Fernanda Valls
she/her
Postdoc
University of Rio Grande
Discipline
Community Ecology, Conservation, Migration & Movement Ecology
Regional Focus
South Atlantic Ocean and Antarctica
Years Active
11-15 years
Species Focus
Albatrosses (Diomedeidae), Storm-Petrels (Hydrobatidae & Oceanitidae), Gulls and Terns (Laridae), Cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae), Petrels and Shearwaters (Procellariidae), Penguins (Spheniscidae), Skuas and Jaegers (Stercorariidae), Gannets and Boobies (Sulidae)
Tell us about your work with seabirds.
I am a seabird ecologist and postdoctoral researcher at the Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), Brazil. My research focuses on seabird ecology, distribution, foraging and migratory movements, and interactions with environmental and anthropogenic pressures in the South Atlantic and Antarctica. I have extensive experience in oceanographic surveys, at-sea seabird monitoring, telemetry, stable isotopes, and biological sampling. I also coordinate and supervise seabird monitoring teams, develop and standardize field and laboratory protocols, manage ecological data, and train researchers and field personnel in seabird identification, monitoring, and sampling techniques.
What advice would you offer to individuals aspiring to pursue a career as seabird scientists?
Seabird science can take you to extraordinary places, but it also requires patience, adaptability, teamwork, and many hours watching the ocean.

Fernanda standing on the deck of a research vessel on the Atlantic Ocean. Fernanda is a seabird researcher in Brazil and is holding a clipboard with data sheets used for field observations.
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@fernanda.valls
