Catarina V. Guerreiro

 
 

Profile

Research Group: RG2 – Earth Surface Processes
Position at IDL: Colaboradora (FCT-CEECIND 30%; Project CHASE)
Job: Marine Biogeoscientist and Micropaleontologist 
Email: cataguerreiro@fc.ul.pt 
Academic Degree and field of specialization: 

PhD in Geology, Specialization in Paleontology and Stratigraphy, Ciências ULisboa, Portugal

Scientific Informations

ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8524-540X

SCOPUS ID (link); https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=25821635900

Research ID (link); https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/M-7745-2013

Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Catarina_Guerreiro

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=MyT1Y28AAAAJ&hl=pt-PT&oi=sra

Website: 
FCUL: https://ciencias.ulisboa.pt/pt/perfil/caguerreiro
MARE: https://www.mare-centre.pt/pt/user/5898 
CHASE: http://www.chase-dust.com

Keywords: Marine Biogeosciences; Atmosphere–Ocean Interactions; Ocean Carbon Cycle; Biological and Carbonate Pumps; Aerosol Deposition; Climate Variability and Extremes; Coccolithophores; Atlantic Ocean; Southern Ocean; Paleoceanography.

Scientific Interests

Main Interests: 

Marine biogeoscientist investigating the links between marine ecosystems, carbon cycling, and atmosphere–ocean–seafloor interactions across the Atlantic and Southern Oceans. My research combines biological oceanography, marine biogeochemistry, and paleoceanography to understand how ecological and biogeochemical signals are generated in the surface ocean, transferred through sinking particle fluxes, and preserved in marine sediments. Using calcareous nannoplankton (coccolithophores) as ecological and biogeochemical tracers, I adopt a source-to-sink, multi-timescale approach that links living plankton communities, sinking particle fluxes, and deep-sea sediments. By integrating in situ observations, satellite remote sensing, laboratory experiments, sediment trap records, and marine sediment archives, I investigate the response of pelagic ecosystems and carbon export pathways to natural variability, aerosol deposition, climate change, and other environmental perturbations.

  • Marine biogeosciences and Earth-system connectivity

  • Atmosphere–ocean–seafloor interactions

  • Coccolithophore ecology, biogeography and biogeochemistry

  • Biological and carbonate carbon pumps

  • Aerosol deposition and marine impacts 

  • Ocean carbon sequestration and export processes

  • Climate variability and extreme events 

  • Atlantic Ocean, Southern Ocean and Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems

  • Paleoceanography and modern–past ocean comparisons

  • In situ observations and Earth Observation products

Portuguese representative for SOLAS (Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere Study) https://www.solas-int.org

Member of JETZON (Joint Exploration of the Twilight Zone Ocean Network), endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade (WG the Carbonate Pump) https://jetzon.org

Board of Directors of the Foundation of the International Nannoplankton Association https://ina.tmsoc.org/ina/INAfoundation/index.htm

Member of the International Society for Aeolian Research (ISAR) https://aeolianresearch.wordpress.com

Member of the Scientific Council of the College on Polar and Extreme Environments (Polar2E) https://polar2e.ulisboa.pt

Member of the Portuguese Association of Oceanography (APOCEAN) https://apocean.wordpress.com

Top 10 Publications: 

GUERREIRO, C. V., Jonsson, B. F., Land, P., Arístegui, J., Stuut, J.-B., Ferreira, A., Tilstone, G. H., Brotas, V., and Groom, S. B. Seasonal upwelling–dust controls on export production in the Canary Current System revealed by Lagrangian particle tracking, Biogeosciences (revised version submitted in 26 May 2026) preprint: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5789

Archontikis, O.A., Bendif, E. M., Baumann, K-H, Winter, A., Kleijne, A., Cros, L., Bown, P.R., Godrijan, J., Hagino, K., GUERREIRO, C.V., Millán, J.G., Malavolta, F., Malinverno, E., Finini, A., Kawachi, M., Jordan, R.W., Cormier. M-A., and Young, J.R. Long-term global decline of a tiny keystone calcifier in the open ocean. Nature Communications (under revision; NCOMMS-26-024896).  

Finini, A., Tracana, A., Ferreira, A., Brotas, V., Woodward, M., Rees, A., Cachão, M., GUERREIRO, C.V. From Gyre Waters to Frontal Zones: Biogeographic Controls on Coccolithophore Communities across the South Atlantic. Limnology and Oceanography (under revision). 

Ferreira, A., Costa, R. R., Jesus, B., Brito, A. C., Silveira, S. B., Brotas, V., GUERREIRO, C. V., Secchi, E. R., & Mendes, C. R. B. (2026). Photoacclimation of cryptophytes and diatoms to light variability in the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Journal of Phycology, 00, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpy.70158 

Ferreira, A., Mendes, C.R.B., Costa, R.R., Brota, V., Tavano, V.M., GUERREIRO, C.V., Secchi, E., Brito, A.C., 2024. Climate change is associated with higher phytoplankton biomass and longer blooms in the West Antarctic Peninsula. Nature Communications 15, 6536, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50381-2 

GUERREIRO, C.V., Ziveri, P., Cavaleiro, C., Stuut, J-B., 2024. Coccolith-calcite Sr/Ca as a proxy for transient export production related to Saharan dust deposition in the tropical North Atlantic, Scientific Reports 14 (4295), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54001-3

Baek, J-Y., GUERREIRO, C.V., Kim, J-S, Nam, J., Jo, Y-H. Coastal Environmental Changes related to the construction of the Saemangeum Seawall in the Yellow Sea. Front. Mar. Sci. 10:1307218. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1307218

GUERREIRO C.V., Ferreira A, Cros L, Stuut J-B, Baker A, Tracana A, Pinto C, Veloso V, Rees AP, Cachão M, Nunes T, Brotas V., 2023. Response of coccolithophore communities to oceanographic and atmospheric processes across the North- and Equatorial Atlantic. Front. Mar. Sci. 10:1119488. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1119488   

Brotas V, Ferreira A, Veloso V, Tracana A, GUERREIRO, C.V., Tarran GA, Woodward EMS, Ribeiro L, Netting J, Clewley D and Groom SB, 2023. Assessing phytoplankton community composition in the Atlantic Ocean from in situ and satellite observations. Front. Mar. Sci. 10:1229692, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1229692  

Ferreira, A., Brito, A.C., Mendes, C.R.B., Brotas, V., Costa, R.R., GUERREIRO, C.V., Sá, C., Jackson, T., 2022.  OC4-SO: A New Chlorophyll-a Algorithm for the Western Antarctic Peninsula Using Multi-Sensor Satellite Data. Remote Sens. 2022, 14, 1052. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14051052

GUERREIRO, C. V., Baumann, K.-H., Brummer, G.-J. A., Valente, A., Fischer, G., Ziveri, P., Brotas, V. and Stuut, J.-B. W., Carbonate fluxes by coccolithophore species between NW Africa and the Caribbean: implications for the biological carbon pump. Limnol. Oceanogr. 9999, 2021, 1–19, https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.11872   

Korte, K., Brummer, G.-J., van der Does, M., GUERREIRO, C.V., Mienis, F., Munday, C., Ponsoni, L., Schouten, S., Stuut, J.-B., 2020. Multiple drivers of production and particle export in the western tropical North Atlantic. Limnology & Oceanography, 9999, 1-17.

GUERREIRO, C. V., Baumann, K.-H., Brummer, G.-J. A., Fischer, G., Korte, L. F., Sá, C. and Stuut, J.-B. W., 2019. Transatlantic gradients in calcifying phytoplankton (coccolithophore) fluxes, Progress in Oceanography 176, 102140, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2019.102140


GUERREIRO, C. V., Baumann, K.-H., Brummer, G.-J. A., Fischer, G., Korte, L. F., Merkel, U., Sá, C., de Stigter, H., and Stuut, J.-B. W., 2017. Coccolithophore fluxes in the open tropical North Atlantic: influence of thermocline depth, Amazon water, and Saharan dust, Biogeosciences 14, 4577-4599, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4577-2017

 


Projects (10 most relevant): 

PREDICT-OAE (From data to PREDICTion: modelling temporal ecological–biogeochemical links under Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement), funded by Internal Research Project Call of Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Edition 2025. Role: Principal Investigator

OAEPIIP (Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Pelagic Impact Intercomparison Project), funded by Carbon-to-Sea Initiative. Role: National Principal Investigator (click here).

WIMPro (Wildfire Impacts in the Iberian Margin: chemical proxy assessment and marine primary production). Concurso de Projetos Exploratórios em Todos os Domínios Científicos (2023.14433.PEX). Role: Scientific Consultant.

DIA2CRYP (Climate-Driven Shift from Diatoms to Cryptophytes: Implications for Biological Carbon Uptake along the Antarctic Peninsula). PROPOLAR FCT-funded led by MARE/ARNET. Role: team member

CHASE (CHASing the environmental Effects of dust deposition across the Atlantic and Southern Ocean: a coccolithophore perspective), FCT-funded CEECIND/00752/2018/CP1534/CT0011). Role: Principal Investigator.

PRIMUS (PRIMary-productivity in Upwelling Systems), funded by the European Space Agency (ESA Contract No. 4000135025/21/I-NB). Role: Project Outreach Manager (WP8) and Earth Science Case lead (WP5.8): “Comparison of sediment trap data in the Canary upwelling system using standard and Lagrangian approaches to primary production”. 

Med-Trap (Unravelling seasonal dust-induced productivity changes in the Mediterranean Sea) funded by UU-NIOZ (Netherlands). Role: team member responsible for implementing and supervising the coccolithophore biogeochemical component of the project.

SINES (CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ON OCEAN FRONTS ECOSYSTEMS: The case of the Iberian Upwelling System). Ship-time and marine Equipment Application (SEA) Programme call "REGIONAL", EUROFLEETS-Plus Sarmiento de Gamboa (CSIC, Spain). Role: team member responsible for developing the phytoplankton and coccolithophore component of the project.

PORTWIMS (PORTugal TWInning for innovation and excellence in marine Science and Earth observation). EU’s H2020 Research and Innovation Programme (grant no. 810139), 2018–2021. Role: marine scientist and coccolithophore expert; responsible for planning MARE's participation on AMT28 and AMT29 cross-Atlantic expeditions (team member).

DUSTCO (Effects of atmospheric DUST on COccolithophore Production), funded by EU H2020-MSCA-IF-2017 (grant no. 796802), 2018–2020. Role: Principal Investigator.

ECOPELAGOS (Response of the pelagic ecosystem to climate change in the Southern Ocean), funded by the Brazilian Council for Scientific and Technological Development, 2018–2023. Role: team member.

Coccolithophores as indicators of ocean-productivity variability induced by trans-Atlantic fluxes of Saharan dust. MSC-COFUND project funded by EU and Uni-Bremen (EU FP7 COFUND, grant no. 600411), 2015–2017. Role: Principal Investigator.

PROPOLAR PHYTO-UP (Response of two Southern Ocean PHYTOplankton Species to climate-driven changes in the UPper Ocean), FCT-funded, 2020–2021. Role: marine scientist and coccolithophore expert (team member).

PROPOLAR FACT (Links between phytoplankton dynamics and climate Forcing in NW AntarCTica), FCT-funded, 2019–2020. Role: marine scientist and coccolithophore expert (team member).

PROPOLAR PHYTO-NAP (Phytoplankton response to climate trends in the Northern Antarctic Peninsula), FCT-funded, 2018–2019. Role:marine scientist and coccolithophore expert (team member).

Conferences (last 15 presentations): 
GUERREIRO, C.V., Finini, A., Malavolta, F., Pinto, C., Ferreira, A., Cros, L., Baker, A., Suut J-B., Tracana, A., Veloso, V., Rees, A., Cachão, M., Brotas, V., 2026. Tracking the Ecological Imprint of Desert Dust across the Atlantic: Insights from Calcifying Phytoplankton. Encontro de Oceanografia, APOCEAN, 21–22 May, Sesimbra, Portugal (Oral).

GUERREIRO, C.V., Calegaro, Y., Oliveira, O., Borges, C., Cruz, J., João, J., Brotas, V., Duarte, J.F., Costa, P.J.M., Gonçalves, M.A., Gonçalves, A.S., Fialho, A.C., Frazão, B., Churro, C., Angélico, M.M., Henriques, E., Nogueira, S., David, H., Dâmaso, L., Ferreira, F., Marquês, J., Almeida, R.,. Branco, A., Gonçalves, R., Rafael-Fernandes, M., Álvarez-Salgado, X.A., Cachão, M., Morino, M.H., Amorim, A., 2026. Plankton Dynamics Under Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement. Encontro de Oceanografia, APOCEAN, 21–22 May, Sesimbra, Portugal (Poster).

GUERREIRO, C.V., Calegaro, Y., Oliveira, O., Borges, C., Cruz, J., João, J., Brotas, V., Duarte, J.F., Costa, P.J.M., Gonçalves, M.A., Gonçalves, A.S., Fialho, A.C., Frazão, B., Churro, C., Angélico, M.M., Henriques, E., Nogueira, S., David, H., Dâmaso, L., Ferreira, F., Marquês, J., Almeida, R., Barros, A.B.C,m Álvarez-Salgado, X.A., Cachão, M., Morino, M.H., Amorim, A., 2026. Ocean alkalinity enhancement for climate mitigation: how do plankton communities respond? 4as Jornadas Luso-Espanholas de Hidrografia, 24–26 Junho 2026, Instituto Hidrográfico, Lisboa, Portugal (oral).

João, D., Amorim, A., Barros, A., GUERREIRO, C.V., 2026. Deep Multimodal Learning for Phytoplankton Recognition. Bioinformatics Open Days (XV Edition), 25-27 March 2026, University of Minho, CP2 - Auditorium B1, Gualtar Campus, Braga, Portugal

Cordeiro, L., Muacho, S., Laget, T., Matos, L., Salgueiro, E., Fraga, M., Freitas, R., Villanueva, J., Carreira, R., Durão, R., Gouveia, C., GUERREIRO, C.V., Abrantes, F.F.G., and WIMPRO Project team, 2026. Assessing the impact of wildfires on primary production of the Western Iberian Margin by combining chemical proxies with remote sensing techniques. Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM), Session AI34A “Aerosol Deposition in the Ocean: Sources, Drivers, and Biogeochemical Effects”, Feb 22-27, Glasgow, Scotland (poster).

GUERREIRO, C.V., Finini, A., Ferreira, A., Malavolta, F., Cros, L., Baker, A.R., Stuut, J-B., Tracana, A., Veloso, V., Rees, A.P., Cachão, M., Brotas, V., 2026. Atmospheric deposition across hemispheres: impacts on calcifying phytoplankton in the Atlantic. Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM), Session AI34A “Aerosol Deposition in the Ocean: Sources, Drivers, and Biogeochemical Effects”, February 22-27, Glasgow, Scotland (poster).

Stuut, J-B., GUERREIRO, C.V., Matzenbacher, B., van der Does, M., Croysdill, H., Koornneef, J., 2026. Monitoring present-day Saharan dust above the ocean surface. Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM), Session AI34A “Aerosol Deposition in the Ocean: Sources, Drivers, and Biogeochemical Effects”, Glasgow, Scotland (poster).

Trebec, A., GUERREIRO, C.V., Stuut, J-B., Hernández, N., Aristegui, J., 2026. Heterotrophic Bacteria and Phytoplankton Response to Dry and Wet Saharan and Namibian Desert Dust Deposition in the Subtropical and Tropical Eastern Atlantic Ocean. Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM), Session AI34A “Aerosol Deposition in the Ocean: Sources, Drivers, and Biogeochemical Effects”, February 22-27, Glasgow, Scotland (oral).

GUERREIRO, C.V. 2025. Impacts of aeolian dust deposition in the ocean: a coccolithophore perspective. Invited speaker for a Plenary Keynote Presentation at the 4th Advances in Coccolithophore Research Meeting 9–11 September 2025, Marine Biological Association (MBA), Plymouth, UK. 

GUERREIRO, C.V. et al., 2024. Aeolian dust deposition in the ocean: a calcifying phytoplankton perspective. Invited speaker for a Plenary Keynote Presentation on the SOLAS Core Theme 'Atmospheric Deposition and Ocean Biogeochemistry' at the 9th SOLAS Open Science Conference, 10–14 November 2024, Goa, India (oral). 

Malavolta, F., Cachão, M., Malinverno, E., GUERREIRO, C.V., 2024. Distribution and Diversity of Coccolithophore Communities living in the tropical and subtropical South Atlantic: preliminary results from AMT28. 19th International Nannoplankton Association, North Wales UK, Sep 7-15. 


GUERREIRO, C.V., Ferreira, A., Cros, A., Stuut, J-B., Baker, A., Tracana, A., Pinto, C., Veloso, V., Rees, A., Cachão, M., Nunes, N., Brotas, V., 2024. Response of coccolithophore communities to Saharan dust deposition in the tropical North Atlantic. Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM), Session AI009 on “The Biogeochemistry of Air-Sea Exchange Processes”, February 18-23, NOLA, USA (poster).

Stuut, J-B., GUERREIRO, C.V., van der Does, M., Matzenbacher, B., Koornneef, J., 2024. Monitoring present-day Saharan dust above and below the ocean surface. Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM), Session AI009 on “The Biogeochemistry of Air-Sea Exchange Processes”, Feb. 18-23, NOLA (USA).

Groom, S., Jönsson, B., Sathyendranath, S., Tilstone, G., Jackson, T., Land, P., Kulk, G., Hockley, K., Alvarez-Salgado, P., Arístegui, J., Hernandez, N., Brotas, V., GUERREIRO, C.V., Brito, A., Gomes, M., Oliveira, P., Garrido, S., Whittle, C., Smith, M., Restano, M., Benveniste, J. Primary-productivity in Upwelling Systems (PRIMUS). TPS Foundation Science Symposium on “Trends, Reflections, Evolution, and Visions in Ocean Research”, 7-11 August 2023, PML, UK.

Stuut, J-B., GUERREIRO, C.V., van der Does, M.,2023. Monitoring present-day Saharan dust above and below the ocean surface. XXI INQUA Congress 2023, Session 35 - Dust dynamics through the Quaternary: terrestrial records of climatic and environmental impacts, 13 - 20 July 2023, Rome, Italy.



Competitive Fellowships and Research Funding

  • 2020 – Principal Investigator, CHASE project funded through the FCT Individual Scientific Employment Stimulus (CEECIND) (up to €179k).

  • 2018 – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (MSCA-IF), European Commission (€149k).

  • 2015 – Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND Fellowship (BREMENTRAC), University of Bremen (€135k).

  • 2009 – Doctoral Fellowship, Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) (€58k).

Scientific Awards

  • 2014 – Mathematical Geosciences Student Award, International Association for Mathematical Geosciences (IAMG) and Springer.

  • 2014 – Best Poster Presentation, 16th Conference of the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences, New Delhi, India.

  • 2006 – Best Oral Presentation (Postgraduate Student), 11th International Nannoplankton Association Conference, Lincoln, USA.

  • 2004 – Best Poster Presentation (Postgraduate Student), 10th International Nannoplankton Association Conference, Lisbon, Portugal.

Travel Grants 

  • 2017 – PAGE-DICE Workshop Travel Grant, The Role of Dust in Climate Change: A Biogeochemistry Perspective, Las Cruces, Chile.

  • 2014 – Travel Grant, 16th Conference of the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences.