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Research

The activities of the Fisheries Biology and Hydroecology (FBH) research group have been directed to marine resource management, studying the age, growth, reproduction and diet of several fish and cephalopod species. Since late 1990’s, special attention has been directed to the technical and biological basis for the culture of cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis (Cephalopoda, Sepiidae). More recently, seahorse and pipefish culture and conservation is another line of research considered in the FBH. Since 1995, a total of 43 graduation students, 10MSc students, 6 PhD students and 5 post-doctoral researchers have contributed to the research activities of the FBH.

 

List of research projects in which our group has been involved in the last few years in collaboration with other research groups from various countries and with different expertises, namely the Departament of Genetics and Biology - University of Málaga (Spain), the Departament of Oceanography and Fisheries-University of the Azores (Portugal), the Departament of Zoology - University of Aberdeen (UK), the Faculty of Marine Sciences - University of Vale-Itajai (Brasil), the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (Cadiz and Vigo, Spain),  the Institute Marine Biology at Crete (Greece), the Faculty of Sciences-University of Lisbon (Portugal), the Marine Biology Institute (Plymouth, UK), the Marine Research Institute (Bergen, Norway), The Natural History Museum (London, UK), the Institute of Marine Biology of Crete and the University of Crete (Greece), the University of Pádua (Italy), and the Faculty of Sciences-University of Oporto (Portugal), IFAPA - CICEM Agua del Pino, Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias and Departamento de Biologia Animal, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Laguna.



SEPIABREED

2012-2015 - Project "SEPIABREED - Melhoria da reprodução do choco Europeu, Sepia officinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) em cativeiro: uma abordagem multidisciplinar (PT); SEPIABREED - Improving the reproduction of the European cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) in captivity: a multidisciplinary approach (UK)." Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - PTDC/MAR/120876/2010. Principal Investigator


SEPIATECH

2011-2014 - Project "SEPIATECH - Desenvolvimento da tecnologia de produção aquícola do choco, Sepia officinalis - rações e afinações zootécnicas (PT); Development of cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis, aquaculture production technology - feed and husbandry refinements (UK)". DGPA PROMAR Refª - 31-03-05-FEP-2 - Atribuído à Universidade do Algarve. Principal Investigator


INAQUA

2011-2012 - InAqua Project: "Cavalos-marinhos em risco na ria Formosa?" Grupo de Investigação em Biologia Pesqueira e Hidroecologia (CCMAR, Universidade do Algarve); Project Seahorse (University of British Columbia and Zoological Society London). Oceanário de Lisboa, National Geographic Channel & Throttleman.


SEPIAMETA

2010-2012 - Project "SEPIAMETA - On the metabolism of the European cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis (Linnaeus, 1758)". Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - PTDC/MAR/102348/2008. Principal Investigator


ASSEMBLE

2009- 2013 - Project "ASSEMBLE: Association of european marine biological laboratories". Grant agreement no.: 227799 FP7. Participation on the suitability of the European cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) as a research animal model.


S.H.A.R.

2007-2008 Project "SeaHorse Applied Research" (SHAR). Optimization of seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus rearing conditions. Lusoreef, produção de espécies marinhas, Lda & CCMAR.


QOL-2001-01891

2003-2005 Project "Towards age accreditation and certification of age determination of aquatic resources". Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources, UE


SAPIENS POCTI/BSE/37385/2001

2002-2005 Project "Breeding and foraging ecology of Little Terns to provide ecological indicators in estuarine environments". Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia


POCTI

2002-2004 Project "AQUASEPIA: Development of aquaculture techniques for the cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis". Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - Agência de Inovação


QOL-2001-5.1.2

2001-2003 Project "Cephalopod stocks in European waters: review, analysis, assessment and sustainable management" Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources, UE


PDCTM/PP/MAR/15259/1999

2000-2002 Project "Trophic interactions of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis in the Ria Formosa, in the Sado estuary and in the Ria de Aveiro: a contribution to multispecies modelling". Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia


Praxis XXI 2/2.1/MAR/1707/95

1999-2002 Project "Cephalopoda: Octopodidae - relationship of the resource with the marine environment" Programa Praxis XXI


DG XIV 99/062

2000-2002 Project "Assessing the impact of the bivalve fisheries on the benthic ecosystems of the Ria Formosa lagoon (Portugal), Venice lagoon (Italy), Aegean sea (Kavala-Greece) and impact of bivalve dredge fishery on juvenile flatfish in the South coast of Portugal (Algarve) (IMPACTO)". European Commission, DG XIV


FAIR-CT96-1304

1997-2000 Representant of the University of Algarve at the European Fish Ageing Network (EFAN), European Commission, Program FAIR/Fisheries and Agro-Industrial Research


DG XIV 97/0083

1998-2000 Project "Collection of biological data of 5 flatfish species from Iberian waters (Portuguese coast and Gulf of Cadiz)" European Commission/DG XIV, Program Studies in Support of the Common Fisheries Policy, Coordination


PRAXIS XXI 3/3.2/CA/1981/95

1997-2000 Project "Genetic and ecological characterization of the portuguese populations of allis and twaite shade (Alosa spp.) and lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). Biological basis for its management and conservation". Program Praxis XXI


AIR3-CT94-1926

1995-1997 Project "A comprehensive genetic study of cultured and wild stocks of gilthead sea-bream (Sparus aurata) and genetic assessment of several related species as candidates for aquaculture". European commission, Program AIR/Agro-Industrial Research including Fisheries


AIR1-CT 92-573

1993-1995 Project "Stock dynamics, interactions and recruitment in north-east Atlantic squid fisheries", European Commission


FAR-MA-1.146

1989-1992 Project "Fishery potential of north-eastern Atlantic squid stocks", European Commission