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- Perception of Safety Tourism in ColombiaPublication . Antošová, Gabriela; Lima Santos, Luís; Stradová, SaraColombia is notorious for drug cartels and internal armed conflicts that have persisted in the country for more than 50 years. With the peace agreement signed in 2016 Colombia gradually became a country with strong tourism potential in Latin America. Supported by movie tourism and dark tourism, the influx of tourists to Colombia registered considerable increases. Colombia became a popular destination for recreation and beach stays, for adventure and experience tourism; and ecotourism has a dominant role related to the cultivation of coffee. However, Colombia presents natural risks and security risks that support the low level of peace and the low quality of life indicator as a tourism destination. The existence of a greater number of flights and low-cost booking systems, allows to increase interest in new non-traditional places, avoiding mass tourism, which can be an advantage for many travel agencies in the Czech and Portuguese markets that seek authentic and relatively unknown places. Despite the threat of the pandemic COVID-19, tourist packages to Colombia were analysed. Considering the main objective of the study, to assess the perception of security in Colombia, a questionnaire was carried out to identify the risks associated with this destination. To allow a comparison of the perception of safety with the Global Safety index, the responses of 206 potential tourists, 103 from Portugal and 103 from the Czech Republic, were selected. The results show that the destination Colombia is perceived as more dangerous by potential tourists than by actual tourists who have visited it and perceive it as much safer and more attractive.
- Bioprocess technologies for production of structured lipids as nutraceuticalsPublication . Ferreira-Dias, Suzana; Osório, Natália; Tecelão, CarlaThis chapter focuses on the production of structured lipids (SLs) by enzymatic processes, highlighting its functional/nutritional properties. Several aspects concerning lipases and phospholipases used as catalysts are exploited, namely, the regioselectivity, enzyme immobilization, and operational stability. Information about reaction media conditions for the synthesis of different types of SLs is presented, particularly for low-calorie triacylglycerols, human milk fat substitutes, interesterified trans-free fat blends and triacylglycerols rich in specific long-chain fatty acids.
- Blue Accounting: Looking for a New StandardPublication . Abreu, Rute; David, Fátima; Lima Santos, Luís; Segura, Liliane; Formigoni, HenriqueThis research explores the framework of the marine knowledge, in general, and the blue accounting, in particular. On the one hand, the seabed, the ocean floor, and the subsoil allow to promote several activities to explore these resources. On the other hand, the pollution and degradation of the marine environment due to human intervention which damage and harm the marine life and produces strong risks and threats to this environment. In this context, marine resources are a public good which is available to everybody, at all time, but without payment or compensations to this collective pressure of human activity. In order to reinforce the marine knowledge, the blue accounting will provide to the citizen, to the organization and to the society valuable information based on accounting standards that identify, measure, value, and report this blue growth that is the ocean strategy with new opportunities for marine and maritime sustainability. The fast evolution of the marine knowledge demands profound accounting researches that will study the increasing impact on the use, the management, the associated costs, and the new report opportunities of these resources and its value. This research will reduce the negative effect of politics and Governments that forget the blue accounting as essential to support the blue economy and ocean strategy, because sciences are interdependent and scarcity of marine resources demands knowledge to emerge these first insights and then mitigate uncertainties and risks.
- Sustainable tourism development of rural destinations: the Schist Villages, Portugal.Publication . Eurico, Sofia Teixeira; Oliveira, Fernanda Maria FernandesThis chapter highlights how the 'Schist Villages Programme', financed through European Union funding, has been developed since 2001 in a rural and socio-economic isolated area of Portugal. This chapter demonstrates how the creation of the 'Schist Villages' brand is based on a coordinated process of planning, involving different local, regional and national actors and their utilization of the principles of sustainability.
- Circular Economy and Sustainability: What Are They Saying About It? – A Literature ReviewPublication . Costa, Berta; Rodrigues, SusanaCircular economy (CE) and sustainability are two interrelated con- cepts that are increasingly gaining attention in the fields of business, economics, and environmental studies. Although both concepts share similarities as they both aim to reduce the negative impact of human activities on the environment and promote sustainable development, they have predominantly been addressed sep- arately as two independent areas of knowledge, and continue to be ambiguous. Their relationship in literature has not been clarified, which may be obfuscating their overall usage. The aim of this article is to clarify the concepts of circular economy and sustainability, to examine how these two constructs have evolved in the last decades, and to identify their similarities and differences. In this regard a specific literature review was performed. For this purpose, 48 publications were identified, and a content analysis was conducted. Based on the aforementioned literature review, key findings relatively to circular economy and sustainability are presented.
- The marine origin of drugsPublication . Horta, André; Alves, Celso; Pinteus, Susete; Pedrosa, RuiOutstanding research work has been done in the last 50 years, resulting in the increase of knowledge related to marine organisms as producers of high value-added biomolecules. This chapter highlights some of the main topics related with marine drug origin, with a particular emphasis on the unique marine chemical ecology environmental as critical conditions for marine drug production. Additionally, some of the most relevant marine drug success stories associated to their therapeutic use, or as research pharmacology tools, is also described, including marine toxin drugs (e.g. tetradotoxin, okadaic acid, Cytarabine, Eribulin mesylate and Ziconotide). The marine drug origin of the FDA-approved drugs, as well all the marine compounds under clinical trials evaluations (phases III, II and I), are the main targets of this chapter.
- Commentary: Macrofaunal key species as useful tools in management and assessment practices on sandy beachesPublication . Gonçalves, Sílvia; João C. MarquesSandy beaches are the most abundant coastal systems worldwide, representing approximately 3/4 of the worlds' coastlines. In the last decades, these sensitive and dynamic ecosystems have been a target of an increasing human pressure, associated with an unbridled urbanization of coastal areas, caused by the high human population growth, but also associated with recreational activities and tourism. Together with global climatic changes and coastal erosion, these processes lead to detrimental impacts and an environmental quality decline of sandy beach ecosystems, imposing an increasing need for adequate assessment and management practices. In the majority of sandy beaches, the macrofauna is a key element in ecosystem functioning, occupying a central position in the food webs. Some species exhibit abundant populations, representing the bulk of the macrofaunal communities and functioning as key species in these conditions. In this commentary we discuss the relevance and utility of macrofaunal key species as tools in beaches integrity assessment, planning of management practices and restoration projects. We start by exposing the reasons behind the selection and use of these organisms as potential tools in assessment and management practices of beaches. Several and alternative methodologies, at the population and at the community ecological levels of organization, are afterwards discussed and their advantages and drawbacks evaluated. Finally, the most relevant key species in worldwide sandy beaches, known in the literature, and with potential as assessment and management tools, are identified. Since several manmade disturbances (e.g., intense human and mechanical trampling, beach grooming with heavy mechanical equipment), and even natural disturbances (e.g., abnormal temperature regimes, frequency and intensity of storms) may cause variations in key species bioecology, with negative impacts perpetuated to the higher ecological levels, monitoring, assessment and management actions focused on this indicator species hold large potential in the fast changing scenario of nowadays, and should be encouraged.
- Crustaceans from temperate sandy beaches: A possible route for management and conservation strategiesPublication . Gonçalves, Sílvia; Alvarado, VictorCrustaceans are important components of the macrofaunal communities of sandy beaches worldwide and may present a key role in the structure and function of these ecosystems in certain conditions. These animals represent the dominant faunal group in exposed beaches, where some crustacean species form abundant populations, especially in the supralittoral zone. In temperate latitudes, Talitrid amphipods, commonly known as sand hoppers, and Tylid isopods are often abundant elements in exposed sandy beaches although, due to their nature, Talitrids are the most conspicuous ones. Despite their clear ecological relevance as interface systems between the sea and land, sandy beaches also constitute unique and irreplaceable habitats for most of these Crustacean species. However, the intensification of human activities in coastal areas observed in the last decades, as well as the global climatic changes and coastal erosion occurring nowadays, have introduced several detrimental impacts threatening these ecosystems and their biota. In this commentary, the relevance of using Talitrid and Tylid crustaceans as ecological tools in management and conservation strategies for temperate sandy beaches is discussed. Also, the benefits of these strategies for the conservation of the unique habitats that beaches represent for these animals are highlighted. I start by explaining the ecological importance of Crustaceans in sandy beach ecosystems worldwide. The most abundant groups in temperate beaches and their main environmental stressors are afterwards presented. Finally, specific management and conservation strategies, employing Talitrids and Tylids as ecological indicators of environmental quality condition in beaches from temperate latitudes, are identified. © 2016 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
- Assessing Ecological Quality on the Rocky Coast of Abalo Beach, PortugalPublication . Mouga, TeresaPortugal’s rich marine biodiversity, home to approximately 550 seaweed species, is distributed across biogeographical regions influenced by Atlantic and Mediterranean climates. Human-induced stressors, including habitat degradation, pollution, and climate change, have impacted seaweed ecosystems, changed the distribution patterns and promoting the invasion of alien species. This paper evaluates the ecological dynamics of seaweed communities on the rocky coast of Abalo Beach, Portugal, using the Marine Macroalgae Assessment Tool (MarMAT) in 2022 and 2023. The MarMAT methodology, endorsed by the Portuguese Environment Agency, assesses the ecological quality of coastal areas based on taxonomic composition, diversity, and biomass of macroalgae. The assessment revealed different percentages of late-successional species (ESGI) and annual (ESGII) seaweeds, indicating a subtle decrease in late-successional species. Of concern is the increase in invasive species from one in 2009 to six in 2023, suggesting a potential threat to ecosystem integrity. Comparative analysis with previous studies confirms the ongoing ecolog ical quality and resilience of Abalo Beach. The article underscores the importance of continuous monitoring amid environmental changes and the rise of invasive species.
- The Vibrant Spectra of the Oceans: Unravelling the Diversity, Functions, and Applications of Seaweed PigmentsPublication . Freitas, Marta V.; Afonso, Clélia; Pereira, Leonel; Mouga, Teresa; Trivedi, , Nitin; Reddy,, C. R. K.; Critchley,, Alan T.Seaweeds are photosynthetic organisms that harvest sunlight and convert it into essential energy through a highly effective biochemical process powered by light, which in turn is captured and directed to the reactive centers by pigments. Seaweed pigments are fundamental to the seaweed photosynthetic process and are also responsible for their current taxonomic classification into three distinct divisions. The Chlorophyta comprises the green seaweeds, which hold high levels of both chlorophyll a and b, along with lesser amounts of β-carotene and xanthophylls. The Ochrophyta integrates the brown seaweeds (class Phaeophyceae), which are particularly rich in the xanthophyll fucoxanthin, while also showing lower levels of other xanthophylls, chlorophyll a and c, and β-carotene. The Rhodophyta houses the red seaweeds, which are characterized by holding high levels of phycoerythrin, as well as lower quantities of phycocyanin, chlorophyll a, β-carotene, and xanthophylls. However, regardless of their designation, seaweed species exhibit a significant range of colors and hues that go beyond “green,” “brown,” and “red,” rendering them visually unique, due to the relative composition and abundance of each pigment within their living cells. Nowadays, science has unveiled not only the diversity of these pigments, but also their biological function. Targeted extraction methods and potential end-use applications for these pigments have been researched and developed, with the resulting product often designed to protect and promote human health. Today, humankind acknowledges the benefits of natural products obtained from the oceans, including those obtained from seaweed pigments. This chapter aims to supply insight on the diversity, functions, and applications of the pigments found in all the three divisions, thus contributing to a greater understanding of the benefits these functional molecules can provide to humanity.