He holds a PhD in Biological Oceanography and a Masters in Biology (majors: Marine Zoology, Fisheries Biology and Marine Chemistry), both from the Institute of Marine Research, Kiel, Germany (now: Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research). His main research areas are phytoplankton communities and dynamics around seamounts and islands (taxonomy and ecology), potentially harmful benthic dinoflagellates (HAB) and marine ecology. He is an associate professor at the University of Madeira, having extensive experience in undergraduate and postgraduate (master’s, doctoral) training. Between 2003 and 2009 he was a partner in the GAME (Global Approach by Modular Experiments) research and training project. He is an associate researcher at MARE/ARNET (MARE-Madeira) one of the largest marine research centers in Portugal, and a member of the Madeira Ocean Observatory (OOM), which promotes marine and environmental research at a more local and regional level. He has integrated 16 international multidisciplinary oceanographic expeditions aboard research vessels, totalling more than 400 days at sea, to investigate the dynamics of phytoplankton communities around seamounts and islands. He also participated in the EU’s transnational PCT-MAC2007-2013 program, in the project GESMAR (Sustainable Management of Marine Resources 2010-2012) which investigated the ecological, geological and physical aspects of a zone colonized with seagrass in Madeira. Currently he participates in 3 INTERREG projects, 2 of the Macaronesian area, POC MAC 2014-2020, (REBECA-CCT and MIMAR+) and 1 of the Atlantic Area (iFADO). He also was involved in the EU-funded project MISTIC SEAS III contributing to “Developing a coordinated approach for assessing Descriptor 4 via its linkages with D1 and other relevant descriptors in the Macaronesian sub-region” within the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. He furthermore was involved in the national project SeaForest Portugal. This project developed innovative methodologies for planting out seaweed (Seaforestation) in the Portuguese sea through a combination of lab and field experiments, together with the development of citizen science actions for mapping marine forests of brown algae in Portugal (mainland and archipelagos) and education and outreach actions. He is also an experienced diver with more than 760 hours of scuba diving, in both saltwater and inland waters.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6213-3229
Researcher ID: https://publons.com/researcher/A-7561-2013/
SCOPUS Author ID: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=35264346100
Ciência ID: http://www.cienciavitae.pt//A316-A34A-F7AF
Google Scholar: http://scholar.google.pt/citations?user=Bej5PkIAAAAJ
Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Manfred_Kaufmann/