Vanessa Mendonça was awarded a PhD, with Distinction and Honors, in Marine Biology, by the University of Lisbon. Her thesis was awarded 2nd place for Best PhD in Ecology Award 2020 SPECO (Portuguese Society of Ecology) and Amadeu Dias Foundation. She participated in multiple long-term scientific expeditions in Portugal and in Brazil. She is experienced in biodiversity surveys, taxonomy of coastal organisms, thermal and ecotoxicological experimental essays and food web networks analysis.