Three PhD ecology theses win Portuguese research award

The SPECO – Portuguese Society of Ecology announced the winners of its 2026 PhD Prize in Ecology, funded by the Amadeu Dias Foundation. Bianca Reis (CIIMAR) won first prize for research on Iberian kelp forests' ecological functioning and vulnerability to climate change. Joana Nogueira (CIBIO/InBio) took second prize for work improving conservation prioritisation of freshwater ecosystems, and Miguel Gandra (Okeanos) received third prize for using biotelemetry and machine learning to track marine megafauna including sharks and whale sharks. The prizes, worth €3,000, €2,000 and €1,000, were chosen from 11 eligible submissions from five Portuguese universities.