PhD Student, University of the Azores Ana is a visiting PhD student from the University of the Azores, Portugal. Ana’s PhD research focuses on population genetics and connectivity of migratory elasmobranchs in oceanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Ana has been living in the Azores since 2011, where she has been studying elasmobranch ecology. The main goal fueling her research has been to help fill the knowledge gaps on elasmobranch biology and ecology in order to ultimately inform and actively contribute to their conservation. Being an avid diver, science communicator and photography enthusiast Ana tries to combine those interests and use them as tools to shed a light on the importance of the conservation of these species amongst the general public by giving regular talks and involving the public through her citizen science based project called Manta Catalog Azores, which she founded in 2012 (https://www.mantatrust.org/azores). Ana hopes the results from her PhD project allow us to better understand the biology and ecology of elasmobranch species, as well as to assist in the design of effective conservation and management plans aimed at protecting their populations in this remote region of the North Atlantic Ocean. This article was published on 2024-09-02
