We welcome collaboration. If you are interested in partnership or to join our lab as a student, technician, or postdoc, feel free to reach out. We have several opportunities for undergrad and grad students interested in scientific research and communication.
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Address: Rodovia Doutor Manoel Hipólito do Rego, km. 131,5 - Pitangueiras - São Sebastião - SP - Brasil - CEP 11612-109
Lab Members
Hudson Pinheiro
Chief Investigator
As a marine biology scientist and enthusiast, Hudson’s research aims to explore biodiversity, ecology, biogeography, evolution and conservation of reef fish communities, with special interest on mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCE). Currently based at CEBIMar-USP, Hudson Pinheiro is coordinating a project that aims to set up a technical diving program in the institution, and to explore facets of biodiversity and conservation of MCEs and remote ecosystems. In addition to his interest in science, he is constantly engaging in teaching, outreach and management projects, which he believes are important steps to change the world around us.
Research Fellow, Center for Marine Biology, University of São Paulo
Sites: Lattes (CNPq); Scopus; Scholar; ORCID.
E-mail: htpinheiro@gmail.com
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Julia Marx de Souza
Master Student
Her connection with nature began in childhood when she use to go to the beach at night to fish with her family and vacation on farms in Espírito Santo, where she was born. As a child, she always knew she wanted to be a biologist. Her vocation was consolidated working with environmental education during graduation and developing works on the trophic ecology of the fish community from Trindade Island at the Ichthyology Laboratory (Ictiolab). Currently, she is a master student at the Institute of Biosciences - University of São Paulo (USP), where she works with ecology and biogeography of mesophotic reef fish, exploring changes in the structure of reef communities along the depth gradient and between mesophotic reef ecosystems in the Atlantic Ocean.
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Zoology / University of São Paulo - USP
E-mail: jmarxsouza@gmail.com
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Guilherme Loyola da Cruz
Master Student
Born and raised in the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern coast of Brazil, Guilherme grew up fishing with his father, snorkeling, and surfing in the region. Therefore, his contact and interest in marine biodiversity started and developed early. In 2018, he began his undergraduate studies in Biological Sciences at the Federal University of Espírito Santo, where he became part of the Ichthyology Lab. Since then, together with Hudson Pinheiro, he started studying fish diversity and ecology. He is currently interested in the conservation of shallow and deep reef ecosystems, as well as in the ecological patterns and processes of fishes that live in these environments.
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Biological Sciences / Federal University of Espirito Santp - UFES
E-mail: gloyola00cruz@gmail.com
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Esteban J. Nogueira
Master Student
Since my childhood, I have always been curious about nature, particularly the oceans. Over the years, this curiosity has only grown. In 2018, I entered the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) for a bachelor's degree in biological sciences. This program allowed me to delve into ichthyology and ecology, where I focused on studying the impacts of microplastics on fish, marking the beginning of my scientific career. Currently I am pursuing a master's degree in Zoology at the University of São Paulo (USP). My research revolves around island biogeography and the ecology of reef fish communities on Brazilian oceanic islands. I aim to understand the variations in these fish assemblages and explore the factors influencing them.
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Zoology / University of São Paulo - USP
E-mail: esteban1nogueira@gmail.com
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ALUMNI
Anna Koivunen
Master Student
From very young age Anna had a strong curiosity for exploring the world and the undiscovered places. That curiosity grew further on to a career path as a professional diver and sailor and has led her around the world away from her home in Finland. She is a shark enthusiast and a passionate underwater photographer and has participated in marine biodiversity expeditions through South Pacific and exploring the volcanic islands by scuba. After years of working in the field she wanted to further deepen her knowledge and put her experiences into practice. She is currently on her last year of her master’s degree in Marine Biology at University of Algarve in Portugal and her research interests lie in marine biogeography, oceanic islands and how anthropogenic disturbances impact on these marine ecosystems. She is now conducting her thesis research with Pinheiro lab with a focus on mesophotic reefs and which factors are shaping their biodiversity, while also assessing the future threats these vulnerable ecosystems are facing.
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Marine Biology / University of Algarve
Kirsten Wohak
Master Student
After being fascinated by the ocean for her whole life, the learning how to dive in South Africa was the trigger for Kirsten to get more involved in marine biology after finishing a PhD in mathematics. Coming from Germany, it was clear to her that she wanted to study marine biology abroad. She is currently enrolled in the international Erasmus Mundus Master Program IMBRSea organized by the Ghent University in Belgium. She completed her first semester in Faro, Portugal, then moved to Banyuls-sur-Mer, France, focused on seagrass restoration during an internship in Sweden, and her third semester deals with habitat restoration. As part of Hudson’s lab she will write her master thesis focusing on the conservation and biodiversity of sharks around Fernando de Noronha Archipelago.
Ghent University in Belgium
Sites: ORCID; Researchgarte; LinkedIn
E-mail: kirsten.wohak@imbrsea.eu
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Giaele Benetti
Master Student
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My name is Giaele Benetti, I am 23 years old and I am from Italy. Since I am a child I have always been fascinated by science and in particular from the marine world. This interest has been always encouraged by my father who gifted me with my first little microscope. When I grew up, to follow my passions, I learned how to dive in Italy and I pursued a career in science. I completed a bachelor degree in biotechnology at the Alma Mater University of Bologna thus I have a strong background in genetics and in molecular laboratory techniques. Now I am a master student of the international Erasmus Mundus Master Program IMBRSea organized by the Ghent University in Belgium. The mayor of my master is marine habitat restoration. During this master's program I have been studying in the university of Algarve, the Sorbonne University and the Università Politecnica delle Marche. In the first year of the masterI did my internship in Portugal focusing on bivalves' pathogens: I worked in both a molecular and a microbiology laboratory improving and training my previous skills. As part of Hudson's lab I will write my master thesis focusing on plastic debris along a geographic gradient of human stressors and using them as a proxy for reef fish communities’ health status in São Sebastião in Brazil.
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Erasmus Mundus Master Program IMBRSea / Ghent University in Belgium
Sites: LinkedIn
E-mail: giaele.benetti@imbrsea.eu
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Kissila Sperdutti
Grad Student
Since childhood, his family influenced her to create intimacy with nature and ask questions about Brazilian fauna and flora. Thus, she always remained close to issues related to biology, which made her interested in science journalism. She is currently a graduate student in Journalism at the Juiz de Fora Federal University and is an intern in the area of communication at the Center for Marine Biology (CEBIMar), where she is a member of the project of researcher Hudson Pinheiro.
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Journalism / Federal University of Juiz de Fora - UFJF
Sites: LinkedIn; Lattes (CNPq);
E-mail: ksperdutti@gmail.com
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Photos: We thank the colleagues L..A. Rocha, J.L. Gasparini, M.V. Bell, T. Sinclair-Taylor, C. Rocha for the photos used in the website.