We are glad to announce that Mr Silas Principe (Brazil) has joined OBIS secretariat on 11 April 2023, to support the MPA Europe project. He is based at the IOC Project Office for IODE in Oostende, Belgium, and together with the OBIS team involved in the project, he will predict the potential distribution of marine species and biogenic habitats in Europe. This information will then be used to detect the areas of highest importance in terms of biodiversity conservation. More information on OBIS here.

Silas is an ecologist with a B.Sc. in Marine Biology and M.Sc. in Zoology from universities in Brazil. His research focused on the effects of climate change on coastal areas, from individuals to communities. He is now concluding his PhD in Oceanography, studying how climate change will affect the distribution of reef species in the Western Atlantic. Silas is interested in a broad range of topics, as ecophysiology, thermal biology and biodiversity modelling.