Luis da Costa

Freshwater Ecologist & Ichthyologist Consultant with expertise in southern Africa

Ichthyofauna surveys (field trips in Africa – Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and South Africa – and Europe – Portugal, Italy, and Belgium), biological and biodiversity assessment projects.

EIAs and Biological Assessment on HydroPower Plants, Tourist Resorts, and Agriculture Irrigation Projects.

About Me

Ichthyologist consultant Systematics & Taxonomy of freshwater fish Environmental Impact Assessments

Key areas of expertise on Systematics & Taxonomy of freshwater fish include ichthyofauna surveys (field trips during several projects in Africa – Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and South Africa – and Europe – Portugal, Italy, and Belgium), biological monitoring, Impact and Biological Assessments (Hydroelectric power plants, Tourist Resorts, and Agriculture Irrigation Projects), conservation and biodiversity assessment projects.

Excellent expertise with electro-fishing technique.

Large experience in collecting (with traps, gill-nets, seine-nets, hand-nets, cast-nets), photographing, preserving fish specimens according Museum protocols, and cataloguing all data of the fish specimens in database (Specify software).

Large experience on morphological (traditional and geometric) and molecular techniques to study freshwater fish species.

Other qualifications include experience in Environmental Impact Assessments and Environmental Impact Studies of hydroelectric plants (dams and power stations), agricultural irrigation areas, tourism developments and recreational areas.

Good knowledge of the Environmental Resource Management and Biodiversity Resource Management.

Projects

Research

Taxonomy & Systematics, phylogeography, and historical biogeography of southern African freshwater fish species and aquatic biodiversity for conservation purposes.

Consultancy

Ichthyofauna surveys, biological and biodiversity assessment projects, Environmental Impact Assessments and Biological Assessments.

Citizen Science

Collaborator as fish and birds expert for Biodiversity4All; Curator for Global Freshwater Fish BioBlitz and iNaturalist. Collaborating during Cities’ BioBlitz.

Mpulungu, Zambia

Diet of both endemic Clupeidae from the southern area of Lake Tanganyika: Limnothrissa miodon and Stolothrissa tanganicae

Epupa Falls, Namibia

Diversity and Ecology of tropical and sub-tropical African freshwater fishes (SAIAB) More

N.P. Baninhe, Mozambique

Freshwater Fishes of Mozambique (SAIAB) – P.N. Baninhe More

Capanda, Angola

Diversity of Angolan Freshwater Fishes (SAIAB) – Capanda More

Quissama, Angola

Diversity of Angolan Freshwater Fishes (SAIAB) – Quissama More

Palma, Mozambique

Onshore Environmental Baseline in Area 4 (dry and wet seasons), Development Projects and their Areas of Influence, Palma District (Mozambique) More

Laúca, Angola

HydroPower Plant of Laúca More

Nairobi, Kenya

Local FishBase and Fish Taxonomy Training, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi (23-29 sep 2016)

Okavango, Botswana

Fourth fish identification course for fisheries officers (oct 2004)

Mira River, Odemira

Algarve River Basins Management Plan
More

Algibre River, Loulé

Monitoring Plan of the expansion of Milhanes’ Quarry (n.º 4389)
More

Lima River, Touvedo Dam

Monitoring programme for ecological stream flows assessments, downstream of 4 HPPs: biological and hydromorphological elements
More

Guadiana River, Alqueva Reservoir

Biological Surveys on the Alqueva’s Islands
More

Sabugal, Castelo Branco

Monitoring Programme of Sabugal Wind Farm
More

Chimanimani freshwater fish

“Inventory of the ichthyofauna from the Chimanimani National Reserve (Mozambique)” [Contributo ao Inventário da ictiofauna da Reserva Nacional de Chimanimani] funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund
(CEPF; S16-370-MOZ MHN)

Conducting a fish survey during two campaigns in the Chimanimani National Reserve to better understand which fish species are present in the area, update the status of some already known species (e.g. Enteromius) and ultimately, enable a better management of these species in the reserve by disseminating the project results among local stakeholders and the scientific community.

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