Carlos David Santos

Prof. Carlos David Santos is a Professor at the Federal University of Pará (Brazil) since 2017 and an Affiliated Scientist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior’s Department of Migration. He holds prior positions including Visiting Professor at Federal University of Maranhão (2014–2017) and Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology and University of Aveiro (2010–2014).

Education:

• PhD in Environmental Biology, University of Lisbon (2004–2009)
• Research Fellowship at University of Lisbon (2001–2004)

Research Focus: Santos specializes in bird migration, social navigation, and decision-making in flocks. Key areas include:

• Mechanisms of flock dynamics and information transfer
• Strategies for crossing ecological barriers (e.g., seas, mountains)
• Impacts of environmental stressors like light pollution and wind turbines
• Conservation of shorebirds and tropical ecosystems

His work integrates GPS tracking, remote sensing, and environmental DNA (eDNA) to study habitat use and conservation challenges.

Publications: His research spans seabird wind tolerance, mangrove migration, and wind turbine impacts, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to ecological conservation.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with the Max Planck Institute’s Department of Migration and other institutions on migratory bird ecology.