News & Updates

Not at the fish market or during São João festivities... but in the estuary! During today's monitoring activities at the oyster farm, we were surprised by a beautiful school of juvenile sardines passing through. Estuaries provide vital shelter, feeding grounds, and nursery habitats for many marine species. The presence of these juveniles highlights the crucial role of these ecosystems as natural "nurseries" that support marine biodiversity and healthy fish populations.

On 29–30 May, the 𝗔𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗙𝗜𝗧 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 1𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗮 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀, held at the School of Agriculture of the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo (ESA-IPVC), in Ponte de Lima. The congress brought together researchers, public authorities, associations, water managers, and citizens from both sides of the border to discuss challenges and opportunities related to the sustainable management o

On February 19th, we kicked off the very first AQUABENEFIT field campaign — an exciting milestone as we moved from planning to action in the field! Taking advantage of great weather and a perfectly timed low tide, the team headed to the Lima estuary to collect samples from the oyster farming area and a nearby control site (unfarmed) to better understand how aquaculture influences the ecosystem. These samples will help us assess:: Macroinvertebrate diversity , a key indicator

The first AQUABENEFIT field trip for study area recognition was completed on 6 January 2026. During the visit, the team visited the oyster aquaculture site that will serve as the main study area in the Lima River Estuary, in Viana do Castelo (Portugal). The team identified the most suitable locations to collect water and sediment samples, which will be used to study biodiversity through DNA-based analyses and the identification of small organisms living in the sediment. A con

The AQUABENEFIT Kick-Off Meeting took place on 17 December 2025 at CIIMAR, bringing together researchers from CIIMAR and INESCTEC. The meeting marked the official start of the project and followed a structured agenda focused on the project overview, work package coordination, timelines, management, and next steps. The discussion enabled partners to align objectives, clarify roles, and define priorities for the initial phase of the project, establishing a strong basis for effe