Jacinto Cunha
Jacinto Cunha

Researcher

CIIMAR
UTAD

About Me

Jacinto Cunha is a research ecologist focusing on coastal and marine systems. His research interests include ecosystem functioning and services and the application of geospatial analysis to solve ecological problems and support management. He is currently working in the Fish Ecology and Sustainability team at CIIMAR.

CV
Interests
  • Ecosystem Services and Functioning
  • Coastal Ecosystems
  • Remote Sensing / Earth Observation
Education

  • PhD in Do*Mar Marine Science, Technology and Management

    University of Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro

  • PGD in Remote Sensing

    University of Porto

  • MSc in Ecology

    Univeristy of Porto

  • BSc Biology

    University of Porto

📚 My Research

I am a interdisciplinary researcher working on different aspects of ecology in the Fish Ecology and Sustainability team at CIIMAR. I specialize in developing data-driven solutions for coastal and marine ecosystems, with a strong focus on ecosystem services and sustainable natural capital management.

My work mainly focuses on understanding, mapping, and modelling coastal and marine ecosystem services to support sustainable natural capital management and informed environmental decision-making. I use ecosystem service modelling and advanced spatial analysis to assess the sustainable use of marine resources and produce information for evidence-based policy and management. I am passionate about leveraging new developments in geospatial technologies and machine learning to improve how we monitor ecosystems and understand global change.

Specialties: Coastal and marine ecosystems; ecosystem service modelling (InVEST, ARIES); spatial analysis; GIS & remote sensing (R, Python); science-policy integration; climate change adaptation & mitigation; stakeholder engagement.

I’m always open to collaboration—feel free to reach out! 😃

Featured Publications
Assessing cumulative risks to coastal and marine habitats under management and climate change scenarios: The case of northern Portugal
Quantifying the role of saltmarsh as a vulnerable carbon sink: A case study from Northern Portugal
Recent Publications
Jacinto Cunha, Michael Elliott, Sebastian Villasante, Stefano Balbi, Edna Cabecinha, Sandra Ramos (2025). Assessing cumulative risks to coastal and marine habitats under management and climate change scenarios: The case of northern Portugal. Ocean & Coastal Management.
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Vânia Freitas, Marisa Almeida, Sabrina M. Rodrigues, Rúben Pereira, Ana Gorito, Jacinto Cunha, Diogo Silva, Alexandre Van Heerden, Sandra Ramos (2025). Physicochemical dataset from Lima and Douro estuaries (Northwest Portugal). Data in Brief.
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Jacinto Cunha, Edna Cabecinha, Sebastian Villasante, José A. Gonçalves, Stefano Balbi, Michael Elliott, Sandra Ramos (2024). Quantifying the role of saltmarsh as a vulnerable carbon sink: A case study from Northern Portugal. Science of The Total Environment.
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Vânia Freitas, Diana Santos, Diogo M. Silva, Jacinto Cunha, Sabrina M. Rodrigues, Vanessa Neves, Eduardo Rocha, Filipe Martinho, Sandra Ramos (2024). Spatial and temporal patterns of gonadal maturation and spawning in European flounder Platichthys flesus at its southern continental edge. Fisheries Research.
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Jacinto Cunha, Edna Cabecinha, Sebastian Villasante, Stefano Balbi, Michael Elliott, Sandra Ramos (2023). Defining hotspots and coldspots of regulating and maintenance ecosystem services is key to effective marine management – An assessment of a coastal-open sea gradient, Portugal. Ocean & Coastal Management.
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