Education:

Ph.D. in Ecotoxicology: January 2015-January 2019, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut (USA). “Influence of northward redistribution of marine prey and predator species on the trophic dynamics of environmental contaminants and nutrients in Arctic marine food webs”.Supervisor: Dr. Melissa McKinney (McGill University).  

M.Sc in Ecology: September 2012-May 2014, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra (Portugal). “Mercury accumulation in Gentoo penguins, Pygoscelis papua: spatial, temporal, and intraspecific variations”.Supervisors: Dr. Miguel Pardal (Centre for Functional Ecology, University of Coimbra) and Dr. José Xavier (Marine and Environmental Research Centre, University of Coimbra).

B.Sc in Biology: September 2008-May 2012, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro (Portugal)

Research Interests:

• Marine Ecology
• Food web transfer
• Niche Ecology
• Environmental contaminants
• Food security

Publications:

Pedro, S., Dietz R., Sonne C., Rosing-Asvid A., Hansen, M., McKinney M.A., Interactions of persistent organic pollutants with vitamins A and E in the blubber of killer whales moving into Arctic waters. Under Review.

Pedro, S., Fisk, A., Ferguson, S., Hussey, N., Kessel, S., McKinney, M.A., Ecological niche of prey fish in the Canadian Arctic based on stable isotopes and fatty acid tracers. Under review.

Pedro, S., Fisk, A., Ferguson, S., Hussey, N., Kessel, S., McKinney, M.A., 2019. Limited effects of changing prey fish communities on food quality for aquatic predators in the eastern Canadian Arctic in terms of essential fatty acids, methylmercury and selenium. Chemosphere 214:855-865.

McKinney, M.A., Atwood, T., Pedro, S., Peacock, E., 2017. Ecological change drives a decline in mercury concentrations in Beaufort Sea polar bears. Environmental Science and Technology. 51:7814-7822

Pedro, S., Fisk, A., Tomy, G. T., Ferguson, S., Hussey, N., Kessel, S., McKinney, M.A., 2017. Mercury and persistent organic pollutants in native and invasive forage species of the Canadian Arctic: Consequences for food web dynamics. Environmental Pollution. 229:229-240.

Pedro, S., Boba, C., Dietz, R., Sonne, C., Rosing-Asvid, A., Provatas, A, McKinney, M.A., 2017. Blubber-depth distribution and bioaccumulation of PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in Arctic-invading killer whales. Science of the Total Environment. 601-602:237-246.

McKinney, M.A., Pedro, S., Dietz, R., Sonne, C., Fisk, A.T., Roy, D., Jenssen, B.M., Letcher, R.J., 2015. A review of ecological impacts of global climate change on persistent organic pollutant and mercury pathways and exposures in arctic marine ecosystems. Current Zoology. 61: 617-628.

Pedro, S., Xavier, J. C., Tavares, S, Trathan, P. N., Ratcliffe, N., Paiva, V. H., Medeiros, R., Pereira, E., Pardal, M. A., 2015. Feathers as a tool to assess mercury contamination in gentoo penguins: variations at the individual level. PLoS ONE. 10(9): e0137622.

Pedro, S., Xavier, J. C., Tavares, S, Trathan, P. N., Ratcliffe, N., Paiva, V. H., Medeiros, R., Vieira, R.P., Ceia, F.R., Pereira, E., Pardal, M. A., 2015. Mercury accumulation in Gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua: spatial, temporal, and sexual intraspecific variations. Polar Biology. 28(9): 1335-1343.