Speakers Profiles | Webinar on Seaweed nature-based solutions for coastal resilience
Meet the lecturers of the IAHR webinar on Seaweed nature-based solutions for coastal resilience!
Bárbara Proença, HAEDES, Portugal
Proença holds a PhD in Biogeochemistry and Ecosystems and is currently Senior Geophysical & Ecology Specialist at HAEDES Portugal. She has a previous professional background in academic research with participation in numerous national and international research projects in the area of coastal oceanography. Her main areas of expertise are related to coastal sediment dynamics and bio-geophysical interactions in coastal and marine environments. Her works include numerical modelling of coastal erosion and adaptation to natural and anthropogenic phenomena, as well as ecology studies in the evolution of estuarine environments, affected by biological invasions.
In 2022, Bárbara Proença joined HAEDES Portugal as Geophysical & Ecology Specialist. Currently she is involved in the management and implementation of projects concerning the implementation of Nature-Based Solutions in coastal and marine environments as well as in providing specialized guidance support in the ecological enhancement of coastal and offshore engineering structures.
Francisco Arenas, CIIMAR, Portugal
Dr. Francisco Arenas holds a Ph.D. in Marine Ecology and is the leader of the Benthic Ecology and Environmental Solutions team at CIIMAR. With extensive expertise in marine ecology, his focus lies on coastal systems. His research revolves around the comprehensive monitoring of coastal assemblages and employs experimental approaches to establish causality between environmental factors and biological changes in coastal populations and ecosystems. The team is actively integrating advanced modelling tools such as Species Distribution Models (SDM), Bayesian networks, and others to enhance our ability to anticipate future diversity scenarios. Their dedicated efforts are particularly concentrated on large seaweeds, that create the marine forests with crucial structural and functional roles in our coastal systems. Lastly, our team has a keen interest in exploring the intricate relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. This focus has gained significance in light of the ongoing biodiversity crisis marked by marine invasions and local extinctions.