A group of researchers of the Marine and Environmental Science Centre (MARE), a joint centre of six Portuguese universities including that of Coimbra, analyses the role of seabirds in marine resources with the ultimate aim of developing tools to help conserve the oceans. The group, which is run by Professor Jaime Ramos, uses seabirds as a model of study as access to these animals is relatively easy compared with others such as fish or whales.

The decomposition of plant litter is a fundamental process in forest streams. These small streams constitute the majority of watercourses in many river basins and are usually shaded by the surrounding vegetation. The lack of sunlight to these streams limits the primary production or vegetal production, which is the process that underlies the food chains in many systems such as forests, grasslands, lakes or the open sea. However, the surrounding vegetation is a source of plant remains, especially leaf litter, to these streams. This litter is decomposed by micro-organisms and invertebrates, which by their actions lead to the availability of carbon and nutrients and their incorporation into the food webs.