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Dr. Vânia Baptista
Centre of Marine Sciences CCMAR, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, 8005-139, Portugal.

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0 Estuarine Ecology
0 Fish and Fishery
0 Fish Behavior
0 Larval Fish Ecology
0 climate change

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climate change

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Short Biography

Vânia Baptista is graduated in Marine Biology in 2010 at the University of Algarve. She has obtained a M.Sc. in Marine Sciences, Marine Resources (specialization in Marine Biology and Ecology) at Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto in 2012 and completed her Ph.D. in Marine, Earth and Environmental Sciences (specialization in Marine Ecology) at the University of Algarve in 2019. In the last years, she has published 12 peer-reviewed articles, 4 as the first author, and a book chapter. Her work has been focused on fish larvae behavior and ecology, and the effects of environmental and climate variability on recruitment of fish species. During the last years, she also collaborated on other research activities related to various issues: feeding ecology of marine and estuarine species, science-citizen activities, invasive species monitoring, monthly sampling of zooplankton in the Guadiana Estuary and Ria Formosa. She also participated in a Course/Expedition about the feeding ecology of sea turtles in São Tomé e Principe. Since June 2019, she is a research and interine coordinator in the LuandaWaterFront project, where she co-coordinates the project. She is mainly responsible for the sampling planning, field surveys and courses/workshop in Luanda, as well as for developing contacts with national institutions (Universities and research institutions) and local communities (companies, fishermen, residents) in Angola.

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Commentary
Published: 16 March 2021 in Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
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ACS Style

Vânia Baptista; Pedro Morais; Eudriano F. S. Costa; Joana Cruz; Maria Alexandra Teodósio. The ocean in a box: water density gradients and discontinuities in water masses are important cues guiding fish larvae towards estuarine nursery grounds. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 2021, 75, 1 -6.

AMA Style

Vânia Baptista, Pedro Morais, Eudriano F. S. Costa, Joana Cruz, Maria Alexandra Teodósio. The ocean in a box: water density gradients and discontinuities in water masses are important cues guiding fish larvae towards estuarine nursery grounds. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 2021; 75 (4):1-6.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vânia Baptista; Pedro Morais; Eudriano F. S. Costa; Joana Cruz; Maria Alexandra Teodósio. 2021. "The ocean in a box: water density gradients and discontinuities in water masses are important cues guiding fish larvae towards estuarine nursery grounds." Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 75, no. 4: 1-6.

Article
Published: 12 March 2021 in Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences
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The coastal waters of Angola support a rich and diverse fauna. However, the ichthyofauna of the region is poorly known; the only fish species studied in detail are those with commercial importance. The main objective of the present study is to report the presence of several fish species for the first time from the coast of Angola. The records were made during a survey in the coastal area of Luanda Island. Species were identified based on photographs taken during SCUBA diving surveys. In the present study, we report for the first time the occurrence of seven fish species in the Angolan region, belonging to six families: Pomacanthidae (Guinean angelfish Holacanthus africanus), Pomacentridae (African sergeant Abudefduf hoefleri), Labridae (Guinean rainbow wrasse Coris atlantica and Newton’s wrasse Thalassoma newtoni), Scaridae (Guinean parrotfish Scarus hoefleri), Blenniidae (oyster blenny Hypleurochilus aequipinnis), and Tetraodontidae (sharpnose-puffer Canthigaster capistrata). These records from Luanda Island are the southernmost known for the species reported here.

ACS Style

Vânia Baptista; João Encarnação; Ester A. Serrão; Peter Wirtz; Lueji Barros Pestana; Silvana Faria; Maria Alexandra Teodósio. New Records of Fish Species from the Coast of Luanda, Angola. Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences 2021, 1 -9.

AMA Style

Vânia Baptista, João Encarnação, Ester A. Serrão, Peter Wirtz, Lueji Barros Pestana, Silvana Faria, Maria Alexandra Teodósio. New Records of Fish Species from the Coast of Luanda, Angola. Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences. 2021; ():1-9.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vânia Baptista; João Encarnação; Ester A. Serrão; Peter Wirtz; Lueji Barros Pestana; Silvana Faria; Maria Alexandra Teodósio. 2021. "New Records of Fish Species from the Coast of Luanda, Angola." Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences , no. : 1-9.

Communication
Published: 05 November 2020 in Oceans
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The rivers of São Tomé Island are colonized by Sicydium bustamantei (Greeff 1882), an amphidromous fish that spawns in those areas. After hatching, larvae drift to the ocean with the river flow. In the marine realm, the planktonic larvae develop and migrate to freshwater as post-larvae. The migrations of post-larvae support important local fisheries at the mouth of rivers in tropical volcanic islands. Amphidromous post-larvae rely on plankton as their main source of organic matter. However, the biology and ecology of S. bustamantei in the West African islands are understudied, despite its importance for local fisheries. Thus, this study aimed to start bridging this gap by studying its feeding ecology. Our objectives were to identify the main prey of S. bustamantei post-larvae, combining gut content with stable isotope analyses. The gut contents included zooplankton (Chaetognatha, Ostracoda, and unidentified crustaceans), debris from plant and/or macroalgae-derived material, and microplastics (including microfibers). The stable isotopes analysis indicated that zooplankton and macroalgae detritus were the main sources of organic matter assimilated by this species. We also demonstrated that S. bustamantei post-larvae are omnivorous and secondary consumers. These data provide pioneering information that can be used in management plans that still need to be developed.

ACS Style

Vânia Baptista; Ester Dias; Joana Cruz; Maria Branco; Sara Vieira; Maria Alexandra Teodósio. Feeding Ecology of Sicydium bustamantei (Greeff 1884, Gobiidae) Post-Larvae: The “Little Fish” of São Tomé Island. Oceans 2020, 1, 300 -310.

AMA Style

Vânia Baptista, Ester Dias, Joana Cruz, Maria Branco, Sara Vieira, Maria Alexandra Teodósio. Feeding Ecology of Sicydium bustamantei (Greeff 1884, Gobiidae) Post-Larvae: The “Little Fish” of São Tomé Island. Oceans. 2020; 1 (4):300-310.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vânia Baptista; Ester Dias; Joana Cruz; Maria Branco; Sara Vieira; Maria Alexandra Teodósio. 2020. "Feeding Ecology of Sicydium bustamantei (Greeff 1884, Gobiidae) Post-Larvae: The “Little Fish” of São Tomé Island." Oceans 1, no. 4: 300-310.

Journal article
Published: 10 June 2020 in Marine Pollution Bulletin
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Previous laboratory feeding experiments, representing the state-of-the-art methodology to investigate microplastic (MP) ingestion and its impact for fish, tend to disregard both the significance of applying realistic MP densities and the potential relevance of biofilm-coating for ingestion probability. This experiment assessed the uptake of either pristine or biofilm-coated MP particles and the physiological impacts for juvenile white seabream for MP concentrations consistent with those found in the field along with natural prey over a course of 3.5 weeks. Results indicate the ability of juvenile D. sargus to discriminate between edible and non-edible prey. A distinct preference for biofilm-coated over pristine particles could not be verified. No significant impact on growth and condition was found except for high levels of MP ingestion. The outcomes highlight the importance of performing MP feeding experiments mimicking natural conditions to reliably assess the impact of MP on early life stages of fish.

ACS Style

Carolin Müller; Karim Erzini; Maria Alexandra Teodósio; Pedro Pousão-Ferreira; Vânia Baptista; Werner Ekau. Assessing microplastic uptake and impact on omnivorous juvenile white seabream Diplodus sargus (Linnaeus, 1758) under laboratory conditions. Marine Pollution Bulletin 2020, 157, 111162 .

AMA Style

Carolin Müller, Karim Erzini, Maria Alexandra Teodósio, Pedro Pousão-Ferreira, Vânia Baptista, Werner Ekau. Assessing microplastic uptake and impact on omnivorous juvenile white seabream Diplodus sargus (Linnaeus, 1758) under laboratory conditions. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 2020; 157 ():111162.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carolin Müller; Karim Erzini; Maria Alexandra Teodósio; Pedro Pousão-Ferreira; Vânia Baptista; Werner Ekau. 2020. "Assessing microplastic uptake and impact on omnivorous juvenile white seabream Diplodus sargus (Linnaeus, 1758) under laboratory conditions." Marine Pollution Bulletin 157, no. : 111162.

Original article
Published: 15 May 2020 in Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
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Individual animals across all taxa differ consistently in behaviour, i.e. they show personality traits. This inter-individual variability has significant ecological and evolutionary consequences, since it affects a range of population-level processes. Here, we focus on the selection and recruitment of nursery habitats in temperate fish larvae. The “Sense Acuity and Behavioural Hypothesis” has proposed that fish larvae could detect and follow environmental cues to actively choose suitable nursery habitats. We empirically tested this hypothesis questioning if this non-random active process occurs and if it could be linked to consistency in individual behaviours. Individual larvae of the white seabream Diplodus sargus (Linnaeus, 1758) were tested repeatedly at different ages in a two-channel choice-chamber apparatus exposing them to a flow with different stimuli, as nursery habitats (lagoon, coastal), different temperatures or salinities and recording exploratory activity and preference in the different conditions. Most larvae changed behaviour during ontogeny, but they were also significantly consistent in their behaviour, revealing strong individuality; yet, no significant preference for the presented stimuli emerged, nor it was related to individuality. Exploratory activity was higher when larvae showed unresponsive or inconclusive behaviours, meaning that the larvae tried to find a different stimulus from the one that we were offering or had random habitat selection. Individual behavioural consistency could influence the process of searching for suitable nursery habitats and, consequently, dispersion and connectivity of white seabream population. Characterizing the behaviour of temperate pelagic marine fish larvae may shed light on fish recruitment variability, help refining larval dispersion models and possibly help understanding effects of climate change on population distribution and connectivity. A Chinese idiom says that “It is easier to change mountains and rivers than to alter one’s character.” What about fish? Well, fish can exhibit individuality traits that control autoecological and demecological processes. For example, shy fish have lower fitness while the rate of invasion progress is faster in populations with bolder individuals. Individuality studies rarely focused on fish larvae, except for coral fish. So, we tested if temperate fish larvae display consistent behaviour throughout ontogeny. This goal delves into the Sense Acuity And Behavioural Hypothesis which incorporated behaviour into the hypotheses deeming to explain fish recruitment variability. We found that temperate fish larvae display consistent individual behavioural differences in exploratory activity since early in ontogeny. This confirms the deterministic role of pelagic fish larvae behaviour on population connectivity processes, namely to control their dispersion and choose a nursery habitat.

ACS Style

Vânia Baptista; Eudriano Costa; Claudio Carere; Pedro Morais; Joana Cruz; Inês Cerveira; Sara Castanho; Laura Ribeiro; Pedro Pousão-Ferreira; Francisco Leitão; Maria Alexandra Teodósio. Does consistent individual variability in pelagic fish larval behaviour affect recruitment in nursery habitats? Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 2020, 74, 1 -16.

AMA Style

Vânia Baptista, Eudriano Costa, Claudio Carere, Pedro Morais, Joana Cruz, Inês Cerveira, Sara Castanho, Laura Ribeiro, Pedro Pousão-Ferreira, Francisco Leitão, Maria Alexandra Teodósio. Does consistent individual variability in pelagic fish larval behaviour affect recruitment in nursery habitats? Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 2020; 74 (6):1-16.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vânia Baptista; Eudriano Costa; Claudio Carere; Pedro Morais; Joana Cruz; Inês Cerveira; Sara Castanho; Laura Ribeiro; Pedro Pousão-Ferreira; Francisco Leitão; Maria Alexandra Teodósio. 2020. "Does consistent individual variability in pelagic fish larval behaviour affect recruitment in nursery habitats?" Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 74, no. 6: 1-16.

Journal article
Published: 16 March 2020 in Scientific Reports
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Nucleic acid-derived indices such as RNA/DNA ratios have been successfully applied as ecophysiological indicators to assess growth, nutritional condition and health status in marine organisms given that they provide a measure of tissue protein reserves, which is known to vary depending on changes in the environment. Yet, the use of these biochemical indices on highly mobile large predators is scarce. In this study, we tested the applicability of using nucleic acids to provide insights on the ecophysiological traits of two marine mammal species (common bottlenose dolphins and short-finned pilot whales) and explored potential related factors (species, sex, season, and residency pattern), using skin tissue (obtained from biopsy darts) of apparently healthy and adult free-ranging animals. Significantly higher RNA/DNA ratios were obtained for bottlenose dolphins (p < 0.001), and for visitor pilot whales when compared with resident pilot whales (p = 0.001). No significant changes were found between the sexes. Based on the percentile approach, the samples contain individuals in a general good condition (as the 10th percentile is not closer to the mean than the 75th percentile), suggesting that the studied region of Macaronesia may be considered an adequate habitat. The combination of this effective tool with genetic sexing and photographic-identification provided an overall picture of ecosystem health, and although with some limitations and still being a first approach, it has the applicability to be used in other top predators and ecosystems.

ACS Style

F. Alves; M. Dromby; Vânia Baptista; R. Ferreira; Ana Mafalda Tomás Correia; M. Weyn; Raul Valente; Elsa Froufe; Massimiliano Rosso; Isabel Sousa Pinto; Ana Dinis; Ester Dias; Maria Teodosio. Ecophysiological traits of highly mobile large marine predators inferred from nucleic acid derived indices. Scientific Reports 2020, 10, 4752 -10.

AMA Style

F. Alves, M. Dromby, Vânia Baptista, R. Ferreira, Ana Mafalda Tomás Correia, M. Weyn, Raul Valente, Elsa Froufe, Massimiliano Rosso, Isabel Sousa Pinto, Ana Dinis, Ester Dias, Maria Teodosio. Ecophysiological traits of highly mobile large marine predators inferred from nucleic acid derived indices. Scientific Reports. 2020; 10 (1):4752-10.

Chicago/Turabian Style

F. Alves; M. Dromby; Vânia Baptista; R. Ferreira; Ana Mafalda Tomás Correia; M. Weyn; Raul Valente; Elsa Froufe; Massimiliano Rosso; Isabel Sousa Pinto; Ana Dinis; Ester Dias; Maria Teodosio. 2020. "Ecophysiological traits of highly mobile large marine predators inferred from nucleic acid derived indices." Scientific Reports 10, no. 1: 4752-10.

Journal article
Published: 11 January 2020 in Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
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The development of sensorial acuity and swimming capabilities of coastal fish larvae and their responses to coastal nursery cues are essential for recruitment success. Most studies of the response of fish larvae to environmental cues and their recruitment into nursery areas have focused on coral reef fish and only a few studies focused on fish species from temperate regions. The Sense Acuity and Behavioural (SAAB) Hypothesis proposes that fish larvae in temperate regions can sense nursery cues and ingress into estuarine ecosystems by using several active swimming strategies. We tested the SAAB hypothesis by studying the ingress of a temperate fish larvae – white seabream Diplodus sargus (Linnaeus, 1758) – into a coastal nursery area, the Ria Formosa Lagoon, Portugal. We combined the results from studies of sensory acuity, swimming capabilities and personality traits of post-flexion larvae with a fine-scale biophysical model to quantify the ingress of the white seabream into the lagoon. Data showed that the location of spawning sites and the directional swimming capabilities are both important for the successful ingress of white seabream larvae into the lagoon. Recruitment was higher when spawning grounds were located in areas with depths between 15.1 and 16.9 m and when post-flexion larvae used their directional swimming capabilities. The larvae ingressed passively into the lagoon with the tidal currents at pre-flexion stage and actively by using their directional swimming capabilities at post-flexion stage. Directional swimming also prevented larval export into the coastal area. When spawning occurred away from the seagrass smell plume emanating from the lagoon, the fish larvae were advected away and lost at sea. This work demonstrated the relevance of combining fish larvae behaviour and oceanography processes in modelling the dispersion of fish larvae to estimate recruitment.

ACS Style

Vânia Baptista; Francisco Leitão; Pedro Morais; Maria Alexandra Teodósio; Eric Wolanski. Modelling the ingress of a temperate fish larva into a nursery coastal lagoon. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 2020, 235, 106601 .

AMA Style

Vânia Baptista, Francisco Leitão, Pedro Morais, Maria Alexandra Teodósio, Eric Wolanski. Modelling the ingress of a temperate fish larva into a nursery coastal lagoon. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 2020; 235 ():106601.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vânia Baptista; Francisco Leitão; Pedro Morais; Maria Alexandra Teodósio; Eric Wolanski. 2020. "Modelling the ingress of a temperate fish larva into a nursery coastal lagoon." Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 235, no. : 106601.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2019 in Diversity
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The Sense Acuity and Behavioral (SAAB) Hypothesis proposes that the swimming capabilities and sensorial acuity of temperate fish larvae allows them to find and swim towards coastal nursery areas, which are crucial for their recruitment. To gather further evidence to support this theory, it is necessary to understand how horizontal swimming capability varies along fish larvae ontogeny. Therefore, we studied the swimming capability of white seabream Diplodus sargus (Linnaeus, 1758) larvae along ontogeny, and their relationship with physiological condition. Thus, critical swimming speed (Ucrit) and the distance swam (km) during endurance tests were determined for fish larvae from 15 to 55 days post-hatching (DPH), and their physiological condition (RNA, DNA and protein contents) was assessed. The critical swimming speed of white seabream larvae increased along ontogeny from 1.1 cm s−1 (15 DPH) to 23 cm s−1 (50 and 55 DPH), and the distance swam by larvae in the endurance experiments increased from 0.01 km (15 DPH) to 86.5 km (45 DPH). This finding supports one of the premises of the SAAB hypothesis, which proposes that fish larvae can influence their transport and distribution in coastal areas due to their swimming capabilities. The relationship between larvae’s physiological condition and swimming capabilities were not evident in this study. Overall, this study provides critical information for understanding the link between population dynamics and connectivity with the management and conservation of fish stocks.

ACS Style

Vânia Baptista; Pedro Morais; Joana Cruz; Sara Castanho; Laura Ribeiro; Pedro Pousão-Ferreira; Francisco Leitão; Eric Wolanski; Maria Alexandra Teodósio. Swimming Abilities of Temperate Pelagic Fish Larvae Prove that they May Control their Dispersion in Coastal Areas. Diversity 2019, 11, 185 .

AMA Style

Vânia Baptista, Pedro Morais, Joana Cruz, Sara Castanho, Laura Ribeiro, Pedro Pousão-Ferreira, Francisco Leitão, Eric Wolanski, Maria Alexandra Teodósio. Swimming Abilities of Temperate Pelagic Fish Larvae Prove that they May Control their Dispersion in Coastal Areas. Diversity. 2019; 11 (10):185.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vânia Baptista; Pedro Morais; Joana Cruz; Sara Castanho; Laura Ribeiro; Pedro Pousão-Ferreira; Francisco Leitão; Eric Wolanski; Maria Alexandra Teodósio. 2019. "Swimming Abilities of Temperate Pelagic Fish Larvae Prove that they May Control their Dispersion in Coastal Areas." Diversity 11, no. 10: 185.

Journal article
Published: 20 June 2019 in Water
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Coastal upwelling has a significant local impact on marine coastal environment and on marine biology, namely fisheries. This study aims to evaluate climate and environmental changes in upwelling trends between 1950 and 2010. Annual, seasonal and monthly upwelling trends were studied in three different oceanographic areas of the Portuguese coast (northwestern—NW, southwestern—SW, and south—S). Two sea surface temperature datasets, remote sensing (RS: 1985–2009) and International Comprehensive Ocean—Atmosphere Data Set (ICOADS: 1950–2010), were used to estimate an upwelling index (UPWI) based on the difference between offshore and coastal sea surface temperature. Time series analyses reveal similar yearly and monthly trends between datasets A decrease of the UPWI was observed, extending longer than 20 years in the NW (1956–1979) and SW (1956–1994), and 30 years in the S (1956–1994). Analyses of sudden shifts reveal long term weakening and intensification periods of up to 30 years. This means that in the past 60 years a normal climate UPWI occurred along the Portuguese coast. An intensification of UPWI was recorded in recent decades regardless of the areas (RS: 1985–2009). Such an intensification rate (linear increase in UPWI) is only significant in S in recent decades (increase rate: ICOADS = 0.02 °C decade-1; RS = 0.11 °C decade-1) while in NW and SW the increase rate is meaningless. In NW more stable UPWI conditions were recorded, however average UPWI values increased in autumn and winter in NW in recently decades (RS: 1985–2009). An intensification rate of UPWI was recorded during summer (July, August and September) in SW and S in latter decades (RS: 1985–2009). The average UPWI values increased in recent decades in autumn in S. Marked phenological changes were observed in S in summer (before downwelling conditions prevail whilst recently when UPWI regimes prevail) with UPWI seasonal regime in S in recent decades becoming similar to those found in SW and NW. Results of this work can contribute to a better understanding of how upwelling dynamics affect/are correlated with biological data.

ACS Style

Francisco Leitão; Vânia Baptista; Vasco Vieira; Patrícia Laginha Silva; Paulo Relvas; Maria Alexandra Teodósio. A 60-Year Time Series Analyses of the Upwelling along the Portuguese Coast. Water 2019, 11, 1285 .

AMA Style

Francisco Leitão, Vânia Baptista, Vasco Vieira, Patrícia Laginha Silva, Paulo Relvas, Maria Alexandra Teodósio. A 60-Year Time Series Analyses of the Upwelling along the Portuguese Coast. Water. 2019; 11 (6):1285.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francisco Leitão; Vânia Baptista; Vasco Vieira; Patrícia Laginha Silva; Paulo Relvas; Maria Alexandra Teodósio. 2019. "A 60-Year Time Series Analyses of the Upwelling along the Portuguese Coast." Water 11, no. 6: 1285.

Communication
Published: 27 March 2019 in Diversity
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Climate change and the overall increase of seawater temperature are causing a poleward shift in species distribution, which includes a phenomenon described as the tropicalization of temperate regions. This work aims to report the first records of four species off the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, namely, the oceanic puffer Lagocephalus lagocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758), the Madeira rockfish Scorpaena maderensis Valenciennes, 1833, the ornate wrasse Thalassoma pavo (Linnaeus, 1758), and the bearded fireworm Hermodice carunculata (Pallas, 1766). These last three species, along with other occurrences of aquatic fauna and flora along the Portuguese coast, reveal an ongoing process of poleward expansion of several species, which urgently necessitates a comprehensive survey along the entire Iberian Peninsula. The putative origins of these subtropical and tropical species off continental Portugal are discussed, as well as the potential public health problems that two of the four reported species may cause.

ACS Style

João Encarnação; Pedro Morais; Vânia Baptista; Joana Cruz; Maria Alexandra Teodósio. New Evidence of Marine Fauna Tropicalization off the Southwestern Iberian Peninsula (Southwest Europe). Diversity 2019, 11, 48 .

AMA Style

João Encarnação, Pedro Morais, Vânia Baptista, Joana Cruz, Maria Alexandra Teodósio. New Evidence of Marine Fauna Tropicalization off the Southwestern Iberian Peninsula (Southwest Europe). Diversity. 2019; 11 (4):48.

Chicago/Turabian Style

João Encarnação; Pedro Morais; Vânia Baptista; Joana Cruz; Maria Alexandra Teodósio. 2019. "New Evidence of Marine Fauna Tropicalization off the Southwestern Iberian Peninsula (Southwest Europe)." Diversity 11, no. 4: 48.

Journal article
Published: 20 December 2018 in Scientia Marina
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In Portugal it has been estimated that unreported catches represent one third of total catches. Herein, information on landings and total unreported catches (discards) by commercial métier were disaggregated into high taxonomic detail using published scientific studies. Fish accounted for 93.5% (115493 t) of overall unreported catches per year, followed by cephalopods (2345 t, 1.9%) and crustaceans (1754 t, 1.4%). Sharks accounted for 1.3% of total unreported catches in weight (1638 t/y). Unreported taxa consisted mostly of the commercial landed fish species: Scomber colias, Boops boops, Trachurus picturatus, T. trachurus, Merluccius merluccius, Sardina pilchardus, Liza aurata and Micromesistius poutassou, which together accounted for 70% of the unreported discarded catches. The number of unreported/discarded species was highest in artisanal fisheries, followed by trawl and purse seine. In artisanal fisheries, L. aurata, S. colias, S. pilchardus, Trachinus draco and B. boops accounted for 76.4% of the unreported discards. B. boops, S. colias and S. pilchardus were also among the most discarded purse seine species, together with Belone belone accounting for 79% of the unreported catches. In trawl fisheries, T. picturatus (16%), M. merluccius (13%), S. colias (13%) and M. poutassou (13%) accounted for 55% of the trawl discarded unreported catches. The discarded species that most contribute to overall unreported catches are those that are most frequently landed and that most contribute to overall landings in weight.

ACS Style

Francisco Leitão; Vânia Baptista; Karim Erzini. Reconstructing discards profiles of unreported catches. Scientia Marina 2018, 82, 1 .

AMA Style

Francisco Leitão, Vânia Baptista, Karim Erzini. Reconstructing discards profiles of unreported catches. Scientia Marina. 2018; 82 (S1):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francisco Leitão; Vânia Baptista; Karim Erzini. 2018. "Reconstructing discards profiles of unreported catches." Scientia Marina 82, no. S1: 1.

Original paper
Published: 07 April 2018 in Theoretical and Applied Climatology
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Wind is a marine coastal factor that is little understood but has a strong interaction with biological productivity. In this study, northerly wind trends in three regions of the Portuguese coast (Northwestern: NW, Southwestern: SW, and Southern: S) were analyzed. Two datasets with long-term (ICOADS: 1960–2010) and short-term data (Satellite: 1989–2010) were used to complement one another. The study revealed the northerly wind yearly data to be non-stationary and highly variable between years. Overall, the northerly wind intensity increased throughout the 1960s regardless of the area and dataset. Between 1960 and 2010, the northerly wind increased at a linear rate of 0.24, 0.09, and 0.15 m s-1 per decade in the NW, SW, and S coastal regions, respectively. The rate was higher in recent decades (1988–2009), with the wind intensity increasing by 0.4, 0.3, and 0.3 ms-1 per decade in the NW, SW, and S regions, respectively. Analyses of the sudden shifts showed significant increases in northerly wind intensities after 2003, 2004, and 1998 in the NW, SW, and S coast, respectively. Exceptions were found for autumn (September for short-term data), when a decrease in northerly winds was observed in recent decades, regardless of the area, and for summer, when no changes in wind trends were recorded in the NW and SW. The long-term data also showed a major increase in northerly winds in winter (January and February), which is the recruitment season for many small and medium-sized pelagic fish. The increase in the intensity of the northerly winds over the past two decades and the past half-century occurred at a higher rate than was estimated by the IPCC for the next century.

ACS Style

Francisco Leitão; Paulo Relvas; Fernando Cánovas; Vânia Baptista; Alexandra Teodósio. Northerly wind trends along the Portuguese marine coast since 1950. Theoretical and Applied Climatology 2018, 137, 1 -19.

AMA Style

Francisco Leitão, Paulo Relvas, Fernando Cánovas, Vânia Baptista, Alexandra Teodósio. Northerly wind trends along the Portuguese marine coast since 1950. Theoretical and Applied Climatology. 2018; 137 (1-2):1-19.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francisco Leitão; Paulo Relvas; Fernando Cánovas; Vânia Baptista; Alexandra Teodósio. 2018. "Northerly wind trends along the Portuguese marine coast since 1950." Theoretical and Applied Climatology 137, no. 1-2: 1-19.

Original research article
Published: 13 October 2017 in Frontiers in Marine Science
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Temperate marine fish larvae use a series of environmental cues (e.g., olfactory, hearing, visual) to mediate the selection of nursery habitats. However, habitat selection may vary according to individuals’ physiological condition. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the ability of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L., 1758) larvae to utilize natural odor cues to locate nursery habitats along ontogeny and to examine how it varies with individual’s physiological condition. The hypothesis being tested is that Sparus aurata larvae prefer coastal rocky reefs as nursery areas, but they might use coastal lagoons as nursery grounds – ecosystems known for their productivity – if under starvation conditions, as a compensatory mechanism to avoid slow growth or even death. A choice-chamber experiment was used to investigate the behavioral responses of satiated and starved laboratory-reared Sparus aurata larvae, along ontogeny (pre-flexion, flexion, post-flexion), to water collected in a coastal artificial rocky reef and a coastal lagoon. The physiological condition of Sparus aurata larvae was determined by analyzing several biochemical condition indices. Complementarily, a new set of four preference indexes were developed – Choice-Chamber Preference Indexes – and discussed to provide a clear measure of the behavioral changes of a species along ontogeny by balancing all the behavioral choices made during the experimental trials, including the unresponsive behavior. A developmental threshold was identified at 24 days post-hatching, before which insufficient swimming capability disabled responsive behavior. Beyond this threshold, post-flexion larvae preferred rocky coastal water over lagoon water, even if under starvation conditions or poor physiological condition, despite the fact that the unresponsive behavior was largely predominant. Sparus aurata larvae displayed a cautionary behavioral strategy, so the compensatory mechanisms to ensure metapopulation stability and resilience have to rely on their feeding plasticity and on being a batch-spawning species (i.e., diversified bet-hedging strategy) to compensate the lack of apparent behavioral plasticity.

ACS Style

Pedro Morais; María P. Parra; Vânia Baptista; Laura Ribeiro; Pedro Pousão-Ferreira; Maria A. Teodósio. Response of Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata L., 1758) Larvae to Nursery Odor Cues as Described by a New Set of Behavioral Indexes. Frontiers in Marine Science 2017, 4, 1 .

AMA Style

Pedro Morais, María P. Parra, Vânia Baptista, Laura Ribeiro, Pedro Pousão-Ferreira, Maria A. Teodósio. Response of Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata L., 1758) Larvae to Nursery Odor Cues as Described by a New Set of Behavioral Indexes. Frontiers in Marine Science. 2017; 4 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pedro Morais; María P. Parra; Vânia Baptista; Laura Ribeiro; Pedro Pousão-Ferreira; Maria A. Teodósio. 2017. "Response of Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata L., 1758) Larvae to Nursery Odor Cues as Described by a New Set of Behavioral Indexes." Frontiers in Marine Science 4, no. : 1.

Article
Published: 08 August 2017 in International Journal of Climatology
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Overall an increase in sea surface temperature (SST) has been recorded over the last century. However, changes in SST are not homogeneous across the ocean. Most studies focus on the processes and mechanisms setting SST variability across broad scales and neglect changes occurring at a regional scale. So, this study aims to describe annual, seasonal and monthly time-series trends in SST along the Portuguese coast, compare trends among areas (Northwest, Southwest and South), quantify SST increase rates and SST time-series discontinuities. Time-series analyses showed that SST has the same annual and monthly trend regardless of the area and data sets used (ICOADS: 1950–2010; Satellite data: 1985–2010). SST increased in the three areas: +0.1 °C decade−1 in Northwestern and Southwestern coasts (the same than global average), +0.2 °C decade−1 in the Southern coast. The higher monthly SST increment rates were observed in spring and summer (satellite data: +0.4 °C decade−1 in June in Northwest; +0.4 °C decade−1 in April in Southwest; +0.5 °C decade−1 in June in South). Discontinuities, that is, sudden shifts in time-series, were observed after 1987, 1995 and 1982–1983 in the Northwest, Southwest and Southern areas, respectively. Overall, this study reinforces the hypothesis that SST varies regionally; so, studies assessing the impacts inherent to climate change along coastal areas, namely fisheries variability, ought to have this perspective into account.

ACS Style

Vânia Baptista; Patrícia Laginha Silva; Paulo Relvas; M. Alexandra Teodósio; Francisco Leitão. Sea surface temperature variability along the Portuguese coast since 1950. International Journal of Climatology 2017, 38, 1145 -1160.

AMA Style

Vânia Baptista, Patrícia Laginha Silva, Paulo Relvas, M. Alexandra Teodósio, Francisco Leitão. Sea surface temperature variability along the Portuguese coast since 1950. International Journal of Climatology. 2017; 38 (3):1145-1160.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vânia Baptista; Patrícia Laginha Silva; Paulo Relvas; M. Alexandra Teodósio; Francisco Leitão. 2017. "Sea surface temperature variability along the Portuguese coast since 1950." International Journal of Climatology 38, no. 3: 1145-1160.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2017 in Marine Policy
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Francisco Leitão; Vânia Baptista. The discard ban policy, economic trends and opportunities for the Portuguese fisheries sector. Marine Policy 2017, 75, 75 -83.

AMA Style

Francisco Leitão, Vânia Baptista. The discard ban policy, economic trends and opportunities for the Portuguese fisheries sector. Marine Policy. 2017; 75 ():75-83.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francisco Leitão; Vânia Baptista. 2017. "The discard ban policy, economic trends and opportunities for the Portuguese fisheries sector." Marine Policy 75, no. : 75-83.

Journal article
Published: 27 May 2015 in Estuaries and Coasts
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The variability of coastal marine resources has been linked to environmental variability but the impacts of artisanal nearshore fishing activity and environmental factors interact in different ways. Time series, Min/Max Autocorrelation Factor, Generalised Least Squares and Dynamic Factor Analyses models were applied to examine the role of environmental factors (SST, NAO Index, Upwelling Index, Wind Magnitude, Easterly Wind Component, Northerly Wind Component, Coastal River Discharges) and fisheries effort on commercial catch rates of Diplodus vulgaris in the Northwest, Southwest and South Portuguese coast. Environmental factors were found to affect short-term variations of catch rates with a time lag of 2 years, according to the regions and seasons. In the Northwest, autumn wind magnitude and summer river discharges were positively correlated with D. vulgaris catch rates. In the Southwest, D. vulgaris catch rates were negatively associated with variations in winter sea surface temperature. In the South, catch rates were positively associated with yearly westerly wind component and yearly, winter and autumn river discharges whilst negatively associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) Index. These results indicate that both large-scale climatic patterns and local hydrological factors can have an influential role in determining the abundance of D. vulgaris stocks. Fishery assessment should therefore incorporate information on ecosystem and environmental effects to help managers to make informed decisions on how to best regulate coastal fisheries.

ACS Style

Vânia Baptista; Carlos J. A. Campos; Francisco Leitão. The Influence of Environmental Factors and Fishing Pressure on Catch Rates of Diplodus vulgaris. Estuaries and Coasts 2015, 39, 258 -272.

AMA Style

Vânia Baptista, Carlos J. A. Campos, Francisco Leitão. The Influence of Environmental Factors and Fishing Pressure on Catch Rates of Diplodus vulgaris. Estuaries and Coasts. 2015; 39 (1):258-272.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vânia Baptista; Carlos J. A. Campos; Francisco Leitão. 2015. "The Influence of Environmental Factors and Fishing Pressure on Catch Rates of Diplodus vulgaris." Estuaries and Coasts 39, no. 1: 258-272.

Journal article
Published: 14 December 2014 in Regional Environmental Change
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Evaluating the effects of fishing and environmental factors on fish populations are fundamental tenets of fisheries science. In this study, we assess associations between environmental variables (sea surface temperature; North Atlantic Oscillation index; upwelling; wind magnitude; westerly winds; northerly winds; river discharge) and fishing variables (fishing effort) in Diplodus sagus catch rates accounting for regional analyses (northwest coast; southwest coast and Algarve—Algarve south coast). Different time series models for data fitting (multi-model approach) were used. The models were lagged, according to species fishing recruitment age based on the hypothesis that fisheries catches depend on larvae recruitment and survivorship. D. sargus catch rates across areas were unrelated to fishing effort but correlated to environmental variables, with seasonal events explaining much of the variability in trends. On the northwestern coast, the catch rates were mainly set by sea surface temperature (SST) and wind magnitude; however, southwestern coast catch rates were set by NAO winter. On the south coast, only one statistical model (SST, upwelling and westerly winds) associated spring conditions with D. sargus catch rates. The multi-model approach revealed autumn, winter and spring seasonal effects to be related with northwest, southwest and Algarve coastal catch rates, respectively, indicating a possible coastal longitudinal gradient related with given periods of spawning and larval availability. The metadata analysis yielded different results from the regional analyses. In summary, marine resource management should take regional environment characteristics and variability into account when determining sustainable catch rates in given areas for species with high habitat site fidelity.

ACS Style

Francisco Leitão; Vânia Baptista; Maria Alexandra Teodósio; Samantha Jane Hughes; Vasco Vieira; Luis Chícharo. The role of environmental and fisheries multi-controls in white seabream (Diplodus sargus) artisanal fisheries in Portuguese coast. Regional Environmental Change 2014, 16, 163 -176.

AMA Style

Francisco Leitão, Vânia Baptista, Maria Alexandra Teodósio, Samantha Jane Hughes, Vasco Vieira, Luis Chícharo. The role of environmental and fisheries multi-controls in white seabream (Diplodus sargus) artisanal fisheries in Portuguese coast. Regional Environmental Change. 2014; 16 (1):163-176.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francisco Leitão; Vânia Baptista; Maria Alexandra Teodósio; Samantha Jane Hughes; Vasco Vieira; Luis Chícharo. 2014. "The role of environmental and fisheries multi-controls in white seabream (Diplodus sargus) artisanal fisheries in Portuguese coast." Regional Environmental Change 16, no. 1: 163-176.

Journal article
Published: 01 July 2014 in Fisheries Research
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Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated catches (IUU) are an important topic in fisheries, both from an economic and environmental perspective. Here, we estimated the likely total Portuguese mainland catches between 1938 and 2009 by estimating unreported catches (i.e., missing from official statistics) using a fishery-by-fishery approach. Landings increased from 1938, peaking between 1964 and 1972 (period when landings reached highest values across the time series), and declined thereafter, reaching values below the mean after 1993. Higher misreporting (unreported values above the mean) were recorded between 1956 and 1988. Overall, we estimated that over 25,013,000 t were caught between 1938 and 2009, which is 36% (range 28.2-41.5%) higher than the 16,121,510 t officially reported for the same time period, based on annual catches of around 123,000 t-year(-1). Trawl fisheries accounted for the largest part of unreported catches, with 54% of total unreported catches, while accounting for 21% of total reported landings. The multi-gear fisheries accounted for the second largest percentage of estimated catches (25% of total unreported catches, 30% of reported landings). Purse seine fisheries accounted for 49% of total reported landings, but had the smallest proportion of unreported catches (19%). Unreported catches from the recreational/subsistence sector were lower, accounting for 1.5% of total unreported catches. Finfish accounted for 94% (115,000 t.year(-1)) of unreported catches, followed by cephalopods (2,400 t year(-1)) and crustaceans (1,800 t.year(-1)). (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

ACS Style

Francisco Leitão; Vânia Baptista; Dirk Zeller; Karim Erzini. Reconstructed catches and trends for mainland Portugal fisheries between 1938 and 2009: implications for sustainability, domestic fish supply and imports. Fisheries Research 2014, 155, 33 -50.

AMA Style

Francisco Leitão, Vânia Baptista, Dirk Zeller, Karim Erzini. Reconstructed catches and trends for mainland Portugal fisheries between 1938 and 2009: implications for sustainability, domestic fish supply and imports. Fisheries Research. 2014; 155 ():33-50.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francisco Leitão; Vânia Baptista; Dirk Zeller; Karim Erzini. 2014. "Reconstructed catches and trends for mainland Portugal fisheries between 1938 and 2009: implications for sustainability, domestic fish supply and imports." Fisheries Research 155, no. : 33-50.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2014 in Journal of Marine Systems
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V. Baptista; Francisco Leitão. Commercial catch rates of the clam Spisula solida reflect local environmental coastal conditions. Journal of Marine Systems 2014, 130, 79 -89.

AMA Style

V. Baptista, Francisco Leitão. Commercial catch rates of the clam Spisula solida reflect local environmental coastal conditions. Journal of Marine Systems. 2014; 130 ():79-89.

Chicago/Turabian Style

V. Baptista; Francisco Leitão. 2014. "Commercial catch rates of the clam Spisula solida reflect local environmental coastal conditions." Journal of Marine Systems 130, no. : 79-89.

Journal article
Published: 20 June 2013 in Estuaries and Coasts
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Climate changes affect marine ecosystems and the survival, growth, reproduction and distribution of species, including those targeted by commercial fisheries. The impact of climate change has been reported for many fish species, but studies focusing on the effects of climate on bivalve resources are lacking. In Portugal, the harvesting of bivalves is an old and artisanal activity, of special importance along the Algarve coast (South of Portugal). This study aims to evaluate the influence of climatic, environmental and fisheries factors on the landings of intertidal coastal lagoon and coastal bivalve species (subtidal nearshore species). The environmental and fisheries parameters considered to affect the landings of bivalves in the eastern Algarve were: fishing effort (number of fishing events), sea surface temperature, North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, upwelling index, wind magnitude and direction and river discharges. Analysis of time series data using min/max autocorrelation factor analysis and dynamic factor analysis showed that, for most species, fishing effort was positively related with landings per unit effort trends in the following year. Lagoon bivalve species (Cerastoderma edule and Ruditapes decussatus) responded to different environmental variables than the coastal bivalve species (Chamelea gallina, Pharus legumen, Donax spp. and Spisula solida). Upwelling index had a significant effect on the lagoon bivalves while the NAO index, wind magnitude and direction, and river discharges only affected the coastal species. This study highlighted the need to adapt fishing effort regimes, while considering the background effects of environmental variability, in order to improve fisheries management.

ACS Style

Vânia Baptista; Hadayet Ullah; Célia Teixeira; Pedro Range; Karim Erzini; Francisco Leitão. Influence of Environmental Variables and Fishing Pressure on Bivalve Fisheries in an Inshore Lagoon and Adjacent Nearshore Coastal Area. Estuaries and Coasts 2013, 37, 191 -205.

AMA Style

Vânia Baptista, Hadayet Ullah, Célia Teixeira, Pedro Range, Karim Erzini, Francisco Leitão. Influence of Environmental Variables and Fishing Pressure on Bivalve Fisheries in an Inshore Lagoon and Adjacent Nearshore Coastal Area. Estuaries and Coasts. 2013; 37 (1):191-205.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vânia Baptista; Hadayet Ullah; Célia Teixeira; Pedro Range; Karim Erzini; Francisco Leitão. 2013. "Influence of Environmental Variables and Fishing Pressure on Bivalve Fisheries in an Inshore Lagoon and Adjacent Nearshore Coastal Area." Estuaries and Coasts 37, no. 1: 191-205.