CETUS Project

There was an exciting sighting today! Our observers were thrilled to spot not one, but two harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) swimming near the pier at the Douro River’s mouth, staying with us for almost an hour! 🌊 Getting such a good look at these elusive marine mammals is always special! 📷: Cláudia Oliveira-Rodrigues #CETUSproject #marinemammals #cetaceans #ocean #oceanlife #oceanconservation #research #cetaceanmonitoring #cetaceanresearch #BotosDaFozMonitoringProgramme #botosdafozBotosDaFoz

And that’s a wrap! Anxo and Mayara Gomes da Silva Costa were this year's final observers to board the Grupo ETE - Transinsular, S.A. cargo ship Monte da Guia, closing out another unforgettable season! Their latest survey didn't disappoint, with plenty of whale and dolphin sightings, including a lively pod of spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) putting on an acrobatic show! 🐬 To all our observers, thank you for your passion and dedication! What an adventure it's been since we began these campaigns over 10 years ago! 🌍💙 Stay tuned for details on how you can join us for these embarks next summer. 📷: Anxo Gende #CETUSproject #marinemammals #cetaceans #ocean #oceanlife #oceanconservation #research #cetaceanmonitoring #cetaceanresearch #grupoETE #transinsular

We are excited to share with you our latest scientific paper on using environmental DNA to study cetacean communities and their potential prey off the northern coast of Mainland Portugal! For this study, we used eDNA to characterise the study area regarding cetacean occurrence. Species identified from seawater samples collected across four seasonal campaigns include the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), bottlenose dolphin (Tursiop truncatus), Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus), harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), and fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)! Our findings shed new light on the year-round cetacean presence and their feeding habits in this region, reinforcing the power of eDNA for marine conservation research. 🌊 🐋 Click the link to read the full article 👉🏼 https://lnkd.in/eYGzPkVC #CETUSproject #marinemammals #cetaceans #ocean #oceanlife #oceanconservation #research #cetaceanmonitoring #cetaceanresearch

For the past two weeks, our observers Anxo Gende and Vasco Gomes have been sailing the (very) wild waters between Continental Portugal and the Azores aboard Monte da Guia. 🌍🚢 They braved not one, but TWO storms - Kirk and Leslie! 💨🌪️ (Apparently, the storms didn’t get the memo that nothing can hold back our observers) Despite the wild weather, they were rewarded with sightings of spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) and beaked whales 🐬 #CETUSproject #marinemammals #cetaceans #ocean #oceanlife #oceanconservation #research #cetaceanmonitoring #cetaceanresearch #grupoETE #transinsular

Rita Santos and Sara Araújo are now wrapping up their adventure onboard Monte da Guia and are now arriving in Lisbon! We can’t wait to hear all about their journey and see the amazing photos they captured along the way. 🐋 Here's their goodbye photo from the Azores. 🌊 Stay tuned for more updates from the field! #CETUSproject #marinemammals #cetaceans #ocean #oceanlife #oceanconservation #research #cetaceanmonitoring #cetaceanresearch #grupoETE #transinsular

Yesterday, CIIMAR hosted another edition of the "CIIMAR Open Day", and it was a blast! 🐋 We had an incredible time sharing our research with the public and connecting with visitors of all ages, especially the kids, through fun activities that sparked curiosity about cetaceans. A big thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the day such a success! 🥰 #CETUSproject #marinemammals #cetaceans #ocean #oceanlife #oceanconservation #research #cetaceanmonitoring #cetaceanresearch #CIIMARopenday #CIIMARevents #openday #openday2024 #scicommunity

Congratulations to Nádia Silva for winning the Best Oral Presentation Award at this year’s Blue Think Conference (BTC)! 🏆👏🏼 She was recognized for her outstanding work under CIIMAR’s research line "Biology, Aquaculture & Seafood Quality". During her Master’s thesis, Nádia explored gene loss in cetaceans, focusing on the PNPLA1 gene, crucial in the formation of the skin barrier, which seems to be lost specifically in sperm whales. This work highlights the importance of studying the molecular processes underlying the mechanism that allowed cetaceans to better adapt to aquatic environments over millions of years. 🐋🔬 Huge congrats to Nádia on this well-deserved award! #CETUSproject #marinemammals #cetaceans #ocean #oceanlife #oceanconservation #research #cetaceanmonitoring #cetaceanresearch #GAMA #CIIMAR #BTC2024 #CIIMARphdcommittee #BTCconference #bluethinkconference

The Blue Think Conference (BTC), organised by the CIIMAR PhD Students Committee, is in full swing, taking place from 10 to 11 September! 🌊 One of the event's highlights was Luís Afonso's presentation, where he shared exciting insights from the GAMA expedition. Using advanced eDNA metabarcoding techniques, Luís was able to monitor marine species including the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), the Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) and the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), among others. 🧬🐬 These results provide a valuable snapshot of the top predator community that inhabits the Vigo and Vasco da Gama seamounts. #CETUSproject #marinemammals #cetaceans #ocean #oceanlife #oceanconservation #research #cetaceanmonitoring #cetaceanresearch #GAMA #CIIMAR #BTC2024 #CIIMARphdcommittee #BTCconference #bluethinkconference

Yesterday, Ana Mafalda Correia took the stage at the CIIMAR annual meeting to present "GAMA - Discovering Vasco da Gama & Vigo seamounts: expedition to the unknown". 🚤⛰️ This ambitious project led the CETUS team on a thrilling five-day expedition to explore the Vigo and Vasco da Gama seamounts, off Portugal's northern coast. During the presentation, Mafalda shared the main findings and results obtained during the expedition with our colleagues from CIIMAR. 🐳 #CETUSproject #marinemammals #cetaceans #ocean #oceanlife #oceanconservation #research #cetaceanmonitoring #cetaceanresearch #GAMA #CIIMAR

Raul Valente and Sara Araújo have just set sail aboard Monte da Guia for an exciting new mission! This time, they’re heading to the breathtaking Azores, one of the world’s hotspots for marine life. 🐋🐬 We could not be more excited for the journey ahead. 🥰 We wish you the best of luck, guys! We are eager to hear all about the exciting encounters you will experience. #CETUSproject #marinemammals #cetaceans #ocean #oceanlife #oceanconservation #research #cetaceanmonitoring #cetaceanresearch #grupoETE #transinsular