L3 Scientific Solutions

Lifelong Learning Lives

Career synopsis

Luísa Borges received her education at the University of the Azores, Portugal, where she earned her bachelor's degree in Biology. After dedicating nine years to teaching biology, she made a significant career shift by pursuing a PhD in Marine Biology at the University of Portsmouth in the UK. Since then, she has established herself as a marine biologist, contributing her expertise to various research projects and sharing her findings in scientific gatherings, including congresses, conferences, and invited seminars. In 2015, she established L3 Scientific Solutions, a platform aimed at fostering collaboration in research initiatives, while also mentoring and providing tailored workshops to nurture the next generation of scientists. In addition to several scientific articles (see below), Luísa authored a popular science book, entitled "How To Do More For the Environment With a Little Help From Science: A Guide To Lowering Your Carbon Footprint, Improving Your Health, and Saving Money." This publication offers practical guidance on reducing one's environmental impact, improving personal well-being, and saving money through the lens of science.

Theses

PhD thesis: Biogeography of wood boring organisms in European coastal waters and new approaches to controlling borer attack.

Diploma thesis: Stramonita haemastoma (Gastropoda: Muricidae) an indicator of tributyltin (TBT) pollution in the waters of the harbour and marina of Ponta Delgada (Azores).

Publications

Books

    • Ávila, S.P., L. Sinigaglia, J. Goud, A.M.F Martins, B. Morton, T. White, L.M.S. Borges, A. Fedosov, L. Hoffman, A. Hipólito, A. Holmes & F. Swinnen (2024). Marine bivalves of the Azores Archipelago. Conchbooks, Hackenheim & Sérgio P. Ávila, CIBIO-Açores/BIOPOLIS, 416 pp.
    • Borges, Luísa (2023) How To Do More For the Environment With a Little Help from Science: A Guide To Lowering Your Carbon Footprint, Improving Your Health, and Saving Money, 193 pp. ISBN 9783000752216.
    • You can read a FREE chapter on luisa.borges.com or get your copy on any of these Amazon marketplaces amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.de, amazon.es, amazon.ca, amazon.com.br, amazon.ca, amazon.nl, amazon.fr, amazon.au.

Articles in Peer-reviewed Journals

Articles in conference proceedings

Participaticion in scientific meetings

  • Borges, L.M.S. (2019) COST ACTION: CA15219. Heckathon on marine invertebrate biodiversity. 16 June, NTNU University Museum, Trondheim, Norway.
  • Chiciudean, I., Mereuta, I., Lascu, I., Borges, L.M.S., Adrian, F., Stoica, I., Tanase, A-M. (2019). Looking for cellulolytic activity in the Black Sea shipworms gill symbionts. European Biotechnology Congress. 11-13 April, Valencia, Spain.
  • Treneman, N., Davidson, T.M., Carlton, J.T., Shipway, J.R., Borges, L.M.S., Smith, K.R. (2017). Shipworms: cryptic ecological engineers of the sea. Pacific Estuarian Research Society (PERS). 1-4 March, Coos Bay, Oregon, USA
  • Treneman, N., Carlton, J.T., Shipway, J.R., Borges, L.M.S., Raupach, M.J., Altermark, B. (2016). The fate of wood at sea: shipworms (Bivalvia: Teredinidae) in woody debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami. North Pacific Science Organizational (PICES) Annual Meeting. 2-3 November, San Diego, USA.
  • Fais, M., Hollatz, C., Lobo, J., Duarte, S., Borges, L.M.S., Costa, F.O. (2016). Compiling a DNA barcode reference library for the benthic molluscs of the Southern European Atlantic coast. XIX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies. 5-9 September, Porto, Portugal.
  • Vieira, P., Gomes, N., Lobo, J., Borges, L.M.S., Queiroga, H., Costa, F.O. (2016). A DNA barcode reference library for the superorder Peracarida (Crustacea) from the Southern European Atlantic coast. XIX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies. 5-9 September, Porto, Portugal.
  • Treneman, N., Carlton, J.T., Shipway, J.R., Borges, L.M.S., Raupach, M.J. (2015). Shipworms (Bivalvia: Teredinidae) in woody debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami. Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) Conference. 8-12 November, Portland, Oregon, USA.
  • Borges, L.M.S., Hollatz, C., Lobo, J., Cunha, A., Calado, G., Coelho, R., Costa, A.C. Ferreira, M.S.G., Costa, M.H., Costa, F.O. (2015). Priming a DNA barcode library for marine Gastropoda of the continental Portuguese coast and Azores Islands. 6th International Barcode of Life Conference: Barcodes to Biomes. 18-21 August Guelph, Canada. (Poster).
  • Antunes, I., Ferreira, M.S.G., Lobo, J., Teixeira, M.A.L., Borges, L.M.S., Sousa, R., Gomes, P.A. Costa, M.H., Cunha, M.R., Costa, F.O. (2015) Comparison between morphological and DNA barcode–suggests cryptic species among shallow water amphipod fauna from the southern European Atlantic coast. 6th International Barcode of Life Conference: Barcodes to Biomes. 18-21 August, Guelph, Canada. (Oral presentation)
  • Lobo, J. Teixeira, M.A.L., Borges, L.M.S., Ferreira M.S.G., Hollatz, C., Gomes, P.A., Sousa. R., Ravara, A., Costa, M.H., Costa, F.O. (2015) A DNA barcode reference library for polychaetes from the southern European Atlantic coast. 6th International Barcode of Life Conference: Barcodes to Biomes. 18-21 August, Guelph, Canada. (Poster).
  • Borges, L.M.S. (2014). Biogeogreaphy of marine wood-borers in European coastal waters: a tale of two taxa sharing the same niche. Seminars of GEOMAR. 30 July, Kiel, Germany.
  • Tagliapietra, D., Ahrens, M.J., Appelqvist, C., Björdal, C., Borges, L., Cragg, S.M., Carannante, A., Distel, D.L., Dunkley, M., Gregory, D.J., Hoppe, K., Hoppert, M., Hutalle-Schmelzer, K.L.M., Keppel, E., Lana, P., Libralato, G., Paalvast, P., Palanti, S., Palma, P., Shipway, R., Sigovini, M., Sivrikaya, H., Volpi-Ghiardini, A., Weigelt, R. (2013) The boring fraternity: a research network on marine woodborers.VI EUROLAG & VII LAGUNET. 16-19 December, Lecce, Italy.
  • Borges, L.M.S. (2013) Integrative systematics and taxonomy: implications for mapping marine species. Seminars of the Helmholtz Centre Geesthaacht. 19 June, Geesthacht, Germany.
  • Borges, L.M.S. (2013). State-of-the-art on systematics and biogeography of wood-borers. Exploratory workshop “Marine wood borers: new frontiers for Europe”. 2-4 April, Venice, Italy. (Invited Keynote).
  • Borges, L.M.S. (2012). Biogeography of bivalve wood borers in European coastal waters: a tale of the `termites of the sea´. Seminars of the Department of Biology, University of Rostock. 12 December, Rostock, Germany.
  • Borges, L.M.S. (2012). Marine wood borers the `termites of the sea´. Seminars of the Biology Department, University of Minho. 23 May, Braga, Portugal.
  • Borges, L.M.S. (2012). LusoMarBol invertebrate projects. Final workshop LusoMarBol. Braga, 1-2 May. (co-organizer of the workshop: Oral presentation).
  • Borges, L.M.S., Sivrikaya, H., Le Roux, A., Costa, F.O. (2011). DNA barcodes uncover hidden diversity in marine wood boring organisms. Fourth International Barcode of Life Conference. 28 Nov- 3 Dec, Adelaide, Australia. (Poster).
  • Borges, L.M.S., Ferreira, M.S., Arteaga, J.L., Cunha, A.M., Gomes, N., Gomes, P.A., Cunha, M.R., Costa, M.H., Costa, F.O. (2011). Inventorying macrobenthos diversity of the Portuguese coast: use of DNA barcodes as a tool for an integrative taxonomic approach. Fourth International Barcode of Life Conference. 28 Nov-3 Dec, Adelaide, Australia. (Poster).
  • Borges, L.M.S., Cragg, S.M., Merckelbach, L.M., Sampaio, Í., Costa, F.O. (2011). Biogeography of wood borers in European coastal waters: a tale of two distinct taxa sharing the same niche. Advances in Biogeography: Early Career Conference. 23-25 September, Oxford, United Kingdom. (Oral presentation).
  • Shipway, R., Cragg, S.M., Borges, L.M.S., Sivrikaya, H., Müller J. (2011). An invasive species of teredinid, Teredothyra dominicensis (Teredinidae, Bivalvia), in the Mediterranean Sea. Advances in Biogeography: Early Career Conference. 23-25 September, Oxford, United Kingdom. (Oral presentation).
  • Borges, L.M.S. (2010). The analytic process of DNA barcoding. Second Workshop of LusoMarBol. 2-3 December, Braga, Portugal. (co-organizer of the workshop) (Oral presentation).
  • Shipway, R., Cragg, S.M., Borges, L.M.S., Sivrikaya, H., Müller, J. (2010). The rapid destruction of a wreck in Turkish waters by a suspected invasive teredinid (Teredinidae: Bivalvia). Molluscan Forum. 30 November, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom. (Oral presentation).
  • Borges, L.M.S., Ferreira, M.S., Landi, M., Gomes, P.A., Costa, F.O. (2010). Revising the biodiversity of macrobenthos from the Portuguese coast using DNA barcodes. Second Conference of the European Consortium for the Barcode of Life. 2-4 June, Braga, Portugal. (member of the conference local organizing committee) (Poster).
  • Borges, L.M.S., Sivrikaya, H., Le Roux, A., Costa, F.O. (2010). DNA barcodes for identification of European species of marine wood boring organisms, the 'termites of the sea'. Second Conference of the European Consortium for the Barcode of Life. 2-4 June, Braga, Portugal. (Poster).
  • Borges, L.M.S. (2010). Biogeography of Marine wood borers in European coastal waters. Seminars of the Biology Department of University of Minho. 24 March, Braga, Portugal.
  • Borges, L.M.S., Cragg, S.M. (2008). Short-term laboratory trials to test wooden materials for use in the marine environment. International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation Conference. 6-11 October, S. Alessio Siculo, Messina, Italy. (Oral presentation).
  • Cragg, S.M., Borges, L.M.S. (2007). A laboratory test methodology for assessing the resistance of treated, modified and naturally durable wood to the marine wood borer Crustacea Limnoria. COST Action E37 “Sustainability through new technologies for enhanced wood durability”. 18-19 June, Braşov, Romania. (Oral presentation).
  • Borges, L.M.S., Cragg, S.M. (2006). Phylogenetic significance of the internal structure of the pallet of Bivalve borers of the family Teredinidae. Molluscan Forum. 2 November, Natural History Museum of London, London, UK. (Oral presentation).
  • Borges, L.M.S., Cragg, S.M., Eaton, R. (2006). Wood boring distribution and severity of attack in European Coastal waters. Bivalvia Congress. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain, 22-27 July. (Oral presentation).
  • Borges, L.M.S. , Cragg, S.M., van der Zee, M., Homan, W. (2005). Laboratory and field tests of the potential for use in marine environments of wood modified with dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) and phosphobutane tricarboxylic acid (PBTC). 6-7 October, Second European Conference on Wood Modification, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany. (Poster and oral presentation).
  • Borges, L.M.S., Cragg, S.M., Eaton, R. (2004). Wood boring distribution and severity of attack in European coastal waters. 4 November, Molluscan forum. Natural History Museum of London, London, UK. (Oral presentation).
  • Borges, L.M.S., Cragg, S.M., Eaton, R. (2002). An evaluation of the hazard posed by marine wood boring animals in European coastal waters. 12-17 May, Conference of the International Research Group on Wood Preservation. Cardiff, UK. (Poster).
  • Borges, L.M.S., Costa, A.C.R., Rodrigues, A. (1999). Food preference of the southern oyster drill Stramonita (Thais) haemastoma (Grey). 34th European Marine Biology Simposium. 13-17 September, Ponta Delgada, Azores. (Oral presentation).
  • Borges, L.M.S., Costa, A.C.R., Rodrigues A. (1998). Stramonita haemastoma (Gastropoda: Muricidae) an indicator of tributyltin pollution in the waters of the harbour of Ponta Delgada (Azores). III Simposium of Fauna and Flora of the Atlantic Islands. 21-25 September, Ponta Delgada, Azores. (Oral presentation).

Editorial Board Member:

  • PLOS ONE

Peer-review work (Journals):

  • Molecular Ecology Resources
  • Journal of Sea Research
  • npj Sustainable Agriculture
  • Turkish Journal of Zoology
  • International Wood Products Journal
  • Biodiversitas, Journal of Biological Diversity
  • Molecular Biology Reports
  • Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
  • PeerJ
  • Regional Studies in Marine Science
  • Scientific Reports
  • Brazilian Journal of Oceanography
  • Public Library of Science ONE (PLoS ONE)
  • Journal of Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
  • Marine Ecology Progress Series (MEPS)
  • Invertebrate Systematics
  • Marine Biodiversity
  • International Journal of Marine Science
  • Molluscan Research
  • Revista Mexicana de Biodiveridad
  • Maderas. Ciencia y Tecnología
  • Journal of Parasitology and Vector Biology
  • Journal of Coastal Life Medicine
  • African Journal of Ecology