Ana Costa

Ana Costa is an Associate Professor at the Universidade dos Açores, affiliated with the Departamento de Biologia within the CIBIO-InBIO research center. She holds a PhD in Marine Sciences from the same institution. Her research focuses on marine and freshwater biodiversity, invasive species ecology, coastal zone management, and conservation strategies in marine protected areas. She teaches courses such as Animal Diversity and Biology, Biological Oceanography, and coordinates the Master Program in Biodiversity and Island Ecology (MBEI).

Dr. Costa has supervised numerous students, including PhD candidates Andrea Zita Botelho and Maria Ana Dionisio, and has contributed to over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals. Her work includes studies on invasive species dynamics, larval development of marine organisms, and the ecological impacts of non-indigenous species. She has led projects such as PIMA (Marine Invasive Species Management in the Azores) and LocAqua (Aquaculture Site Selection in Azorean Waters).

Her research extends to collaborations on coastal water quality monitoring under the EU Water Framework Directive and has involved interdisciplinary efforts in molecular ecology and spatial planning. She actively participates in international conferences and has authored technical reports on biodiversity conservation and marine policy.