The Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves (SPEA) is the Portuguese partner of BirdLife International with vast experience in coordinating LIFE projects, invasive non-native predators eradication and control, and bycatch mitigation measures.

Ana Almeida

Marine Conservation Officer

Graduated in Marine Biology and Fisheries, Ana started working with birds in 2004, with the little tern in south Portugal. She did her Masters in Ecology and Conservation, and worked as a marine conservation officer for the RSPB in the UK.
Ana joined SPEA´s team in 2015 working in the assessment and mitigation of seabird bycatch. She also works in Marine Policy, supporting the preparation of strategic documents and positon papers related to marine biodiversity and fisheries agenda.

Contact: ana.almeida@spea.pt

Elisabete Silva

Marine Conservation Officer

With a degree in Biology from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro and a Masters in Marine Biology from the University of Aveiro Portugal, she volunteered for SPEA’s LIFE Berlengas project in 2015 and later joined the POPA fisheries observation program in Azores. Since September 2016, Elisabete has been working as a fisheries observer for SPEA.
She focused on monitoring bycatch and testing mitigation measures to reduce seabird bycatch in different kinds of fishing gear in LIFE Berlengas/MedAves Pesca projects.

Contact: elisabete.silva@spea.pt

Joana Andrade

Head of Marine Conservation

Graduated in Biology and post-graduated in Science & GIS, Joana joined SPEA in 2008, coordinating monitoring programs of marine and coastal birds, and other projects on seabird’s conservation.
She has been involved in several LIFE projects, coordinating LIFE Berlengas and LIFE Ilhas Barreira, and is responsible for leading SPEA strategy on marine conservation and policy along with Birds and Habitats Directives, MSFD, Biodiversity Strategy and restoration targets.

Contact: joana.andrade@spea.pt

Mónica Costa

Project Management & Environmental Education Assistant

With two MSc (Conservation Biology and Science Communication), Mónica is in charge of the administrative management of several projects. Also, she is leading several environmental education programmes and outcomes, targeting students from several school levels and general public.
An example of outcome led by Mónica is the Pedagogical Notebook “From the islands to the classroom – A pedagogical notebook to discover the Berlengas”.

Contact: monica.costa@spea.pt

Nuno Oliveira

Marine Conservation Officer

With an MSc in Ecology and Environmental Management at the University of Lisbon (Portugal) and University of Varese (Italy), he joined SPEA’s LIFE Safe Islands for Seabirds in Azores as a trainee (estagiar_L) in 2009.
Nuno has collaborated on several national and international projects, with a focus on monitoring and conservation of seabirds, tackling different threats, e.g. predation by alien species, bycatch and loose of nesting habitat. Although working along the entire territory, both on land and at sea, Berlengas archipelago has a special place in his heart.

Contact: nuno.oliveira@spea.pt