Bárbara Horta e Costa

Bárbara Horta e Costa is a marine conservation researcher at the Center for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) at the University of Algarve. Her work focuses on the effectiveness and implementation of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Portugal and globally. She emphasizes the need for political will to ensure that MPAs provide genuine conservation benefits rather than being nominal protections that allow harmful activities. Horta e Costa has highlighted Portugal's efforts to increase its marine protected areas, particularly in the Azores, and advocates for a more cohesive national strategy to enhance the protection of marine biodiversity.