Sara NovaisPolitécnico de Leiria · MARE-Politécnico de Leiria, Edificio CETEMARES
Sara Novais
PhD
About
147
Publications
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Introduction
Sara Novais currently works at MARE-IPLeiria, Edificio CETEMARES, Instituto Politécnico de Leiria. Sara does research in Environmental Toxicology, Ecology and Molecular Biology.
Additional affiliations
January 2012 - June 2013
University of Aveiro
Position
- PostDoc Position
Publications
Publications (147)
Invasive species’ plasticity and latitudinal spread have become an increasing matter of concern in rapidly changing climate. The brush-clawed shore crab (Hemigrapsus takanoi), native along northwestern Pacific shores, has established dense populations in northern European coasts. Detrimental effects in natura have been reported, such as displacemen...
The aquaculture of meagre (Argyrosomus regius), a commercially important fish species, is still under development towards its full potential and optimized production. While its key strengths in fish farming, including high growth rate, efficient feed conversion ratio, superior flesh quality, nutritional value, size, and established husbandry techni...
Brachionus plicatilis is a cosmopolitan rotifer used as a model organism in several research areas and as live food in aquaculture. Being a species complex, responses to stressors vary even among strains of the same species and, thus, the responses of one species are not representative of the whole complex. This study aimed to address the effects o...
The growth of human populations has been driving an unprecedent and widespread increase in marine traffic, posing a real threat to marine biodiversity. Even though we are now aware of the negative effects of shipping noise exposure on fish, information about the impact on their early life stages continues to lack. Meagre (Argyrosomus regius) is a v...
Top predators such as most shark species are extremely vulnerable to amassing high concentrations of contaminants, but not much is known about the effects that the contaminant body burden imparts on these animals. Species like the blue shark (Prionace glauca) are very relevant in this regard, as they have high ecological and socioeconomic value, an...
Effects assessed at higher levels of biological organization (populations and communities) are the consequence of the sum of effects on individuals, which usually result from impacts at cellular and molecular levels. Given this rationale, these lower levels of biological organization are more responsive at an early stage, making them potential reso...
Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) is an anionic surfactant, extensively used in detergents, household and personal care products, as well as in industrial processes. The present study aimed to disclose the potential toxicological effects of SDS exposure under environmentally relevant concentrations (0, 0.1, 1, 3, and 10 mg L−1) on the physiology and bio...
The rotifer Brachionus plicatilis is an important species for aquaculture, due to its use as food for bivalves, and fish and crustaceans larvae in hatcheries. However, being a species complex, it has become increasingly important to catalogue and describe the species and biotypes that constitute this complex. Therefore, the purpose of this study wa...
Chemical pollution is a major threat to marine ecosystems, and top predators such as most shark species are extremely vulnerable to being exposed and accumulating contaminants such as metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs). This work aimed to study the degree, composition, and the sources of contamination in the blue shark (Prionace glauca...
Cadmium (Cd) is considered a priority hazardous substance under the European Community Directive 2013/39 due to its ecotoxicity. The ragworm Hediste diversicolor (O.F. Müller, 1776), a common species in estuaries and coastal lagoons, plays an important ecological role in these ecosystems and is a suitable bioindicator of environmental chemical cont...
Emerging pollutants impose a high degree of stress on marine ecosystems, compromising valuable resources, the planet and human health. Pharmaceutical residues often reach marine ecosystems, and their input is directly related to human activities. Fluoxetine is an antidepressant, and one of the most prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors...
This work focuses on understanding the action of a novel seaweed extract with anti-browning functionality in fresh-cut apples. Organic fresh-cut apples were coated by immersion in an aqueous Codium tomentosum seaweed extract (0.5 % w/v), packaged under ambient atmospheric conditions in plastic bags, and stored at 4 ˚C for 15 days. Browning-related...
Blue shark score among the most abundant, widely distributed and worldwide consumed elasmobranchs. In this work contents of PCBs, PCDD/Fs and PBDEs were studied by means of GC-HRMS in muscle and liver of sixty blue sharks from the North East Atlantic sampled in 2019. Concentrations relatively similar were found for PCBs and PCDD/Fs in comparison wi...
Present-day COVID-19 pandemic led to the increasing daily use of antimicrobials worldwide. Triclosan is a manmade disinfectant chemical used in several of consumer healthcare products, thus being frequently detected in surface waters. In the present work, we aimed to evaluate triclosan effect on diatom cell photophysiology, fatty acid profiles and...
The use of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) worldwide has increased exponentially over the last two decades increasing the environmental risk to marine and coastal habitats. The present study investigated the effects of a GBH at environmentally relevant concentrations (0, 10, 50, 100, 250, and 500 μg L−1), on the physiology and biochemistry (photo...
Fungal phytopathogens represent a continuous growing problem being responsible for catastrophic product and economic losses. These microorganisms are related with 80% of plant diseases and can reach a wide range of plants with nutritional importance for human feeding, reducing their availability. The current and most effective control methodology i...
Bioindicator species are increasingly valuable in environmental pollution monitoring, and elasmobranch species include many suitable candidates for that role. By measuring contaminants and employing biomarkers of effect in relevant elasmobranch species, scientists may gain important insights about the impacts of pollution in marine ecosystems. This...
Anthropogenic noise is a growing threat to marine organisms, including fish. Yet very few studies have addressed the impact of anthropogenic noise on fish reproduction, especially in situ. In this study, we investigated the impacts of boat noise exposure in the reproductive success of wild Lusitanian toadfish (Halobatrachus didactylus), a species t...
Marine macroalgae have been increasingly targeted as a source of bioactive compounds to be used in several areas, namely as biopesticides. When using invasive species, such as Asparagopsis armata, for this purpose, there is a two-folded opportunity by acquiring these biomolecules from a low-cost resource, while by harvesting it, one can control its...
Global warming and the subsequent increase in the frequency of temperature anomalies are expected to affect marine and estuarine species’ population dynamics, latitudinal distribution, and fitness, allowing non-native opportunistic species to invade and thrive in new geographical areas. Bivalves represent a significant percentage of the benthic bio...
Sulfoxaflor is an insecticide belonging to the recent sulfoximine class, acting as a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChRs) agonist. There are few studies regarding sulfoxaflor’s toxicity to non-target organisms. The present study aimed to investigate the acute and sub-lethal effects of sulfoxaflor on Carcinus maenas by addressing survival, beha...
The assessment of contaminant exposure in marine organisms often focuses on the most toxic chemical elements from upper trophic level species. Information on mid-trophic level species and particularly on potentially less harmful elements is lacking. Additionally, microplastics have been considered emergent contaminants in aquatic environments which...
Marine traffic is the most common and chronic source of ocean noise pollution. Despite the evidence of detrimental effects of noise exposure on fish, knowledge about the effects on the critical early life stages - embryos and larvae - is still scarce. Here, we take a natural habitat-based approach to examine potential impacts of boat noise exposure...
Metals are persistent worldwide being harmful for diverse organisms and having complex and combined effects with other contaminants in the environment. Sea turtles accumulate these contaminants being considered good bioindicator species for marine pollution. However, very little is known on how this is affecting these charismatic animals. São Tomé...
The use of plastics has been increasing dramatically in the last decades, and consequently plastics and microplastics have been considered emergent contaminants in aquatic environments. The occurrence of microplastics has been reported in several marine species worldwide, however species from mid-trophic chains have not been extensively studied. Th...
Multidisciplinary approaches are essential to diligently assess environmental health status
of ecosystems. In this study, year-round chemical elements’ exposure and impacts were
assessed on the wide-ranging Cory’s shearwater Calonectris borealis breeding in Berlenga
Island, offshore Portugal, North Atlantic Ocean. The aim was to identify potential...
Nowadays there is an emerging demand for new wound healings therapeutics, especially with antimicrobial activities since the increasing bacteria’s resistance to antibiotics are responsible for wounds infection persistence and consequently, long-term hospital stays . Electrospun fibers have been contributed for the progress in the wound care field d...
One of the most landed sharks in Portuguese fisheries is the lesser-spotted dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula), which is ever-present in Portuguese fish markets and consumed as cheap fish protein source. The focus of this study was to evaluate element contamination in consumed tissues of Atlantic S. canicula, with the intent of safeguarding possible p...
Blue biotechnology plays a major role in converting marine biomass into societal value; therefore, it is a key pillar for many marine economy developmental frameworks and sustainability strategies, such as the Blue Growth Strategy, diverse Sea Basin Strategies (e [...]
Multidisciplinary approaches are essential to diligently assess environmental health status of ecosystems. In this study, year-round chemical elements' exposure and impacts were assessed on the wide-ranging Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis breeding in Berlenga Island, offshore Portugal, North Atlantic Ocean. The aim was to identify potential...
Worldwide anthropogenic activities result in the production and release of potentially damaging toxic pollutants into ecosystems, thereby jeopardizing their health and continuity. Research stud-ies and biomonitoring programs attend to this emerging problematic by applying and developing statistically relevant indexes that integrate complex biomarke...
Worldwide anthropogenic activities result in the production and release of poten-tially damaging toxic pollutants into ecosystems, thereby jeopardizing their health and continuity. Research studies and biomonitoring programs attend to this emerging problematic by applying and developing statistically relevant indexes that integrate complex biomarke...
Brown seaweeds are recognized sources of compounds with a wide range of properties and applications. Within these compounds, phlorotannins are known to possess several bioactivities (e.g., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial) with potential to improve wound healing. To obtain phlorotannins enriched extracts from Undaria pinnatifida, a...
The seaweed Asparagopsis armata exhibits a strong invasive behavior, producing halogenated compounds with effective biological effects. This study addresses the biochemical responses to sublethal concentrations of A. armata exudate on the marine snail Gibbula umbilicalis whole body and the shrimp Palaemon elegans eyes and hepatopancreas. Antioxidan...
The invasive macroalga Grateloupia turuturu is known to contain a diversity of bioactive compounds with different potentialities. Among them are compounds with relevant bioactivities for cosmetics. Considering this, this study aimed to screen bioactivities with cosmeceutical potential, namely, antioxidant, UV absorbance, anti-enzymatic, antimicrobi...
In nature, a multitude of factors influences the fitness of an organism at a given time, which makes single stressor assessments far from ecologically relevant scenarios. This study focused on the effects of water temperature and predation stress on the metabolism and body mass gain of a common intertidal rock pool fish, Gobius paganellus, addressi...
The marine red algae Asparagopsis armata is an invasive species gaining competitive advantage by releasing large amounts of toxic compounds to the surrounding invaded area. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of this invasive seaweed on marine invertebrates by exposing the common prawn Palaemon elegans and the marine snail...
Present demographic trends suggest a rise in the contributions of human pharmaceuticals into coastal ecosystems, underpinning an increasing demand to evaluate the ecotoxicological effects and implications of drug residues in marine risk assessments. Propranolol, a non-selective β-adrenoceptor blocker, is used worldwide to treat high blood pressure...
The red seaweed Asparagopsis armata exhibits a strong invasive behaviour and is included in the list of the “Worst invasive alien species threatening biodiversity in Europe”. This seaweed has been shown to produce a large diversity of halogenated compounds with effective biological effects, deeply affecting rockpool species. Therefore, the present...
Metal pollution is currently a major issue in marine ecosystems, as organisms, and particularly seabirds, are exposed and accumulating increased levels from several anthropogenic sources. A set of 13 metals were quantified in two gull species breeding in sympatry, and in two distinct colonies separated by ca. 400 km. Oxidative stress was measured,...
Glyphosate is the main active component of the commercial formulation Roundup®, the most used chemical herbicide worldwide. However, its potential high toxicity to the environment and throughout trophic webs has come under increasing scrutiny. The present study aims to investigate the application of bio-optical techniques and its correlation with t...
The marine red algae Asparagopsis armata is an invasive species which competitive advantage arises from the production and release of large amounts of toxic compounds to the surrounding invaded area, reducing the abundance of native species. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of this invasive seaweed on marine invertebrate...
Emerging pollutants such as pharmaceuticals are continuously released to aquatic environments posing a rising threat to marine ecosystems. Yet, monitoring routines and ecotoxicity data on biota worldwide for these substances are lacking. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are among the most prescribed and found pharmaceuticals in aquatic environ...
Pharmaceutical residues impose a new and emerging threat to aquatic environments and its biota. One of the most commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals is the antidepressant fluoxetine, a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor that has been frequently detected, in concentrations up to 40 μg L–1, in aquatic ecosystems. The present study aims to investi...
Grateloupia turuturu is an invasive macroalga on the Iberian coast, known to produce bioactive compounds with different cosmeceutical bioactivities, namely UV shielding and antioxidants. The goal of this study was to optimize the extraction procedure of main bioactivities of this species with cosmetic potential, using Response Surface Methodology....
Shrimp farming has been severely affected by Vibrio infections in southeastern Asia, with severe economic impacts. Invasive seaweeds are an increasing threat that can be strategically valorized by biotechnology, promoting economic development while contributing to ecologic remediation. Asparagopsis armata and Sargassum muticum are two such species...
Here, we assess metal contamination in two gull species breeding in sympatry,
and in two distinct colonies separated by ca 400 km and relate their metal
concentrations with trophic ecology and oxidative stress
This study aims to access the environmental health of
mid-trophic fishes from different geographic areas and
seasons in the northeast Atlantic, emphasising on
mercury contamination, and relate contamination with
trophic ecology and stress responses.
Assess inter specific differences in oxidative stress of Yellow legged and
Audouin’s gulls related with their ecological niches
Lipid peroxidation is a chemical reaction known to have negative impacts on living organisms’ health and on consumer products’ quality and safety. Therefore, it has been the subject of extensive scientific research concerning the possibilities to reduce it, both in vivo and in nonliving organic matrices. It can be started by a variety of oxidants,...
Pharmaceutical compounds are continuously released into the aquatic environment, resulting in their ubiquitous presence in many estuarine and coastal systems. As pharmaceuticals are designed to produce effects at very low concentrations and target specific evolutionary conserved pathways, there are growing concerns over their potential deleterious...
Fipronil is a phenylpyrazole insecticide that entered the market to replace organochlorides and organophosphates. Fipronil impairs the regular inhibition of nerve impulses that ultimately result in paralysis and death of insects. Because of its use as a pest control, and due to runoff events, fipronil has been detected in freshwater systems near ag...
Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity has been widely used to assess the exposure and effects ofanticholinergic environmental contaminants in several species. The aim of this study was to investigate ifsublethal concentrations of the organophosphorous pesticide chlorpyrifos (CPF), a well-known AChE inhibitor,would also affect cholinest...
The notion that thermal specialists from tropical regions live closer to their temperature limits than temperate eurytherms, seems too generalized. Species specific differences in physiological and biochemical stress reactions are linked to key components of organism fitness, like metabolic capacity, which indicates that acclimation potential acros...
In aquaculture, fish may be exposed to sub-optimal rearing conditions, which generate a stress response if full adaptation is not displayed. However, our current knowledge of several coexisting factors that may give rise to a stress response is limited, in particular when both chronic and acute stressors are involved. This study investigated change...
Under controlled laboratory conditions, toxicity data tend to be less variable than in more realistic in-field studies and responses may thus differ from those in the natural environment, creating uncertainty. The validation of data under environmental conditions is therefore a major asset in environmental risk assessment of chemicals. The present...
Acute and chronic toxicity of the formamidine pesticide amitraz to the midge Chironomus riparius was assessed using conventional ecotoxicological tests and biochemical approaches (biomarkers). Amitraz is mainly used as an ectoparasiticide in veterinary medicine, but also in agriculture and apiculture. However, information of amitraz toxicity to non...
Degradation rates of two widely used pesticides were assessed, and acute and chronic effects on a standard invertebrate species investigated. An herbicide (Montana®) and fungicide (Bravo500®) formulations were investigated and results were compared to the isolated active substances of each formulation (glyphosate and chlorothalonil, respectively)....
Here,
we evaluated oxidative stress responses Cory’s shearwaters between pre laying
and chick rearing periods and any relationships with their trophic ecology and spatial
distribution at sea
Spinosad and indoxacarb are two relatively new insecticides mainly used in agriculture to control insect pests. However, at their current application rates, non-target aquatic insect species may also be impacted. In this study, larvae of the non-biting midge Chironomus riparius were exposed in the laboratory to both insecticides and their effects e...
In nature, a multitude of both abiotic and biotic stressors influence organisms with regard to their overall fitness. Stress responses that finally impair normal biological functions may ultimately result in consequences for whole populations. This study focused on the metabolic response of the intertidal rock pool fish Gobius paganellus towards si...
Results of statistical analysis.
Statistical differences were tested with the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by the Games-Howell post-hoc test for multiple comparisons of group means.
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Contaminant discharges, derived from human activities, are major concerns as they exert a continuous ecological pressure on aquatic systems, causing in fact cascading community effects. Although with associated ecological and fitness costs, physiological and biochemical defense mechanisms may restore the organism’s internal balance. Several studies...
The use of an integrative molecular approach can actively improve the evaluation of environmental health status and impact of chemicals, providing the knowledge to develop sentinel tools that can be integrated in risk assessment studies, since gene and protein expressions represent the first response barriers to anthropogenic stress. This work aime...