Bruno Welter Giraldes
PhD in Oceanography, Research Assistant Professor
RESUME
Download here my resume
Education
2012, Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography
Oceanographic Museum at Universidade Federal de Pernambuco - UFPE.
Thesis Title: "Subtidal decapods at coastal reefs, northeastern Brazil - an approach using nocturnal Underwater Visual Census."
Supervised by Prof. Petrônio Alves Coelho.
A research granted by FACEPE and co-funded by my own Dive School and Ecotourism operator. An in-Cash and in-Kind fund using the diving facilities. An ecological research that aims understand and describe some ecological patterns of the decapod assemblage in coastal reef environments. Due the nocturnal habits of most decapods, a new nocturnal underwater visual census methodology was developed specifically for this study. The thesis was divided in 5 chapter:
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Chapter I - A description of monitoring protocol for nocturnal Underwater Visual Census of target species.
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Chapter II - Describing the presence of stygobite species (cave fauna) from eryhaline caves at Youcatan (Mexico) in reef caves of Brazil.
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Chapter III Zonation patterns for nocturnal decapod activity in subtidal reefs.
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Chapter IV – Anthropogenic influences on decapod assemblages in coastal tropical reefs.
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Chapter V – Lunar cycle effects on decapod assemblages on tropical coastal reefs.
As outcomes, this thesis resulted in more than 6 scientific articles published. With data and information still in process of publication.
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2007, M.Sc. in Biological Oceanography
Oceanographic Museum at Universidade Federal de Pernambuco - UFPE.
Thesis Title: "Subtidal crustaceans decapod assemblage from reefs of Porto de Galinhas beach (PE)."
Supervised by Prof. Petrônio Alves Coelho.
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A research granted by CAPES that aimed describe the fauna of decapods from the costal coral reef ecosystem in the northeast of Brasil. A taxonomic study in a Natural History Museum where I developed my taxonomic skills and increased my knowledge about biogeography and phylogeny of marine invertebrates. With more than 200 diurnal and nocturnal scuba dive, several hours in underwater photography, and several hour drawing and photographing specimens in Laboratory and in aquarium a great collection was deposited in the Oceanographic Museum. Resulting in a large checklist of decapods used in the thesis and several information collected and used in the PhD. The main outcome was the articles about the biogeography of marine and estuarine shrimps (Dendrobranchiata, Stenopodidea and Caridea) in the northeast of Brazil.
2003, B.A. and Teaching degree in Biological Sciences
Universidade Estadual de Londrina - UEL.
Thesis Title:: "Biology and susceptibility of Ascia monuste orseis to NIM at different concentrations in laboratory conditions."
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The teaching degree was achieved after two years of active teaching, when I assumed classes in fundamental and secondary levels in public schools. In the bachelor level, I developed a scientific study in Invertebrate Zoology more specifically about the Biological Cycles of holometabolous Lepidoptera and pest control using organic treatment. I completed two cycles of the holometabolous butterfly Ascia monuste orseis and analyzed in laboratory it caterpillar's susceptibility when exposed to the extract of NIM (Azadirachta indica). The study resulted in the ideal concentration to control this pest and it was implemented in organic greenery agriculture in Brazil.
My Academic links
Skills / Softwares
ILUSTRATOR
PHOTOSHOP
iMovie
PRIMER
BIOSTAT
PAST
Languages
PORTUGUESE - Native
ENGLISH - Proficient
SPANISH - Advanced
Professional
Appointments
2018 – present
Research Assistant Professor - Marine Biology
Environmental Science Center (ESC) at Qatar University (QU), Doha, Qatar.
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After delivering exceptional results in my previous role, I was granted and invited to lead several high-profile projects within the research department, building important local and international partnerships with other researchers and professors across the globe. Although most projects were grounded in marine biology, ecosystem restoration, ecology and taxonomy of benthic invertebrates, I started driving initiatives to monetize projects by exploring new fields in marine drugs, phylogeography, marine ecosystem’s restorations, subsea constructions and advisory on environmental policies.
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Secured approval and managed three projects as Lead Principal Investigator (LPI) and collaborated on another six by leading specific work packages as a Principal Investigator (PI).
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Authored five peer-reviewed scientific articles with another four currently being reviewed for publication.
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Built important local and international collaboration partnerships with professors and researchers across highly reputable institutions.
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Conducted a very successful collaborative research on restoration of reef ecosystems, which led to a patent of a new product.
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Signed a long-term contract of external grants about the new technology described by me, generating ongoing royalties for the university.
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2014 – 2017
Post-Doctor Research Fellow - Marine Biology
Environmental Science Center (ESC) at Qatar University (QU), Doha, Qatar.
As a Fellow Researcher, provided direct expertise in support of major research projects related to marine biology, fisheries, biogeography, ecology and taxonomy, by delving into the impact of fishing on offshore sites and about the mangrove ecosystems preservation in Qatar. Participated in several other projects with important publications and further scientific outcomes securing funding and ensuring the grants for related projects.
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Published ten peer-reviewed scientific articles, being first-author for most.
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Directly supported high profile projects, managing field logistic off the coast and offshore, analyzing ecological data and producing important scientific outcomes.
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Discovered through a high-quality research, new species of crabs and sponges, and a patent for an environmentally friend fishing equipment.
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Established the very first nationwide Marine Collection for the State of Qatar.
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Supervised and mentored theses for undergraduate students and contributed to instructional and outreach activities
2012-2014
Post Doctor Associate Researcher
Crustacean and Plankton Laboratory at Ecology Department at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil (UFSC).
Upon completing my PhD studies, I was immediately asked to lead a work package about ecology and taxonomy of decapods under a multidisciplinary project for underwater monitoring of a protected marine zones in the Arvoredo islands (maare.ufsc.br). Additionally, provided research expertise as a SME to an ongoing study on Demersal Plankton.
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Led a multidisciplinary sub-project responsible for biogeography, taxonomy and ecology of decapods.
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Authored two peer-reviewed scientific articles as a first-author and published two technical protocols.
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Co-authored entire chapters of three books.
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Steered end-to-end preparation of an application for a patent on a bongo-net frame for Dive Propulsion Vehicle (DPV) to collect Demersal Plankton close to the seabotom.
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Conducted scientific research that led to the discovery of a new species of shrimp and described a bioinvasive specie.
2005-2010
Owner - Ecotourism and Diving School
Porto de Galinhas beach, Pernambuco, Brazil
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In parallel with my academic life I did several dive courses and worked in several dive schools, self-funding the trainings, the courses and the accumulation of underwater hours. In 1993, with 13 years old I started the Open Water course and concluded with 17 the Instructor course (CMAS), and in 2004 I did the crossover to PADI. Based in this experience, during my MSc and PhD I created a diving school and ecotourism company for funding my research. A business in a tropical beach in front of a coral reef area where my studies were performed. In other words, I created my own diving facilities and co-funded my MSc and PhD.
At this time, I accidently identified the concept that ballasts several of my actual research projects, the idea to “address economic value to the preservation/restoration actions”. This concept emerged when I created environmentally friend activities more expensive for the tourist but with the preservation and social conscience added to the activities. Where the local guides (former fisherman) earned a higher profit in environmentally friend activities, comparing with the destructive traditional methods (such as walking on the outcropped reefs), creating a natural zonation of activities and a migration for the activities with higher profit.
In addition, this business experience more than funding the diving logistics of my studies, increased my skills to interact with the stakeholders for marine studies, including governmental bodies, fisherman associations, resorts and hotels.
ARTICLES
Liu, L., Aljathelah, N. M., Hassan, H., Giraldes, B. W., Leitão, A., & Bayen, S. (2021). Targeted and suspect screening of contaminants in coastal water and sediment samples in Qatar. Science of The Total Environment, 145043.
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Al-Khayat, J.A. & Giraldes B.W. (2020). Burrowing crabs in arid mangrove forests on the southwestern Arabian Gulf: Ecological and biogeographical considerations. Regional Studies in Marine Science, (39) 101416.
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Giraldes B.W, Goodwin C, Al-Fardi N.AA, Engmann A, Leitão A, Ahmed AA, et al. (2020). Two new sponge species (Demospongiae: Chalinidae and Suberitidae) isolated from hyperarid mangroves of Qatar with notes on their potential antibacterial bioactivity. PLoS ONE 15(5): e0232205. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0232205
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Bean, T.P., Khatir, Z., Lyons, B.P., van Aerle, R., Minardi, D., Bignell, J.P., Smyth, D., Giraldes, B.W. & Leitão, A., (2020). De novo transcriptome assembly of the Qatari pearl oyster Pinctada imbricata radiata. Marine Genomics, p.100734.
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Giraldes, B.W., Leitão, A., Smyth D. (2019) The benthic sea-silk-thread displacement of a sessile bivalve – the curious behavior of the pearl oyster Pinctada imbricata radiata (Leach, 1814) in the Arabian-Persian Gulf. PLoSONE14(5):e0215865.
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Giraldes, B. W. (2019). The first record of the Indo-Pacific benthic ctenophore Coeloplana (Benthoplana) meteoris (Ctenophora: Coeloplanidae) in the Arabian-Persian Gulf. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity, 12: 467-469.
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Giraldes, B.W., Chatting, M. and Smyth D. (2019). The fishing behavior by Metopograpsus messor (Decapoda: Grapsidae) and the use of pneumatophore-borne vibrations for prey-localizing in an arid mangrove setting. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 1-9.
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Giraldes, B.W., Macedo, T., Brandão, M.C., Baeza, J.A. & Freire, A.S. (2018). Lysmata arvoredensis nov. sp. a new species of shrimp from the south coast of Brazil with a key to species of Lysmata (Caridea: Lysmatidae) recorded in the southwestern Atlantic. PEERJ 6:e5561.
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Al-Maslamani, I., Smyth, D., Giraldes, B.W., Chatting M., Al-Mohannadi M., Le Vay L. (2018). Decline in oyster populations in traditional fishing grounds; is habitat damage by static fishing gear a contributory factor in ecosystem degradation? Journal of Sea Research 140: 40–51.
Giraldes, B.W., Coelho Filho, P.A., Smyth, D.M. & Coelho, P.A. (2017). The nocturnal zonation of decapods in the subtidal zone within the reef seascape—abiotic factors defining habitats. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsx055.
Giraldes, B.W., Al-Maslamani & Smyth, D. (2017). A new species of leucosiid crab (Decapoda: Brachyura: Leucosiidae) from the Arabian Gulf. Zootaxa, 250 (4): 389–395.http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4250.4.9
Smyth, D.M., Al-Maslamani, I., Chatting, M & Giraldes, B.W. (2016). Benthic surveys of the historic pearl oyster beds of Qatar reveal a dramatic ecological change. Marine Pollution Bulletin. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.08.085
Giraldes, B.W., Smyth, D., & Chatting, M. (2016). Modern problems in marine biodiversity records – illustrated by the case of the Caribbean Pelia mutica (Gibbes, 1850) confirmed in Brazil. Marine Biodiversity Records, 9(1), 1.
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Giraldes, B.W. & Smyth, D.M. (2016). Recognizing Panulirus meripurpuratus sp. nov. (Decapoda: Palinuridae) in Brazil – Systematic and biogeographic overview of Panulirus species in the Atlantic Ocean. Zootaxa 4107 (3): 353-366.
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Giraldes, B.W., Al-Maslamani, I., Chatting, M. & Smyth, D. (2016) Basic assessment of Portunus segnis (Forskål, 1775) - The baseline for stock management of important decapod resource in Western Arabian Gulf. Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research 42: 111-119.
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Smyth, D.M., Al-Maslamani, I., Giraldes, B.W., Chatting, M., Al-Ansari, E. & Le Vay, L. (2016) Anthropogenic related variations in the epibiotic biodiversity and age structure of the "Pearl Oyster" Pinctada radiata within the eulittoral zone of Qatar. Regional Studies in Marine Sciences, 5: 87-96.
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Giraldes, B.W., Silva, A. Z., Corrêa, F. M., & Smyth, D.M. (2015). Artisanal fishing of spiny lobsters with gillnets—A significant anthropic impact on tropical reef ecosystem. Global Ecology and Conservation, 4, 572-580.
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Giraldes, B.W. & Freire, A.S. (2015). Extending the southern range of four shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda: Stenopodidae, Hippolytidae and Alpheidae) in southwestern Atlantic (27o S) and confirming the presence of Mediterranean Stenopus spinosus Risso, 1827 in Brazil. Zootaxa, 3972(3), 419.
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Giraldes, B.W., Coelho Filho, P.A. & Smyth, D.M. (2014). Decapod assemblages in subtidal and intertidal zones - Importance of scuba diving as a survey technique in tropical reefs, Brazil. Global Ecology and Conservation, 3, 163-175.
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Giraldes B.W., Coelho-Filho, P.A. & Coelho, P.A. (2012). Composition and spatial distribution of subtidal Decapoda on the “Reef Coast”, northeastern Brazil, evaluated through a low-impact visual census technique. Nauplius, 20(1): 187-201.
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Giraldes B.W., Coelho-Filho, P.A., Coelho, P.A. & Anker, A. (2012). Confirmation of the presence of Janicea antiguensis (Chace, 1972)(Decapoda: Barbouriidae) in northeastern and eastern Brazil. Nauplius, 20(2): 171-178.
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Coelho, P.A., Almeida, A.O., Souza-filho, J.F., Bezerra, L.E.A. & Giraldes, B.W. (2006). Diversity and distribution of the marine and estuarine shrimps (Dendrobranchiata, Stenopodidea and Caridea) from North and Northeast Brazil. Zootaxa (Online), 1221: 41 - 62.
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PATENTS
Giraldes B.W. (Filled/assigned.2020) Raft Sampling Bench. Attorney Docket No.: 432743.10170. Assinment document 506201828.
Giraldes, B.W. (2019) “Mushroom Forest Artificial Reef” – A new designed artificial reef for ecosystem restoration and fishing resource augmentation. No US20200236911A1..
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Al-Maslamani, I, Smyth, D., Mehmet, D. & Giraldes, B.W, Chatting, M. (2018). Marine Clutch Apparatus - A new material more environmentally friendly to retrieve fishing traps (gargour).Attorney Docket No.: 432743.10073.
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BOOKS
Giraldes, B.W. & Freire, A.S. (2017). Crustáceos (Crustacean). – A Biodiversidade marinha das ilhas da Rebio Arvoredo e entorno. In.Segal,Bet al MAArE : Monitoramento ambiental da Reserva Biológica Marinha do Arvoredo e entorno.222-229p. ISBN: 978-85-64093-48-5.
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Giraldes, B.W. & Freire, A.S. (2016). Crustáceos (Crustacean). (52-61pp). In. Lindner, A. Vida marinha de (Vol.2). (Marine Life at Santa Catarina).EditoraUFSC.ISBN:978-85.328.0600-0.
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Giraldes, B.W. & Freire, A.S. (2014). Crustáceos (Crustacean). (52-61pp). In. Lindner, A. Vida marinha de Santa Catarina. (Marine Life at Santa Catarina). Editora UFSC, 128p. ISBN: 978-85.328.0600-0.
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Giraldes, B.W. (2014) Sessão Invertebrados (Invertebrate Section) (36pp). In Pereira, H.C.P, Feitosa J.L.L & Chaves, L.C.T. Guia de Biodiversidade Marinha da APA costa dos Corais. (Marine Biodiversity guide from MPA “Coral coast”. Technical books 204pp. ISBN: 978-85-61368-44-9.
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PROTOCOLS
Giraldes, B.W. & Freire, A.S. (2014) Protocolo de Monitoramento de Crustáceos (Crustacean Monitoring Protocol). In Monitoramento Ambiental da Reserva Bioloǵ ica Marinha do Arvoredo e Entorno, Projeto MAARE – UFSC (Environmental Monitoring Program at Arvoredo’s Marine No-Take Zone and surroundings, Project MAARE, – UFSC).
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Giraldes, B.W., Gorri, C & Freire, A.S. (2014) Protocolo de Monitoramento de Plâncton Demersal (Demersal Plankton monitoring Protocol). In Monitoramento Ambiental da Reserva Bioloǵ ica Marinha do Arvoredo e Entorno, Projeto MAARE – UFSC (Environmental Monitoring Program at Arvoredo’s Marine No-Take Zone and surroundings, Project MAARE, – UFSC).
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Publications
Diving Education
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Scuba Dive Instructor: CMAS in 1998 / PADI in 2004
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Distinctive Instructor - Underwater Visual Census Techniques: PADI in 2008
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Emergency First Responder Instructor: EFR – ILCOR/PADI in 2010
Diving experience
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Eco-tourism and Dive school Owner – Administrative and Logistic: 2006 – 2012
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Teaching and Practical Instruction: 1998 – 2012
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Professional Underwater videographer, photographer: 2009