Universidade dos Açores

New species from the cradle of biodiversity inventories: cryptic diversity within Lamellariinae in the European Atlantic and Mediterranean (Gastropoda: Velutinidae)

The Mediterranean, despite a long tradition of naturalist observation dating back to Aristotle, is still home to undisclosed cryptic species complexes. The gastropod subfamily Lamellariinae d’Orbigny, 1841 (Velutinidae Gray, 1840) is composed of benthic sea slug-like species with...

Functional trait space overlaps reveal ecological resilience of bird communities in Atlantic Forest fragments

While fragmentation is known to affect species diversity, the degree to which functional structure is retained relative to primary forests and the factors driving this retention remain poorly understood. Here, we applied the concept of ecological resilience to forest fragmentatio...

Centripetal narratives under crisis? Media framing and the Europeanization of economic discourse in Portugal, Spain, and Ireland

Abstract This article examines whether and how national media in Portugal, Spain, and Ireland converged in their interpretation of European economic issues during the Eurozone crisis. Building on research on the European Public Sphere, it analyses how national media located polit...

(Mis)Classification for in‐Control/Out‐of‐Control Decisions in Statistical Quality Control: A Case Study

ABSTRACT This case study examines decision‐making processes within a potato chip production line, where controlling the frying oil temperature is vital for maintaining product quality. The process is considered in‐control (InC) when the mean frying oil temperature is 180°C, with...

Deciphering Macroalgal Microbiomes: Metagenomic Insights, Ecological Roles and Bioprospecting Potential

Macroalgae host complex microbial communities that influence surface colonization, development, nutrient transformation, carbohydrate turnover, environmental responses, and the production of potentially valuable metabolites. Advances in shotgun metagenomics and genome-resolved an...

From fluke to fragment: A multifaceted method for molecular sex identification and mitochondrial haplotyping from environmental DNA samples

Abstract Environmental DNA (eDNA) analyses have become a powerful tool for non‐invasive biodiversity monitoring, yet the applicability of population‐genetic approaches to environmental samples remains largely unexplored. Even when genetic traces originate from a single individual...

A Tale of Incomplete Tripolarisation: The 2024–2026 Electoral Cycle in Portugal

Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

Satellite observations, plume dynamics, and volcanic lightning from the 2023 eruption of Shishaldin Volcano, Alaska

Abstract The 2023 eruption of Shishaldin Volcano, Alaska, provided an unusually well-monitored example of a “dry” (non-hydromagmatic) explosive basaltic eruption with sustained, buoyant plumes, and pyroclastic density currents. Here, we examine the 13 basaltic paroxysms that occu...

Socio-Ecological Systems in Small Island Contexts: A Systematic Review of Advances Reconciling Human Activities with Biodiversity Conservation

Socio-ecological systems (SES) provide an integrative framework for analyzing interactions between human activities and biodiversity conservation in island environments, where ecological fragility and governance challenges are particularly pronounced. However, despite the growing...

Marine protected areas and maritime spatial planning integration dynamics across Europe

Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) has emerged as a central governance tool to balance ecological, social, and economic uses of marine space, while Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) remain essential for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem resilience. Effective integration of MPAs in...

Reliving the Moment of Departure: Post-Caregiving Adjustment After Bereavement

PURPOSE: Family caregiving often ends with the death of the care recipient, yet little is known about how former caregivers reinterpret the final phase of caregiving after bereavement. The current study explored how primary caregivers revisit their caregiving experiences during t...

Managing Cultural Tourism and Heritage Sites in Urban Areas—Application of Q-Analysis to Europe

Tourism is a complex economic activity shaped by distinct local resources: culture, nature, industrial heritage, urban ambiance, place-based uniqueness, and geographical accessibility. The simultaneous governance and management of economic growth motives, preservation of the cult...

Waste Literacy Among Portuguese First-Year Tertiary Students After Compulsory Environmental Education

Waste management is essential for addressing local and global environmental challenges. Failure to manage waste effectively results in several consequences, including environmental degradation, public health risks, and economic costs. Besides the need for adequate and up-to-date...

A new reproducible, minimally invasive fin-clamp enabling biologging and animal-borne video studies of juvenile sharks

Abstract Background Fine-scale studies of juvenile shark ecology remain limited because existing tags are often too large or invasive to be deployed on sharks <2 m length. Consequently, high-resolution behavioral and physiological data from early life stages are scarce, despit...