Maretec - Marine, Environment and Technology Center

We are proud to share the publication of a new paper, "Bridging foresight and transition theory: policy mixes for transforming Europe's food systems," in the European Journal of Futures Studies Research, co-authored by our MARETEC (LARSyS, Instituto Superior Técnico) researcher Ricardo da Silva Vieira, together with Ullrich Lorenz, Minna Kaljonen, and Henrik Larsen.

The paper develops a novel framework combining participatory foresight, the X-curve transition model, and morphological analysis to design coherent policy-mix pathways for food system transformation. Four stylised policy mixes are developed in the article, making visible the range of internally coherent governance philosophies for European food systems.

The analysis reveals that the EU's current policy framework is only loosely aligned with any of the four coherent pathways, exposing a lack of internal coherence. Furthermore, while all pathways require deliberate phase‑out processes that will unevenly affect farmers, rural communities, and consumers, existing instruments provide only fragmented support - falling short of the comprehensive, forward‑looking framework needed to anticipate and manage these impacts.

This work offers a replicable methodology for designing internally consistent policy mixes under complexity - relevant for food systems and sustainability transitions more broadly.

Read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40309-026-00284-w

📢 New publication from our team!

A new paper published in Remote Sensing and titled “Estimating Actual Evapotranspiration in Orchard Systems Using the ALARM Energy Balance Model and MODIS Data” evaluates the performance of an energy source model for estimating ET in complex orchard systems of southern Portugal.

The paper was developed by Hanaa Darouich (MARETEC/LARSyS), Ana Oliveira (MARETEC/LARSyS), and Tiago Ramos (MARETEC/LARSyS and INIAV).

Thank you to everyone who joined our last session of MARETEC Talks where Laura Felício (MARETEC/LARSyS) shared insights of her research on "Social metabolism and its mechanisms: Designing an integrated Material and Energy Metabolism Model for Economies".

One of our researchers, Inês Ribeiro, attended the European Congress of Conservation Biology in Leiden, bringing together researchers and practitioners from around the world to discuss the latest advances in conservation science.

During the conference, Inês presented part of her PhD research on grazing as a nature-based solution for vegetation management, highlighting the potential of extensive grazing as a sustainable approach to managing vegetation while supporting biodiversity conservation and reducing wildfire risk in Mediterranean landscapes.

ECCB 2026 provided valuable insights into current challenges and innovative approaches in conservation biology, fostering knowledge exchange, new collaborations, and interdisciplinary discussions to help address biodiversity loss.

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📢 New publication from our team!

Titled “How to build Dynamic Energy Budget models: practical guidelines for model development” , this paper presents a practical workflow to make DEB model development more accessible, transparent, and reproducible.

Dynamic Energy Budget theory is a powerful framework for describing how organisms acquire and use energy and matter throughout their life cycle, but its generality can make it challenging for newcomers. This paper addresses that gap by providing guidelines covering model design, data collection and assessment, implementation, calibration, validation, and publication.

The workflow is illustrated with zebrafish (Danio rerio) DEB models, showing how data availability influences model development and the range of predictions that can be supported.

The paper was developed by Diogo F. Oliveira (MARETEC), Anna Sulc (University of Washington), Eline Le Moan (LEMAR), Elisa Donati (University of Trieste), Evridiki Klagkou (University of Crete), María-José Lagunes (LEMAR), Urban Dajčman (Slovenian National Institute of Biology), and Tjui Yeuw Tan (Wageningen University & Research).

Check the link in the comments to read the full article!

On July 13-14, MARETEC (Instituto Superior Técnico) took part in the LARSyS Annual Meeting, held at the Rectory of the University of Lisbon. Throughout the event, several of our researchers presented their work, exchanged ideas with colleagues from LARSyS, discussed the future of the Associate Laboratory and attended interesting keynote talks. Two days of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovation.

MARETEC Researchers Vânia Proença, Diogo Oliveira, Ricardo Próspero, and Inês Ribeiro took part in the Doctoral Programme in Sustainability Sciences Laboratory Rotation Session at Instituto Superior de Agronomia, where Diogo Oliveira, Ricardo Próspero, and Inês Ribeiro presented their PhD research, sharing perspectives on sustainability challenges, scientific approaches, and doctoral experiences.

Join us on July 22 for the last session of MARETEC Talks of this year, where Laura Felício (MARETEC/LARSyS) will present
“Social metabolism and its mechanisms: Designing an integrated Material and Energy Metabolism Model for Economies“.

Thank you to everyone who joined us last week for the MARETEC Talks!

The session was led by Carlos Faísca, Professor at the University of Évora and President of the Portuguese Association of Economic and Social History, who presented “An Anthropometric History of Portugal: State of the Art and Future Research Directions“.

We look forward to seeing you at the next MARETEC Talks! 💡

📢 New publication!

A study led by Erival Prata from Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Pará, who was working on MARETEC for a six month period. Here the modelling work was done with Tânia Sousa and Gonçalo Marques - MARETEC/LARSyS (Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa).

Hydropower dams can provide renewable energy, but they can also reshape entire river ecosystems in ways that are not always immediately visible. In this study, researchers investigated how changes in the natural flood cycle caused by the Belo Monte dam are affecting a native Amazonian catfish. Using a bioenergetic model that links environmental conditions to growth and reproduction, they found that reduced food availability - driven by altered river dynamics - has a much greater impact than rising temperatures. The results suggest that fish may grow less, reproduce later, produce smaller eggs, and, under severe conditions, stop reproducing altogether. These findings highlight the importance of considering ecological consequences when planning and managing hydropower projects, and demonstrate how predictive modeling can support more effective conservation and environmental impact assessments in the Amazon forest.

Check the link in the comments to read the full article!