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Meet Sari Ponnet, our new PhD researcher joining CCMAR as a Doctoral INPhINIT Fellow funded by the “La Caixa” Foundation. Passionate about marine conservation and the connections between ecosystems and society, Sari will dedicate her PhD to developing scalable and environmentally responsible approaches to seagrass restoration. Her work bridges ecological science, spatial mapping, and community engagement, and builds on international experience spanning coral reefs, seagrass meadows, cetacean ecology, and science communication. Sari will be working with the Scientific Dive Center (CST), and the Marine Microbial Ecology and Biotechnology (MMEB) group under the supervision of Dr. Diogo Paulo and Dr. Aschwin Engelen.
Tell us a bit about the work you’ll be doing at CCMAR.
I’m beginning my PhD as a Doctoral INPhINIT Fellow funded by the “La Caixa” Foundation, where I will focus on developing scalable and environmentally responsible seagrass restoration techniques. My work includes mapping seagrass extent and environmental drivers using GIS tools, developing aquaculture-based cultivation methods to support reliable large-scale restoration, and investigating how citizen science and public engagement can enhance long-term monitoring, stewardship and ocean literacy. Overall, I’m excited to combine ecological science, spatial tools, and community involvement to help advance practical solutions for protecting and restoring seagrass meadows.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I love being outdoors and in the water. Diving, swimming, surfing and hiking are some of my favourite ways to recharge. I also recently got a converted van, so going camping and exploring with her (I called her ‘Happy’) has become a new passion.
I equally enjoy calmer moments at home. Cooking, crafting or hosting board-game nights with friends make me just as happy. Friends are very important to me, and I love socialising and spending time with the people I care about.
What were you doing before you joined us?
Earlier this year, I completed my master’s degree in IMBRSea, an international Erasmus Mundus program in Marine Biological Resources where I had the opportunity to study at different universities and live in several European countries each semester. My final semester was at CCMAR, where I carried out my master’s thesis and quickly fell in love with the institute, the people and life in Faro. That experience played a big part in my decision to return to CCMAR for my PhD.
