Ricardo Serrão Santos (Fellow of the Portuguese Academy of Sciences) (Fellow of the Portuguese Navy Academy) Ricardo Serrão Santos, Doctor in Biology and Animal Ecology is Principal Researcher at the University of the Azores, Pro‐Rector of the University of the Azores and President of IMAR‐Institute of Marine Research. RSS is being dedicated to the study of marine biodiversity and ocean ecosystems, and has more than 300 hundred published works of which around 150 papers in SCI journals included in the Web of Knowledge. RSS is member of the Scientific Council for Natural Sciences and Environment (MCTES/FCT‐
Portugal), Coordinator of the Marine Sciences Panel (MCTES/FCT). He has been Portuguese Delegate at the Committee of Research Infrastructures at the EC‐DG Research (6FP) and at the ESFRI (Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (2002‐
2005). RSS was co‐chair of the WG Monitoring and Observatories of InterRidge and of the WG on Deep Sea Research (COI‐Lisbon). RSS is member of the Scientific Council of the Institut Océanographique de Paris. He is co‐ordinator and/or partner of several national, European and international scientific projects. He has wide experience in ocean scientific cruises (R/Vs: Atalante, Akademic Mystlav Keldish, Arquipélago, Noruega, G.O. Sars, NRP Gago Coutinho), including those involving submersibles (Nautile, MIR, Victor 6000, Aglantha 2000, Bathysaurus 5000, Luso 6000). Actual main interests and activities include marine conservation of habitats and biodiversity of both shallow and deep‐sea ecosystems of the Azores Triple Junction and Mid Atlantic Ridge, implementation of MPAs and experimental evaluation of their benefits, but also experimental studies of deep‐sea organism under laboratory conditions. In 1998, at the 1st MoMAR workshop he proposed the idea for the installation in Faial of a land based laboratory dedicated to the study of hydrothermal vent organisms, what was achieved a few years later as LabHorta. RSS coordinated the research and management proposals for the network of Natura 2000 in the Azores and the deep‐sea hydrothermal vents Lucky Strike and Menez Gwen and the seamount Sedlo. In 2002 he was awarded a “Gift to the Earth” by WWF‐International; in 2007 RSS was nominated “Maritime Ambassador” by the EC Commissioner Joe Borg; in 2008 was invited as one of the two “personalities of high merit” and appointed, by the Government of Portugal, for the board of directors of the “Permanent Forum for Sea Affairs” [Fórum Permanente para os Assuntos do Mar]; in 2008 received the Rotary Prize 2007‐2008 on education; in 2008 was elected Fellow of the Navy Academy (Lisbon); in 2009 received the Prize “Seeds of Science” in the category “Earth, Marine and Atmospheric Sciences” awarded by “Ciência Hoje” (Portugal); in 2009 was elected Fellow of the Portuguese Academy of Sciences (class of Sciences, section of Biological Sciences); in 2009 was awarded the City of Horta “Merit Gold Medal”. Possuo o grau de Doctor in Philosophy (PhD) pela Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Liverpool (1992). Sou Investigador Principal, Pró‐Reitor para a Integração dos Assuntos do Mar da Universidade dos Açores e Presidente do IMAR‐ Instituto do Mar. Entre Fevereiro de 1997 e Dezembro de 2011 fui Diretor do Departamento de Oceanografia e Pesca da Universidade dos Açores. Tenho‐me dedicado ao estudo da biodiversidade marinha e dos ecossistemas oceânicos. Tenho mais de 300 trabalhos publicados, dos quais cerca de 150 artigos científicos internacionais incluídos na base de dados da Web of Knowledge. Tenho tutelado vários estudantes de doutoramento (14 concluídos) e investigadores de Pós‐Doutoramento. Tenho integrado e coordenado projetos de investigação nacionais e internacionais no âmbito das ciências do mar e áreas afins. Tenho participado em diversos cruzeiros científicos oceânicos incluindo e mergulhos de grande profundidade nos submersíveis tripulados Nautile da França e MIR da Rússia. Em 2007 coordenei a reunião de peritos científicos que definiu os critérios científicos para a seleção das EBSA (Ecological and Biological Significant Areas), adoptados pela Convenção da Diversidade Biológica. Os meus atuais interesses incluem, a conservação dos habitats e da biodiversidade dos ecossistemas litorais e mar profundo, principalmente, da região dos Açores e Nordeste Atlântico, a implementação de Áreas Marinhas Protegidas e a avaliação dos seus benefícios. Coordenei a investigação e as propostas de gestão para a rede Natura 2000 nos Açores e para os campos hidrotermais do mar profundo Lucky Strike, Menez Gwen, Rainbow e do monte submarino Sedlo, os quais foram propostos por Portugal para integrarem a Rede de Áreas Marinhas Protegidas (AMP) da OSPAR. Conduzi também, por parte de Portugal, os processos de classificação das AMP OSPAR dos montes submarinos Josephine, Altair e Antialtair e da a região da Dorsal Média Atlântica a Norte dos Açores. Sou membro do Membro Efetivo da Academia de Marinha (Lisboa), Membro Correspondente da Academia das Ciência de Lisboa [classe de Ciências, secção de Ciências Biológicas], membro do Conselho Científico das Ciências Naturais e no Ambiente (MCE – FCT), vice‐presidente do European Marine Board.