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Marine ecosystems are essential to life on Earth, but they constantly face the consequences of human activities. International conventions such as the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic and directives such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive urge countries to improve monitoring and conservation of ocean health. Bioindicator species can help us assess the health status of ecosystems, and while there are many good candidates among the hundreds of extant shark species, the blue shark (Prionace glauca) stands out as one of the most widely distributed and socioeconomically important shark species in the world. This work highlighted the importance of blue shark in the Portuguese elasmobranch fisheries and the need for better management strategies. Sixty sharks were sampled in the Northeast Atlantic and the results evidenced high contaminant body burdens, with two thirds of the sharks presenting concentrations of Hg and/or Pb in their muscle above safety thresholds for human consumers. Location was the main factor influencing contaminants accumulation, with sharks captured closer to the continental shore presenting higher contamination when compared with sharks from more oceanic locations. A similar pattern was observed in biomarker responses, with the sharks from areas closer to the continental shore (i.e., more contaminated) exhibiting more pronounced responses. Additionally, the amount of damaged DNA in the liver and protective alterations in the gills correlated strongly and positively with contaminants in sharks from the more contaminated area (i.e., As, PCBs, and PBDEs). Ultimately, this thesis validated the potential of blue shark as a bioindicator of pollution in the Atlantic, and the specific biomarkers with potential in marine biomonitoring surveys, whilst contributing useful data for better management and conservation.

The mucus covers the fish's body, working as a protective barrier. Besides physical protection, mucus provides molecules that protect the fish from pathogens damaging 1,2. These include antimicrobial peptides secreted in the mucus, which play an essential role in defense against microbial pathogens since these belong to the innate immune system2,3. In this study, two adult Halobatrachus didactylus individuals were captured from the wild in Sesimbra. Then, mucus collection was performed by scraping the dorsal-lateral body of the fish with a sponge. Our objective was the identification of new peptides with bioactive potential in mucus samples by chromatography analysis. Size exclusion highperformance liquid chromatography (SE-HPLC) analysis performed on mucus samples from the two individuals revealed a similar profile with an intense highlight peak which resulted in a distribution of about 775 Dalton. With interest in that peak, the two mucus samples were pooled for fractionation by SEC. The resulting fraction was analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS/MS) to identify the most probable peptide sequences. Identification from databases did not provide reliable results, indicating a lack of information on the matrix analyzed. We resorted to de novo sequencing with good results using PEAKS Studio software. Five identified peptides were selected according to their bioactivities predicted in silico. Furthermore, the five identified peptides were synthesized, and the molecular size was validated by SE-HPLC analysis. Overall, this chromatographic approach enabled the identification of promising peptides, which bioactivities will be evaluated in vitro in future work.

O processo de internacionalização tornou-se inevitável com a globalização e a maior integração das diversas economias. O acesso a mercados externos permite encontrar novas oportunidades de negócio, todavia exige uma maior capacidade de resposta das empresas. A internacionalização das empresas, principalmente das Pequenas e Médias Empresas (PMEs), tem um papel importante no desenvolvimento económico de qualquer país, e quando implementado com sucesso, tende a proporcionar grandes níveis de prosperidade económica e social, a exemplo do Japão e da Alemanha. A indústria conserveira é das mais antigas em Portugal, tem empresas em actividade com mais de 160 anos de existência e, desde a sua oriegm, orientadas para a exportação. Atualmente, laboram 22 empresas de conservas de peixe, 18 no Continente e 4 na Região Autónoma dos Açores, demonstrando uma enorme resiliência às alterações dos mercados internacionais, (ANICP, 2020). O presente relatório visa descrever o meu estágio curricular realizado na Associação Nacional dos Industriais de Conservas de Peixe, que se focou, quase exclusivamente, na temática da internacionalização. O estágio teve como objetivo o auxilio nas tarefas de secretariado, marketing e conteúdo digital e, principalmente, estudar as oportunidades e desafios da expansão internacional das conservas de peixe para o mercado dos Emirados Árabes Unidos. Assim, este relatório tem uma dupla vertente, descrever as tarefas realizadas ao longo do meu estágio, mas inclui também as componentes conceptuais e técnicas do estudo de internacionalização realizado, no âmbito de uma pesquisa analítica, para avaliar as potencialidades e enunciar os desafios que se colocam às empresas do sector, na abordagem ao mercado dos Emirados Árabes Unidos. O objetivo serve que a informação tratada permita aos industriais de conservas de peixe definir uma estratégia bem-sucedida na abordagem àquele exigente mercado do Médio Oriente. The process of internationalization has become inevitable with globalization and the greater integration of different economies. Access to foreign markets makes it possible to find new business opportunities, however it requires greater responsiveness from companies. The internationalization of companies, mainly Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), plays an important role in the economic development of any country, and when successfully implemented, tends to provide great levels of economic and social prosperity, as in Japan and Germany. The canning industry is one of the oldest in Portugal, it has companies in activity with more than 160 years of existence, since its origin, oriented towards exportation. There are currently 22 canned fish companies in operation, 18 on the mainland and 4 in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, demonstrating enormous resilience to changes in international markets, (ANICP, 2020). This report aims to describe my curricular internship at the Associação Nacional dos Industriais de Conservas de Peixe, which focused almost exclusively on the theme of internationalization. The internship aimed to help with secretarial, marketing, and digital content tasks and, mainly, to study the opportunities and challenges of the international expansion of canned fish to the United Arab Emirates market. Thus, this report has a double aspect, describing the tasks carried out during my internship, but also includes the conceptual and technical components of the internationalization study carried out, within the scope of an analytical research, to assess the potential and enunciate the challenges that arise. companies in the sector in approaching the United Arab Emirates market. The objective is that the processed information will allow fish canning industry to define a successful strategy in approaching that demanding Middle Eastern market.

We combine consistently dated benthic carbon isotopic records distributed over the entire Atlantic Ocean with numerical simulations performed by a glacial configuration of the Norwegian Earth System Model with active ocean biogeochemistry, in order to interpret the observed Cibicides δ13C changes at the stadial-interstadial transition corresponding to the end of Heinrich Stadial 4 (HS4) in terms of ocean circulation and remineralization changes. We show that the marked increase in Cibicides δ13C observed at the end of HS4 between ~2000 and 4200 m in the Atlantic can be explained by changes in nutrient concentrations as simulated by the model in response to the halting of freshwater input in the high latitude glacial North Atlantic. Our model results show that this Cibicides δ13C signal is associated with changes in the ratio of southern-sourced (SSW) versus northern-sourced (NSW) water masses at the core sites, whereby SSW is replaced by NSW as a consequence of the resumption of deep water formation in the northern North Atlantic and Nordic Seas after the freshwater input is halted. Our results further suggest that the contribution of ocean circulation changes to this signal increases from ~40 % at 2000 m to ~80 % at 4000 m. Below ~4200 m, the model shows little ocean circulation change but an increase in remineralization across the transition marking the end of HS4. The simulated lower remineralization during stadials than interstadials is particularly pronounced in deep subantarctic sites, in agreement with the decrease in the export production of carbon to the deep Southern Ocean during stadials found in previous studies.

A cidade é um produto complexo que combina recursos físicos e aspetos culturais, históricos, sociais e económicos que influenciam na formação da sua identidade. Dessa forma, a identidade de uma cidade é o seu ADN: uma combinação distinta e herdada de bens, história, características e cultura que a define interna e externamente e tem o poder de unificar pessoas e lugares. Como a identidade é a base sobre a qual a imagem de uma cidade é criada, é de grande importância considerar como as cidades constroem e desenvolvem a sua identidade. A cidade de Matosinhos apresenta-se como objeto de estudo, destacando as características únicas da cidade que definem a sua identidade cultural. A ligação profunda ao mar continua a ser a característica mais importante que define a identidade de Matosinhos. É possível notar esta relação em vários aspetos, uma vez que Matosinhos tem uma das melhores infraestruturas portuárias do país (o porto de Leixões), uma gastronomia rica em sabores do mar (um polo de atração turística), um rico património com monumentos e esculturas dedicadas ao mar, bem como importantes tradições e celebrações que contribuem para preservar o espírito da sua comunidade. Esta relação é também evidente nas inúmeras atividades económicas que dependem do mar, bem como nas horas de lazer desfrutadas pelos locais e turistas que visitam as praias e o mar para tirar proveito desta caraterística especial de Matosinhos. Da mesma forma que o mar contribui para definir a identidade de Matosinhos, revela também como Matosinhos afirma a sua posição para o desenvolvimento de uma economia azul sustentável. The city is a complex product that combines physical resources as well as cultural, historical, social, and economic aspects that influence the formation of its identity. In this way, the identity of a city is its DNA: a distinct, inherited combination of assets, history, characteristics, and culture that defines it internally and externally and has the power to unify people and place. Because identity is the foundation upon which a city's image is created, it is vital to consider how cities build and develop their identity. The city of Matosinhos will be the object of study, highlighting the city's unique characteristics that define its cultural identity. The deep connection to the sea remains the most important feature that characterises Matosinhos' identity. It is possible to note this relationship in several aspects since Matosinhos has one of the best port infrastructures in the country (the port of Leixões), a gastronomy rich in sea flavours (a pole of tourist attraction), a rich heritage with many monuments and sculptures dedicated to the sea, as well as important traditions and celebrations that contribute to preserving the spirit of its community. This relationship is also evident in the numerous economic activities that rely on the sea, as well as the hours of relaxation enjoyed by locals and tourists who visit the beaches and the sea to take advantage of this Matosinhos special feature. In the same way that the sea contributes to define the identity of Matosinhos, it also reveals how Matosinhos affirms its position for the development of a sustainable blue economy.

In the marine environment, sound can be an efficient source of information. Indeed, several marine species, including fish, use sound to navigate, select habitats, detect predators and prey, and to attract mates. Therefore, all the abiotic, biotic and manmade sounds that comprise the soundscape, have the potential to be used to assess and monitor species and marine environments. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) involves the use of acoustic sensors to record sound in the environment, from which relevant ecological information can be inferred. This thesis studied marine soundscapes, with special attention on fish communities, anthropogenic noise, and applied several methods to analyse acoustic recordings. Most of the focus was on the Tagus estuary, where the presence of two highly vocal species is known: the Lusitanian toadfish (Halobatrachus didactylus) and the meagre (Argyrosomus regius). Azorean and Mozambique soundscapes were also analysed. Several methods were applied to extract information and to visualize soundscape characteristics, including sound recognition systems based on hidden Markov models to recognize fish sounds and boat passages. Analysis of several types of marine environments and time scales showed several advantages and disadvantages of different methods. The use of sound pressure level on different frequency bands allowed the quantification of daily and seasonal patterns. Ecoacoustic indices appear to be cost-effective tools to monitor biodiversity in some marine environments. Using automatic recognition, vocal rhythms (diel and seasonal patterns) and vocal interactions among individuals were also characterized. Furthermore, boat noise effects on fish were studied: we encountered impacts on the audition, vocal behaviour and reproduction. Overall, we used PAM as a tool to remotely assess and monitor soundscapes, biodiversity, fish communities’ seasonal patterns, fish behaviour, species presence, and the effect of anthropogenic noise aiming to contribute for the management and conservation of marine ecosystems.

Abstract P2.11 | 2nd ISMRM Iberian Chapter Annual Meeting | 27-28 June 2022, Lisbon, Portugal

Abstract P1.09 | 2nd ISMRM Iberian Chapter Annual Meeting | 27-28 June 2022, Lisbon, Portugal

First-pass perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance (FPP-CMR) is becoming essential to detect blow flow anomalies. However, the need for real-time acquisitions limits the achievable spatial resolution and coverage of the heart. To keep both within a reasonable range, FPP-CMR needs to be accelerated. A SElf-Supervised aCcelerated REconsTruction (SECRET) DL framework is presented to speed-up reconstruction of FPP-CMR images from undersampled (k,t)-space data. The physical reconstruction models are used to train deep neural networks without requiring fully sampled images. SECRET achieves good quality reconstructions at a variety of acceleration rates, with significant speed-ups compared to the state-of-the-art.

Data refer to export fluxes of carbonate produced by calcifying phytoplankton (coccolithophores), and coccolith-CaCO₃ percent contribution to total carbonate flux across the tropical North Atlantic, from upwelling affected NW Africa, via three ocean sites along 12°N to the Caribbean. Sampling was undertaken by means of a spatial array of four time-series sediment traps (i.e., CB at 21°N 20°W; M1U at 12°N 23°W; M2U at 14°N 37°W; M4U at 12°N 49°W; Guerreiro et al., 2021) collecting particle fluxes in two-week intervals, from October 2012 to February 2014, allowing to track temporal changes along the southern margin of the North Atlantic central gyre. Auxiliary PIC (Particulate Inorganic Carbon) data from NASA's Ocean Biology Processing Group (https://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov) are also provided for the sediment sampling period at all four trap sites. Particle flux data (mg/m²/d) of CaCO₃, organic matter, particulate organic carbon (POC), biogenic silica (bSiO₂) and unspecified residual fraction are provided for sediment trap site CB.