Keynote speakers

Ivan Nagelkerken

Using volcanic CO2 vents and warming hotspots to study the effectsof climate change on fishes and marine ecosystems in situ.

Prof. Ivan Nagelkerken studies climate change impacts on fishes andmarine ecosystems using aquarium experiments, large mesocosms, andnatural climate analogues such as volcanic CO₂ vents and warminghotspots. Using scientific diving in the field, he has combined fishsurveys, fish behaviour video recordings, fish habitat choiceexperiments, a range of underwater manipulative experiments, andfish collection techniques to assess ecosystem resilience andspecies range shifts under ocean warming and acidification.

Nuno Simões — UMDI-Sisal, Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM, México | www.cenoteando.mx

Into the dark: scientific diving as a window into the biodiversity, ecology, and conservation of Yucatán's anchialine cenotes.

The Yucatán Peninsula hosts vast anchialine ecosystems within flooded cave networks known as cenotes, home to unique subterranean fauna. The Cenoteando project uses scientific diving and integrative methods (taxonomy, eDNA, isotopes) to study biodiversity and ecosystem function. Their work has led to new species discoveries and supports conservation, addressing tourism pressures through science-based management and policy engagement, highlighting the critical role of scientific diving in protecting these fragile systems.

Diogo Paulo — PhD Marine Biology – Ecology and Conservation

A Professional Scientific Dive Centre in a non Recreational Diving Legislation.

Diogo Paulo is an Instructor Examiner with Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) and creator of its Scientific Diving course. A rebreather diver and explorer, he combines advanced diving with marine research. He is a scientist at CCMAR, Visiting Professor at the University of the Algarve, and founder of CCMAR’s Scientific Diving Center, helping raise safety and professional standards in Portugal.

Francisco Otero-Ferrer — Professor and Researcher at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain).

Diving in the mesophotic forests: ecology and conservation of black corals in the Canary Islands

His research explores mesophotic benthic habitats, with a special focus on blackcoral forests and the biodiversity they support. He combines deep diving, habitat mapping and experimental ecology to understand ecosystem functioning and develop decision-support tools for conservation and restoration under climate and human pressures, leading/participatingin several EU projects.

Sylvie Dias — Underwater Videographer and Photographer

Visual documentation in Scientific Diving: an essencial tool for Marine Biodiversity reasearch and conservation

Sylvie Dias is an underwater videographer and photographer. Over the past five years, she has collaborated with several universities like Ispa, MARE and CCMAR on scientific research projects focused on marine biodiversity. Her work began with BiodivAMP (marine protected áreas) and Kids Dive (ocean literacy in schools). Since 2022, she has been documenting the marine forests of the African coast (Mauritania and Bijagós) in support of CCMAR research. In 2023 she recorded marine life along Almada’s riverfront for CalvALMar project, culminating in her first photographic exhibition dedicated to seahorses.

Last year she returned to Mauritania to produce the film for the 50th anniversary of Banc d’Arguin National Park. She is currently filming the CASULO research project (MARE) at Lagoa de Óbidos, and CCMAR projects on restoring corals, seagrass meadows and kelp along the Portuguese coast, for screening at the Marine Forest Festival.