Eva obtained her BSc in Biology in 2003 from the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC, Spain), and completed her PhD on the scope of phycotoxins in 2009. From 2008 she is employed as a researcher in Laboratorio CIFGA where she has been highly involved in the applications of natural toxins, microorganisms culture activities, and R&D management. She has more than 15 articles published in international scientific journals, has co-authored 3 book chapters about marine and freshwater toxins and has participated in different international congresses. Eva has been involved in 18 national and international research projects, 12 of them during her work at CIFGA, managing 10 of them. She also has represented CIFGA on several meetings and congresses as expositor.

Maria de Fátima Carvalho is a microbiologist with a PhD in Biotechnology (2005) from Portuguese Catholic University. She is currently principal investigator at the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) of the University of Porto, where she is head of the research team Microbial Biodegradation and Bioprospecting. Her work is focused on the biodegradation of environmental pollutants, with a special emphasis on fluorinated compounds, and on the bioprospecting of marine Actinobacteria for the production of bioactive compounds with biotechnological applications.

Inês Soares is a marine biologist. Experienced in envionmental education , animal handling and customer service. She is currently a project manager of two MSCA projects at CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research.

Biologist and Senior Researcher at CIIMAR. Alexandre Campos develops research in the field of ecotoxicology and risk assessment of harmful algal blooms in aquatic environments; and shellfish biology and metabolism. His research interests also encompass water quality assessment and water treatment tools.

Susana Margarida Rodrigues is graduated in Chemical Engineering (2000) from Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, and completed a master degree in Quality Control and Food Toxicology (2007) from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon. Currently is a tecnichian and researcher at IPMA (Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere), working for more than 20 years at the Portuguese National Reference Laboratory for Marine Biotoxins, which is also the Laboratory for the official control of marine biotoxins. Her scientific activity and research lines are in the field of toxicology and food safety concerning marine biotoxins and harmful algae blooms (HABs). 

Pedro Reis Costa earned his Biology first degree (2000) from the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon and completed his PhD in Biology and Ecology (2006) also from University of Lisbon. Currently he is Research Assistant at IPMA (Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere), focusing his research on ecology of harmful algal blooms and toxins transfer in the marine food web.

Jorge Lobo Arteaga, is currently a researcher at IPMA, the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere, working mainly on macrobenthic organisms and applied new technologies (e.g., Next-Generation Sequencing). Graduated in Marine Science in the University of Cádiz (Spain), obtained a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering in the Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (Portugal), and a PhD in Molecular and Environmental Biology in the CBMA - University of Minho (Portugal), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa and Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, Guelph (Canada). He has developed his work in the interpretation and description of estuarine and marine biodiversity using integrative taxonomy, combining traditional and molecular taxonomy. 

Cátia Bartilotti is currently a researcher at IPMA-the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere, studying marine biodiversity, using integrative taxonomy. Graduated in Marine Biology in the University of Lisbon (2000), she concluded her MSc Degree in Marine and Coastal Studies (2005), and obtained her PhD in Marine Sciences (2010), both at the University of Algarve. Her main research interests are the study of marine invertebrates coupling the morphological and molecular taxonomy, and more recently, she has been interested in non-indigenous species.

Catarina is a microbiologist with 19 years of experience in microalgae and cyanobacteria biodiversity, harmful algal blooms, food security and environmental health. Holds a PhD in Biology with an MSc in Microbiology and is currently a researcher in the National Shellfish Monitoring System (SNMB) held at the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA I.P.). Research activities include emerging toxic species and toxins, non-indigenous species, enteric viruses, food traceability, metagenomics and genome sequencing. National delegate in several international working groups and task force teams of the European Union Reference Laboratories (EURL), International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO).

Earned her Chemistry degree (1996) from the University Rovira and Virgili (Tarragona, Spain). She completed her PhD in Chemical Engineering in 2002 at the same university, where she conducted research in electrochemical DNA biosensors and chips. She worked as a postdoctoral researcher at CNRS and University of Perpignan (France). She joined IRTA in 2007, where she works as a researcher in the Marine and Continental Waters Program, leading a research line on the development and applicability of biochemical assays and electrochemical biosensors for the detection of toxins, toxic microalgae, bacteria and viruses in the fields of food safety and environmental monitoring.

Earned her Chemistry degree (2005) from the University Jaume I (Castelló, Spain). She completed her PhD in Chemistry in 2011 at the same university, where she conducted research in antibiotics in biological fluids and food. She worked as a postdoctoral researcher at PARC at Gent University and Research Institute of Chromatography at Kortrijk (Belgium). She joined IRTA in 2015 as Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry researcher in the Marine and Continental Waters Program, focusing on the characterisation of marine toxins and natural substances from organisms and microalgae cultures by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, and the risk assessment of harmful algal blooms in aquatic environments.

Earned her Marine Science degree (2018) from the University of Vigo (Galicia, Spain), her Master’s Degree in Aquaculture and Fisheries (2019) from the University of Cádiz (Andalucía, Spain) and her Master's Degree in Science, Management and Environmental Technologies (2021) from the University of La Coruña (Galicia, Spain). She is currently doing her PhD in Chromatographic and radiochemical techniques applied to environmental analysis at IRTA at La Ràpita (Tarragona, Spain) and a distance Master's Degree in Marine mammal specialist at the University of Murcia (Murcia, Spain). Her research is focused on improving extraction protocols and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry methods for seafood safety.

Earned his Biology degree (1985) from the University of Barcelona (Spain) and his Master's degree in Marine Biology (1988) from the University of South Alabama (USA). He completed his PhD in Applied and Fundamental Toxicology in 1993 at the Université Paris 7 (France). He works at IRTA as a researcher, leading the Marine and Continental Waters Program. This Program conducts research and environmental monitoring of rivers, wetlands, estuary and coastal areas, and is in charge of the Monitoring for the Quality of Waters in Shellfish Harvesting Areas of Catalonia (NE Spain). His research interests are oriented towards the evaluation of toxin production by microalgae and their presence in fish, shellfish and the environment, and method development for marine toxin quantification and risk assessment, including cell-based assays used to identify and quantify the toxicological potency of toxins.

Earned his Biotechnology degree with distinction in Biomedical Biotechnology (2019) from the University Rovira and Virgili (Tarragona, Spain) and his Master's Degree in Research in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genetics (2020) from the University of València (Spain). He is currently doing his PhD in Biomedicine at IRTA at La Ràpita (Tarragona, Spain). His research is focused on the development and optimization of new biosensors and biochemical assays for the detection of emerging marine toxins in seafood.

Bronwyn J. Barkla is a Professor at Southern Cross University in Australia, where she is Associate Dean of Research. She heads the Plant Biochemistry group. She received her Master’s (1989) and Ph.D. (1994) in the Department of Botany at the University of Toronto and carried out Post-doctoral research in the Department of Plant Sciences (1994-1995) at the University of Oxford. Bronwyn is a country representative for the International Plant Proteomics organization and is on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Agronomy and Frontiers in Plant Biology Plant Proteomics section. She was a past member of the Australian Research Council College of Experts (2015-2018). Her recent research interests include understanding the role membrane lipids play in plant salt tolerance and she uses the methodology of Free Flow Electrophoresis to fractionate membranes for downstream analysis.

PhD in Analytical Chemistry, senior lecturer and head of the Chemistry Department at the Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM). He works in the area of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry with a focus on the methods development for analyses of inorganic and organic contaminants using spectrometric and chromatographic techniques in various environmental compartments and biota.

PhD in Chemistry, senior lecturer and researcher, head of the Scientific Commission of the Chemistry Department, Central Chemistry Laboratory coordinator at UEM. He works with method development for the analysis of contaminants in food and environmental samples. He also works with the development of drinking water and wastewater treatment technologies.

PhD in Marine Biotechnology, senior lecturer and researcher at the Department of Biological Sciences. She works with seaweeds (macroalgae), identifying the potential biotechnological application. She is the national Mozambique coordinator of OWSD (Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World).

PhD and master's in Toxicology and Environmental Contamination from the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Porto, Portugal, graduated in Chemistry from the Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique. His scientific research is related to screening natural toxins including marine toxins, mycotoxins and other bio-compounds, monitoring of classical and emerging pollutants in marine environments.

Master in Analytical Chemistry, lecturer assistant, Chemistry Department at the Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM). He works in Analytical and Environmental Chemistry with a focus on the methods development for analyses of organic contaminants using chromatographic techniques.

PhD in Chemical Technology, senior lecturer and researcher, Chemistry Department. He works with material science, modelling and product development.