Micaela is originally from Olhão, Portugal. She completed a Bachelor's degree in Marine Biology at the University of Algarve. As an undergraduate, Micaela decided to be a volunteer/intern in several projects in her university, to improve her knowledge regarding the biogeochemical processes and fish biology. After that, she completed a thesis comprised the study of Lusitan Toadfish physiological responses to different environmental conditions (focusing on salinity changes).
Afterwards, she joined the Biological Oceanography Lab as a research intern. Her goal was helping characterize the general mechanisms underlying the molecular and cellular changes related to the immunomodulatory effects of UV exposure in fish.
Currently, as a Master's student in Reef Ecology Lab, Micaela is primarily focused on how larval behaviour varies both within among anemones species, and how those behaviours influence the spatial scale of larval dispersal.
