Bruno Martins Carreira

Group Leader

In 2016, I obtained a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Lisbon and currently I am the leader of the research group Freshwater and Invasive Biology (FIB) at CE3C. I am a Researcher in the Department of Animal Biology at the Faculty of Sciences of University of Lisbon and I teach practical classes in Animal Behaviour.

My research focuses on freshwater ecosystems, especially ponds and intermittent streams, with an emphasis on the study of the effects of climate change on the trophic interactions in aquatic food webs, the impacts of invasive alien species on native species and ecosystems, and the potential of polluted habitats for conservation. This research addresses direct and indirect effects of global change drivers on species and ecosystems, aiming to provide a better understanding of the ecological responses to climate change, new assemblages and altered land use.

Temperature and Nutrition Biology in ectotherms

My research on the effects of heat waves contributed to the discovery of a previously unknown relationship between temperature and nutrient acquisition in ectotherms – demonstrating dietary shifts towards increased herbivory at higher temperatures. Currently, I am expanding research in this field by investigating the pathways involved in the recently discovered temperature-induced dietary shifts, including the role of ontogeny and gut microbiota, the potential impacts in freshwater food webs and how ectotherm responses are shaped by local adaptation over temperature gradients (latitude, altitude, urban).

Invasive alien species

Besides studying the biology of invasive alien species and their ecological impacts on native communities, I also use invasive alien species in fundamental research. I am particularly interested in crayfish, such as Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) and the newly described Procambarus virginalis (Lyko, 2017), but I have also worked with the frog Xenopus laevis (Daudin, 1802).

Communities of polluted waters

Post-industrial sites may hold conservation value for species characteristic of habitats from early succession stages, that have become increasingly rare in Europe. My research investigates the bioaccumulation of trace elements and heavy metals in the communities of post-industrial man-made habitats (sandpits and fly ash deposits).