Afonso Ferreira wins first prize in the Amadeu Dias Foundation Doctoral Award in Ecology
The winners of the 2025 edition of the Amadeu Dias Foundation Doctoral Award in Ecology, organized by SPECO (Portuguese Society of Ecology), have been announced. MARE researcher Afonso Ferreira took first place, distinguished for his work in West Antarctica, where he evaluated the response of phytoplankton to climate change.
Understanding the impact of climate change on primary productivity in Antarctica was MARE's research objective. Afonso Ferreira adopted a holistic approach to his work plan, using different techniques and methodologies, combining in situ observations, satellite data, and laboratory experiments with phytoplankton cultures. His main challenge was to understand the seasonal and spatial dynamics of phytoplankton in West Antarctica, which are essential to understanding how primary producers function, as well as the possible implications that these impacts may have on the dynamics of predators in the ecosystem. This thesis demonstrated that climate change is associated with an increase in phytoplankton biomass and that different species are well adapted to the region's highly variable light environment. However, some are better able to tolerate light stress, which may explain their predominance in layers associated with glacial meltwater. This thesis is an example of the importance of multinational collaborations, as it benefited from data and logistical and financial support from three scientific programs underway in Antarctica. Given the global importance of research in Antarctica, sustained collaboration between multiple programs is essential to obtain the long-term data essential to understanding the impacts of climate change on this ecosystem.
The top three winners will present their work and receive their prizes at the 24th National Ecology Meeting, which this year will take place from November 20 to 22 at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon. The prizes, worth €3,000, €2,000, and €1,000, will be awarded to the first, second, and third place winners, respectively. The three candidates will also receive a one-year membership bonus with paid dues.
The award received 14 eligible applications from PhD students who defended their theses at the Universities of Aveiro, Algarve, Coimbra, Lisbon, and Porto.