This edition of ‘Ocean Break,’ a series of seminars related to marine research conducted at CESAM, will take place on April 14th (Friday), between 12:30 and 13:30 in the amphitheater 9.1.1 (DEMaC).

Researcher Sofia Ramalho (CESAM/DBIO) will talk about biodiversity associated with cold seeps in the Arctic.

Globally, it is known that cold seeps are habitats that host a high biomass of specialized organisms, dependent to varying degrees on primary production resulting from chemosynthesis. There are indications that this may not be common in polar regions.

According to the researcher: “It is essential to fill knowledge gaps about the biodiversity of communities associated with cold seeps in the Arctic, especially when considering the potential cumulative impacts of human activities in this region along with the observed climate changes.”

As part of the multidisciplinary project AKMA, several cold seeps with various geological and biogeochemical origins and configurations have been sampled to study the biodiversity of these locations. Preliminary observations show that there is still much to discover about the ecology of these Arctic habitats. In addition to scientific objectives, this project has carried out various science outreach activities, particularly in Portuguese schools.

This seminar is a joint organization between three research groups at CESAM: CDEC (Ecology and Conservation of Coastal and Deep Sea Ecosystems), MBA (Marine Biotechnology and Aquaculture), POMG (Physical Oceanography and Marine Geology).

Admission is free to all interested parties.