Fernando COSTA TEMPERA

Project "CARTHAB" 

Development of an operational method to produce a comprehensive multi-source mapping of benthic habitats covering the entire French metropolitan Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

I will be working on an on-demand semi-automated method for putting together multi-source benthic habitat maps covering metropolitan France’s maritime area. The tool is expected to structure, harmonise and automate geospatial data processing in order to provide updated and optimized maps. Among other things, these products will serve the calculation of cumulative effects risk resulting from the multiple anthropogenic pressures affecting the marine ecosystems. This work partakes in BOREA’s goal to bring know-how and concrete decision-making support tools in the present context of societal challenges. It benefits from the grant agreement “CARTHAB” contracted between the Office Français de la Biodiversité and Sorbonne Université.

I hold a PhD in Geography & Geosciences from the University of St. Andrews (UK) and a Masters in Marine Biology from the University of Lisbon (Portugal). My research has focused on Seabed Habitat Mapping, Statistical Modelling and Marine Biodiversity Cataloguing, often applied to marine conservation issues.

My scientific career has given me a generalist perspective of the NE Atlantic biodiversity from intertidal to deep sea environments. In this scope, I have taken part in numerous marine biological surveys which resulted in the description of new benthic habitats and management plans for various marine Natura 2000 sites and OSPAR Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Macaronesia.

I was a delegate to several ICES and OSPAR working groups regarding Marine Habitat Mapping, Biodiversity and MPAs. While at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, I focused on mapping the distribution of Marine Ecosystem Services at EU-level using, among others, the broad-scale seabed habitat maps produced under the EMODNET Seabed Habitats programme.

Since settling in France in 2016, I have worked at Ifremer on spatial ecology issues, including modelling the spatial distribution of invasive and commercial benthic species. More recently, at Patrinat (OFB/MNHN/CNRS/IRD), I was responsible for producing (i) by-catch risk maps for all marine protected species impacted by fisheries in France’s metropolitan waters, and (ii) new exhaustive maps for all the marine habitats protected under the Habitats Directive.

Further information on my research record can be found at:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fernando-Tempera

https://fr.linkedin.com/in/fernando-tempera-8aba1033