenez to take part in the PhD Committee of the first year discussion of his student’s PhD on Otter Connectivity at CNRS, Montpellier. June 2024.

• Invited Lecture "Software for Ecological Modeling in Linear/Heterogeneous Landscapes". I Congreso Internacional de Innovación: “Hacia la Innovación y el Desarrollo Tecnológico, una Visión para el 2030” - Online, University of Moquegua - Moquegua, Peru, November 2020. 0.5h.

• Invited Lecture "Field and Analytical Methods applied to Otters and other Aquatic and Semiaquatic Animals". Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry - Pokhara, Nepal - February 2020. 2h.

• Trainer of primary school teachers on river ecosystem ecology and conservation at Ciência Viva - October 2018. 16h.

• Instructor at an advanced course in Bio-logging at the CIBIO (Vairão, Portugal) – June 2016. 21h.

• Professor of a Parasitology II course at the Center of Technical Education of Amazonia (CETAM, Tefé, Amazonas, Brasil) – March 2013. 60h.

• Tutor of of a course in Botany for Biological Sciences’ graduation students at University of Rome “La Sapienza” (Rome, Italy) – April/October 2012. 150h.