Research Domains
MARE IS ORGANIZED INTO 2 ECOSYSTEM-ORIENTED RESEARCH DOMAINS
Each research domain organises its action assuming an ecosystem oriented approach, focused on its main subject. The research domain expertise covers a large spectrum of topics, crossing transversely several MARE Thematic Lines, encompassing researchers with diverse backgrounds and experience.
River Basins
The River Basins research domain brings together scientists working in fundamental and applied issues of rivers and river basins, interested in studies on hydrology, hydraulics, sedimentology, landscape based analysis of biodiversity and ecological processes, biomonitoring, ecological assessment, assessment of stressors, community ecology, ecosystem functioning, fisheries management and conservation.
The research domain has four general objectives: to carry out fundamental research in an international and national context in collaborations with partners from leading laboratories; to develop approaches to assess environmental quality, supporting industry and governmental agencies (national and international) on the development and application of science based policies focusing on current societal challenges; to continue developing approaches to assure wildlife management and conservation; to increase the outreach of the scientific work, not only among young scientists but also to the general public through science dissemination activities.
Coastal Systems and Ocean
Coastal Systems and the Ocean are home to important biogeochemical phenomena and support very relevant ecological functions. Its scientific study is an added value for the rational use of natural resources, contributing to the necessary sustainability of economic activities.
Due to its size and specificities, the Portuguese Sea has a crucial importance in the understanding of global oceanographic phenomena, which require evaluation in a broad geographic context, whose scope clearly transcends the limits of the national territory.
On the southwestern edge of the peninsula, the estuaries and lagoons of the Portuguese mainland are of great ecological importance and constitute communication spaces between the ocean and the coast, ensuring a physical connection to the main river systems of the Iberian plateau.
With more than 40 years of leadership in the field of estuarine ecology, with many dozens of studies carried out in the decades of uninterrupted activity in this area, this domain of researchers has produced results of proven quality, published in textbooks and articles in the top scientific reference journals at international level.
Currently composed of about 400 researchers (200 PhD and 200 PhD students) distributed in 7 thematic lines of research, the Coastal Systems and Ocean domain congregates a scientific body of recognized competence, with great research capacity, that has been repeatedly attested by evaluation independent external entities.
