Program & Invited Keynotes

NOVA FCT, Portugal

Marta Martins (MM) holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences and is currently an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Science and Technology of NOVA University Lisbon (NOVA FCT), where she teaches in the areas of Marine Ecology, Ecotoxicology, Aquatic Pollution, and Environmental Risk Assessment at both undergraduate and master's levels in Environmental Engineering. She is also a lecturer in the Master's Program in Marine Living Resources: Science, Technology, and Society, which she coordinated until August 2025 and member of the Scientific Committee of the Doctoral Program in Environment and Sustainability at NOVA FCT. She is certified by FELASA with the Laboratorial Animal Science level C for directing animal experiments and has a course on Applied In Vitro Toxicology by ESTIV and ASCCT.

Marta Martins is coordinator of the research group MARlab – Marine Research and Environmental Risk Lab, part of the Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE). She leads the research line on Ecotoxicology and Environmental Risk Assessment, dedicated to studying the ecotoxicological effects of interactions between emerging pollutants (ranging from chemicals to nano- and microplastics) and to developing or reformulating monitoring and risk assessment strategies for Environmental and Human Health protection.

She has published extensively in these fields, has participated in and coordinated several national and international projects, and has supervised young scientists, postdoctoral researchers, and PhD and master's students. She is also member of the SETAC Association and SETAC Education Committee, from 2019.

GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany

Hermann W. Bange is a chemical oceanographer at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany. Since 2001, he is heading the working group ‘Biogeochemistry of Trace Gases’ at GEOMAR. His research interests include trace gas cycling and emissions as well as the biogeochemistry of the nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon cycles in the open and coastal oceans. His group is operating world-wide and takes part in campaigns to all major ocean basins. Moreover, he is the coordinator of the Boknis Eck coastal time series station which is located in Eckernförde Bay (SW Baltic Sea).

California Department of Water Resources as an Estuarine Ecologist, USA

Pedro Morais, Ph.D., works for the California Department of Water Resources as an Estuarine Ecologist and has over 25 years of experience studying diverse taxa in all types of aquatic ecosystems in temperate regions. He holds degrees from the University of Algarve, Portugal (Marine Biology and Fisheries, 2000; Ph.D. in Ecology, 2008), and conducted postdoctoral research in Portugal, Czechia, and the United States at the University of California, Berkeley. His research has mostly focused on identifying how river flow modulates estuarine functioning and connectivity. He also investigates the mechanisms underpinning fish life history plasticity and the impact of biological invasions on the functioning of estuarine ecosystems. Dr. Morais has a vast editorial experience and contributes to instill the love for science and biodiversity in younger generations, by serving as the Biodiversity Specialty Chief Editor for Frontiers for Young Minds. His contributions to science mentoring and outreach earned him the 2024 Outstanding Educator Award from the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation. He has published over 70 research articles and book chapters, edited several special issues, and published the book An Introduction to Fish Migration. Dr. Morais also sits on the board of the California Estuarine Research Society and the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, and associate editor of Estuaries and Coasts.

Trent University, Canada

Dr. D. Huy Dang is an Associate Professor of Environmental Chemistry at Trent University and serves as co-director of the International Institute for Environmental Studies. His research focuses on understanding the biogeochemical complexities of integrated ecosystems by investigating elemental cycles from both natural and human sources.