On 15 May, between 13:00 and 14:00, Room 9.1.1 (DEMaC) will host the Ocean Break seminar – “Navigating through the Hidden World of Marine Fungi”, presented by Artur Alves, researcher at CESAM and professor at the Department of Biology of the University of Aveiro.

We do not usually associate fungi with aquatic environments, much less with marine ones. However, fungi are ubiquitous in these environments and essential for their functioning, yet they are still poorly studied. Marine fungal species described to date represent a small fraction of all known fungal diversity. Marine fungi are emerging as a sustainable resource with the potential to support a circular blue bioeconomy.

Although their biotechnological potential was long overlooked, marine fungi are now recognised as a source of novel bioactive secondary metabolites and enzymes. In this session we will take a dive into this hidden world and explore the diversity and biotechnological potential of marine fungi occurring in Portuguese marine (and estuarine) environments.