Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

Equipment undergoes a wide range of tests (Photo: SpaceLab/UFSC)

SpaceLab, the Space Technology Research Laboratory at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), is preparing to place two new satellites into orbit, with launch scheduled by 28 November from the Alcântara Space Center (CEA) in Maranhão. The launch of FloripaSat-2A and FloripaSat-2B is part of the Spaceward 2025 mission, whose exact date will depend on weather conditions and operational checks. This will be the first time a complete platform fully designed by SpaceLab/UFSC will be tested in orbit.

For SpaceLab, the mission’s main goal is the in-orbit validation (IOV) of technologies developed entirely within the laboratory, consolidating the FloripaSat-2 platform as a foundation for future scientific and academic missions. “These satellites represent the maturation of a research line that has been developed over the years, bringing together science, technology, and human development,” says Professor Eduardo Bezerra, SpaceLab coordinator. “Beyond technical advancement, this is the realization of a project that prepares Brazilian engineers and scientists to work in every stage of a space mission.”

Unlike previous projects, the new satellites are entirely Brazilian-made, including the antenna, which was designed and tested at SpaceLab. The equipment underwent an extensive campaign of dynamic, thermal, and environmental tests, and will now be validated in orbit, contributing to Brazilian technological autonomy and the consolidation of an open-source platform for future low-cost missions.

This will also mark the first in-orbit test of this technology in Brazil, advancing communication systems intended for future satellite constellations. The planned mission duration is about five weeks, at an average orbital altitude of 300 km. Strategic in scope, the mission will validate Brazilian-developed onboard systems and reinforce the national nanosatellite ecosystem, bringing together universities, companies, and space agencies.

Training and scientific impact

All systems were designed and integrated by undergraduate and graduate students and researchers from SpaceLab, with support from the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). “More than just putting a satellite into orbit, our focus is on training people who can conceive, design, and carry out complete space missions. That’s the true driving force of academic research,” emphasizes Professor Bezerra.

Operation Spaceward 2025 is the first commercial mission carried out by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) in partnership with Innospace. It was authorized by the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) after meeting all safety, environmental, and performance standards. The SpaceLab team is now heading to Maranhão to accompany the final integration and launch phases.

The team describes this as “a moment of great scientific, institutional, and symbolic importance, reaffirming the leadership of Brazilian public universities in space engineering and technological innovation.” As Professor Bezerra concludes, “seeing our students take part in this directly is the greatest achievement of all.”

Translated by SINTER/UFSC.

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The ranking produces two lists of scientific impact: one with career-long data and the other with single recent year (2024) data. Photo: UFSC

The Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) currently has 35 researchers recognized among the most influential in the world. This recognition comes from an updated international ranking released by Elsevier, a Dutch company specializing in scientific and technical publishing. The ranking considers the 100,000 scientists who are best positioned according to the established criteria or who stand out in a specific sub-field.

The methodology relies on a “composite indicator” – c-score, which evaluates researchers based on citation counts, citation distribution across publications, and other metrics. Self-citations and formally retracted papers, when applicable, are also considered as controls in the calculation.

Research output through 2024

The Updated Science-Wide Author Databases of Standardized Citation Indicators was published on 19 September. It presents two lists of the world’s most influential researchers: one based on career-long impact and another based solely on their scientific impact in 2024. UFSC has 35 researchers on the career-long impact list and 32 on the 2024 single-year list, with 16 appearing on both.

Researchers are ranked according to their c-score. The highest-ranked UFSC researcher on the career-long impact list is 44,768^th globally, while on the single-year impact list, the university’s top researcher ranks 16,457th.

The ranking spans 22 scientific fields and 174 sub-fields. Metrics were sourced from the Scopus citation database, based on the 1 August 2025 snapshot and updated to end of citation year 2024.

UFSC most influential researchers  – Career-long impact

* Names appearing on both lists

1. Bernhard Welz
2.  Traugott Peter Wolf
3. Diego Augusto Santos Silva*
4.  Ruy Exel*
5. Enedir Ghisi*
6. Rui Daniel Schröder Prediger*
7. Ivo Barbi*
8. Paulo Augusto Cauchick Miguel*
9. Danilo Wilhelm-Filho*
10. Eduardo Carasek da Rocha*
11. Antônio Luiz Braga*
12. Dachamir Hotza*
13. Christian Johann Losso Hermes*
14. Maurício Laterça Martins*
15. Newton Carneiro Affonso da Costa
16. Rosendo Augusto Yunes
17. Afonso Celso Dias Bainy
18. Alexandre Trofino Neto
19. Marcelo Farina*
20. Hazim Ali al-Qureshi
21. Carlos Brisola Marcondes
22. Jamil Assreuy
23. Adilson José Curtius
24. Glen G Langdon
25. Cláudia Maria Oliveira Simões
26. Débora de Oliveira *
27. Denizar Cruz Martins
28. Jader Riso Barbosa Jr
29. Eduardo Camponogara
30. Maria José Hötzel*
31. Maique Weber Biavatti
32. Fabiane Barreto Vavassori Benitti*
33. Ricardo Rüther
34. Moacir Geraldo Pizzolatti
35. Boris Juam Carlos Ugarte Stambuk

UFSC most influential researchers – 2024 impact

* Names appearing on both lists

1. Diego Augusto Santos Silva*
2. Tiago Olivoto
3. Enedir Ghisi*
4. Dachamir Hotza*
5. Ângelo Paggi Matos
6. Paulo Augusto Cauchick Miguel*
7. Ruy Exel *
8. German Ayala-Valencia
9. Graziela De Luca Canto
10. Marcelo Farina*
11. Rui Daniel Schröder Prediger*
12. João Luiz Dornelles Bastos
13. Rafael Cypriano Dutra
14. Débora de Oliveira*
15. Sandra Regina Salvador Ferreira
16. Sergio Ricardo Floeter
17. Christian Johann Losso Hermes*
18. Eduardo Carasek da Rocha*
19. Maria José Hötzel*
20. Danilo Wilhelm-Filho*
21. Bruno Alexandre Pacheco De Castro Henriques
22. Fabiane Barreto Vavassori Benitti*
23. Marcia Barbosa Henriques Mantelli
24. Maurício Laterça Martins*
25. Enzo Morosini Frazzon
26. Antônio Luiz Braga*
27. Ivo Barbi*
28. Luísa Mota da Silva
29. Ione Jayce Ceola Schneider
30. Fernanda Weber Mello
31. Telles Brunelli Lazzarin
32. Louis Pergaud Sandjo

Translated by SINTER/UFSC.

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Isabela Bianchi Pizzani, a student in the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering program at UFSC Joinville, explains to her colleague how a circulating water channel works. Photo by Gustavo Diehl/Agecom/UFSC.

The World University Rankings 2026, published by the English magazine Times Higher Education (THE), placed the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) fifth among the highest-rated Brazilian universities in the Industry pillar. According to the Rankings Methodology, this score reflects a university’s ability to “help industry with innovations, inventions and consultancy.”

Released on Thursday, 9 October, the World University Rankings 2026, assesses universities based on five core pillars—Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, Industry, and International Outlook — in addition to providing an overall performance score.

In the Industry pillar, UFSC achieved a score of 65.5. Among Brazilian federal universities, only the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) ranks higher, with a score of 84.9. Leading the national ranking in this pillar is the Universidade de São Paulo (USP), which scored 96.6.

According to the Rankings Methodology, the Industry pillar is based on two metrics: the number of patents generated from university research, and the research income an institution earns from industry.

“The metric suggests the extent to which businesses are willing to pay for research and a university’s ability to attract funding in the commercial marketplace – useful indicators of institutional quality. But the extent to which universities are supporting their national economies through technology transfer is an area that deserves greater recognition,” explains THE in its methodology description.

More than 2,100 institutions evaluated

The World University Rankings 2026 evaluated 2,191 educational institutions across 115 countries and territories. In this edition, UFSC was placed in the 1001-1200 band, according to its overall score. The ranking does not assign an exact position within each band.

UFSC’s scores in the main pillars were as follows:

• Overall: 32.1-35.4
• Teaching: 36.3
• Research Environment: 22.4
• Research Quality: 40.8
• Industry: 65.5
• International Outlook: 37.0

Times Higher Education (THE) is a British magazine specializing in higher education news and analysis. In other rankings, THE also recognized UFSC as the fourth-best university in Brazil in interdisciplinary science and as one of the top three institutions in the country for Law.

Translated by SINTER/UFSC.

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Photo: Gustavo Diehl/Agecom/UFSC

The Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) has been ranked as the eighth best university in Brazil and the 23rd in Latin America, according to the QS World University Rankings: Latin America & The Caribbean 2026, released on Wednesday, 1 October. Among Brazilian federal universities, UFSC holds 4^th place.

The evaluation uses a 1-100 scale, and UFSC achieved a score of 76.6 – the same as in 2024 – placing it among the top 5% universities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The ranking is prepared by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a British consultancy specializing in higher education, and evaluated 492 universities. The results are based on eight indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, staff with PhD, international research network, citations per paper, papers per faculty, and web impact.

In this edition, UFSC stood out in web impact (99.6), staff with PhD (99.3), papers per faculty (98.7), and international research network (98.7) – all of which improved compared to last year.

See the full ranking here.

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Ivy is an autonomous underwater vehicle created by Terra, a competition team at UFSC Joinville. Photo: UFSC Joinville

The Terra competition team, an outreach project of the Department of Mobility Engineering at the Joinville Campus, represented the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) and Brazil in RoboSub, an international robotics competition held in August in Irvine, California, United States.

The group developed an AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle), nicknamed Ivy, equipped with artificial intelligence to detect objects in the aquatic environment. The team was the only one from South America to participate in the in-person competition in the United States.

With image recognition and decision-making capabilities, the technology also contributes to research on reef species preservation and environmental conservation, the Terra team reported.

The Ivy vehicle has the potential to operate in a variety of fields, including inspecting vessel hulls in port areas without the need for drydocking, collecting data and samples for scientific research on the environment and its species, monitoring seabeds and marine animals, operating in hard-to-reach locations, and even conducting search missions, according to the Terra team.

In addition to detecting objects, Ivy has control systems that, in future versions still under development, may allow the machine to physically interact with its environment. This could, for example, enable Ivy to pick up items with a claw.

Autonomous operation

Naval architecture and marine engineering students Elisa Silva and Rafael Rui and automotive engineering student Pedro Strieder at RoboSub. Photo: UFSC Joinville

The vehicle, while still in its early stages, was designed to operate autonomously, serving as a foundation for future improvements. It was built by students under the coordination of Professor Andrea Piga Carboni, with the support of Professors Anelize Zomkowski Salvi and Tamiris Grossl Bade. The Fundação Stemmer para Pesquisa, Desenvolvimento e Inovação (FEESC) provided financial support for the project, which also benefited from collaboration with Connor Soluções.

During the RoboSub competition, from 11 to 17 August, Ivy passed the inspection stage. However, it encountered a problem with a battery purchased in the United States during the competition. The Brazilian project only scored points for design documentation. Even so, the Terra team reported exchanging knowledge with more experienced teams, who offered support ranging from adapting tools to the North American standard to providing technical contributions during the competition’s challenges.

Good results in other competitions

The Terra team has already achieved strong results in other competitions. At COBRUF 2019 – a competition that brings together teams developing technology for use in different environments – the UFSC Joinville team took first place in both the COBRUF Subspace category and overall, in addition to receiving awards for excellence in gender equality, educational outreach, agile development, among others. At RoboSub 2022, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Terra team participated only online, thus missing the semi-finals and finals. In that edition, they placed 23rd out of 39 participants.

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Professor Marcelo Callegari Scipioni analyzes a sample from a disc. Photo: UFSC Curitibanos

 The Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) is one of the institutions that contributed to an international study on the impacts of droughts on tropical tree growth published in the journal Science. The study analyzed more than 20,000 tree-ring series spanning 483 locations in 36 tropical countries.

The results indicate that, over the last century, droughts reduced stem growth by an average of 2.5%, with significant recovery in the year following the drought. However, the researchers warn that the effects of droughts are intensifying and may compromise tropical forests’ ability to sequester carbon in the future, exacerbating climate issues.

UFSC contributed unpublished data generated at the Curitibanos Campus, based on the analysis of growth rings of the Araucaria angustifolia species, obtained from a native forest remnant located in the campus’ experimental forest area. These data were produced as part of research projects on giant trees, funded by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Research and Innovation Support Foundation of the State of Santa Catarina (FAPESC). The participation was coordinated by Professor Marcelo Callegari Scipioni, from the Department of Agriculture, Biodiversity and Forests, affiliated with the Forest Resources Laboratory of the School for Rural Sciences at UFSC.

The research used methods from dendrochronology, the science that studies the annual growth rings of trees as indicators of past environment and climate. According to Professor Scipioni, these rings serve as natural records of climatic and ecological events. “The Araucaria is the species with the largest number of dendrochronological studies in southern Brazil. The database generated by several researchers on this species was essential for filling geographic information gaps in the global study published in Science. It functions as a keystone species, both ecologically and scientifically, allowing us to understand the responses of subtropical forests to climate change,” explains the researcher.

Carbon sequestration capacity

Extractor used to take a sample from the tree trunk. Photo: UFSC Curitibanos

As the effects of droughts intensify, the ability of tropical forests to sequester carbon may be compromised, the authors warn. “When forests stop sequestering carbon, or when previously stored carbon is released, as occurs during deforestation and fires, there is an increase in the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect and, consequently, global warming,” explains Professor Scipioni.

Large trees, in particular, store significant amounts of carbon, the researcher points out. This is why their felling results in proportionally higher emissions. However, some of this carbon can remain stored for longer if the wood is used for durable purposes – such as furniture, building structures, or wooden flooring – as long as it is not burned, the professor adds.

Study brings together more than 100 researchers

The research also involved Professor Amanda Köche Marcon, from the Department of Natural and Social Sciences at UFSC Curitibanos, who contributed growth ring chronologies of Araucaria angustifolia and Cedrela fissilis derived from her doctoral research.

The international study published in the journal Science was led by teams from Wageningen University & Research (Netherlands), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp), Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (Bangladesh) and the University of Arizona (United States), and authored by more than 100 researchers from various tropical regions of the planet.

Giant trees: challenges and equipment

Giant trees are the subject of research at UFSC. Photo: UFSC Curitibanos

Professor Marcelo Scipioni coordinates the cataloging of giant trees in southern Brazil and manages the website “Giant Trees in Brazil“. According to the researcher, the work aims to date the largest Araucaria and Imbuia trees — the latter a symbol of Santa Catarina — in addition to investigating the environmental records contained in their growth rings. “Studying these trees is challenging: they are rare and often present anomalies, such as missing or false rings, which makes cross-dating difficult. To overcome this, we also use many young trees in dendrochronological studies,” explains the professor.

Currently, the UFSC Forest Resources Laboratory in Curitibanos has a digitizing table specifically designed for large wood samples — the well-known discs. According to Professor Scipioni, this equipment is unique in the world. The table is equipped with an A3 scanner, and the images generated are being used in a research mission at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in the United States to develop artificial intelligence-based tools, in a project funded by CNPq.

In addition, bark and wood samples will be analyzed using carbon-14 dating to help determine the age of giant trees. The work also involves producing seeds and seedlings from these trees, aiming to preserve the species in the face of climate change by promoting planting at higher altitude areas in the Santa Catarina mountain region – a process known as assisted migration. These projects are supported by FAPESC and CNPq.

Translated by SINTER/UFSC.

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International students from more than 20 countries are welcomed at UFSC. Photos: Gustavo Diehl/Agecom

Last Friday, 8 August 2025, the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) hosted a welcome event for international students from 20 countries in the Shared Building (EFI) Auditorium, on the Trindade Campus in Florianópolis. The event marked the start of the second semester of 2025 and featured a diverse day-long program.

Organized by the Office of International Relations (SINTER), in partnership with the Prorectorate for Undergraduate Studies and Basic Education (PROGRAD) and other institutional projects, the initiative aimed to support international students in adapting to university life and local culture. Their study buddies – volunteer UFSC students who help newcomers integrate – were also invited for the event.

The official welcome ceremony began at 9:00 a.m., with opening remarks from Rector Irineu Manoel de Souza, Secretary for International Relations Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho, and Director of International Relations Fernanda Leal. In their speeches, they stressed the role of internationalization in strengthening the University and presented the services and infrastructure available to the 1,643 international students currently enrolled at UFSC and who chose our university as part of their academic journey.

UFSC Rector, Irineu Manoel de Souza

Rector Irineu Manoel de Souza highlighted one of UFSC’s core pillars:

“UFSC has grown significantly in terms of internationalization, reflecting our collective work and commitment to excellence. The internationalization of our University occurs, above all, through our people. The work of our students, faculty and staff ensure that UFSC is recognized not only in Santa Catarina, but throughout Brazil, Latin America, and the world. We are a well-established University, with approximately 120 undergraduate programs and 156 graduate programs – all supported by our commitment to quality teaching, research, and outreach.”

He also reaffirmed UFSC’s commitment to inclusion:

“Even in the face of financial challenges, UFSC maintains solid student support policies, as we believe that inclusion and retention are fundamental pillars of the institution. We work tirelessly to ensure that all students entering UFSC have the necessary conditions to complete their degrees.”

Following the speeches, Secretary for International Relations Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho presented an institutional video showcasing UFSC’s history, values, and social impact, featuring testimonials from students. He also introduced the new international students by country, underscoring the diversity of backgrounds and academic programs. Of the 127 students, 120 are participating in the Incoming Program, coming from countries such as Germany, Spain, Canada, France, China, and Norway. Another seven joined UFSC through the Escala Estudiantes de Grado Program, of the Association of Montevideo Group Universities (AUGM), coming from Argentina and Uruguay. The Programa de Estudantes-Convênio de Graduação (PEC-G) brought four students from Angola, Cape Verde, Chile, and East Timor, who are studying at the Florianópolis and Joinville campuses.

About UFSC

Rector Irineu Manoel de Souza, Secretary Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho, and Director Fernanda Leal welcoming the students

Founded in 1960, UFSC has played a key role in the socioeconomic and cultural development of Santa Catarina. Present in five cities – Florianópolis, Araranguá, Curitibanos, Joinville, and Blumenau – the University is a multi-campus, democratic institution committed to diversity.

Ranked among the best universities in Brazil and Latin America, UFSC offers programs from early childhood education to doctoral degrees, with an academic community of around 40,000 people. Its inclusion policies include pioneering initiatives such as reserving places for Black, Indigenous, and Quilombola people, alongside student retention and assistance programs that benefit thousands of students.

In research and outreach, UFSC maintains partnerships with public agencies, civil society organizations, and private companies, reinforcing its role as a driver of innovation and social transformation.

Internationalization is another defining feature of UFSC, fostering the mobility of faculty, students and staff, and encouraging global knowledge exchange. For international students, UFSC strives to provide an enriching academic, professional, and cultural experience.

The welcome day also featured a performance by the Devassa Percussion Band, from the Medicine Student Athletic Association (AAAMEDUFSC). Afternoon activities included cultural workshops and guided tours; however, the visit to the São José da Ponta Grossa Fortress was postponed due to bad weather. Other activities on the Florianópolis Campus went ahead as planned.

For more information about the mobility programs and welcome initiatives for international students, visit SINTER website.

Rosiani Bion de Almeida | SECOM
imprensa.gr@contato.ufsc.br

Photos: Gustavo Diehl | Agecom | SECOM
agecom@contato.ufsc.br

Translated  by SINTER/UFSC.

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Four representatives from the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) will be sworn in as members of the Council for Sustainable Social and Economic Development (CDESS) on 5 August 2025, at the Planalto Palace in Brasília. The Vice-Rector Joana Célia dos Passos, Professor Marcelo Henrique Romano Tragtenberg, doctoral student João Carlos Nogueira – from the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Sciences (PPGICH) – and Ligia Moreiras Sena, a graduate of the doctoral programs in Collective Health and Pharmacology, will be officially appointed to the Council by the President of Brazil. This strategic forum plays a key role in advising the President by developing recommendations on public policies aimed at Brazil’s sustainable development.

Joana Célia dos Passos and Marcelo Tragtenberg are joining the CDESS for the first time, while João Carlos Nogueira and Ligia Moreiras Sena are beginning their second terms. The first three are also associated with the Antonieta de Barros Chair at UFSC, and Sena contributed to the formulation of the National Integrated Policy for Early Childhood, signed by President Lula in 2024. The UFSC representatives will join a body whose mission is to strengthen ties between the Federal Government and civil society, promoting plural dialogue among different sectors and contributing to the formulation of proposals essential for economic, social, and environmental progress.

The composition of the Council reflects a commitment to territorial, ethnic, racial, and gender diversity, ensuring it is representative and inclusive. Currently, 40% of its members are women and 30% are mixed race, Black, or Indigenous.

In addition to its diverse membership, the Council is organized into five Thematic Committees: Economic Affairs; Combating Inequalities; Law and Democracy; Environment and Sustainable Development; and Technology and Digital Transformation. These committees analyze government initiatives, develop specific recommendations, deepen debates, and offer solutions on topics such as energy transition and early childhood.

The appointments reaffirm UFSC’s commitment to developing public policies based on interdisciplinary knowledge and social inclusion. The presence of UFSC representatives in the CDESS not only highlights the University’s role as a leading voice in national debates but also provides opportunities to help shape guidelines and propose actions that positively impact the country, fostering economic growth, social justice, and environmental sustainability.

Rector’s Office  – Press Service / SECOM
imprensa.gr@contato.ufsc.br

Translated by SINTER/UFSC.

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Through two international projects, a research network will investigate the health of oysters farmed in Florianópolis and identify possible causes of mortality (Photo: CCB/UFSC)

A pioneering research network involving the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) and institutions in France and Chile is launching a major project aimed at improving oyster health. The goal is to identify pathogens potentially involved in oyster mortality during the summer and to help develop preventive farming strategies aligned with the One Health concept.

At UFSC, 13 researchers from the School of Biological Sciences (CCB), the School of Agricultural Sciences (CCA), and the School of Health Sciences (CCS) will take part in the network, along with a collaborator from the Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB). International partners include the universities of Montpellier and Perpignan, Ifremer (a French ocean research institute), and the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), in France; and the Pontifical Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (PUCV), the Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN) and the Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), in Chile. In total, about 30 researchers will participate in the network activities. The network will also include postdoctoral fellows and master’s and doctoral students from five UFSC graduate programs: Aquaculture, Biotechnology and Biosciences, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, and Food Sciences.

Researchers participating in the network during the launch of the initiative, held in May in Florianópolis (Photo: CCB/UFSC)

The work will center on two major international research projects: EcoHealth4Sea – International Consortium on One Health Applied to Coastal Ecosystems, funded by CNRS, and Sentinels – Ecological Health in Coastal Marine Environments Used for Oyster Farming, funded by the Capes/Cofecub Program, which supports joint Brazil-French research. UFSC will host the Brazilian headquarters for the initiative in an international laboratory to be established at the School of Biological Sciences (CCB). The effort also has support from the Research and Innovation Support Foundation of the State of Santa Catarina (Fapesc): the DiagnOSTRA project was approved under Call for Proposals 21/2024 (Universal Research Program), enabling the acquisition of consumables and equipment.

One Health

Professor Rafael Diego da Rosa, from CCB, researches oyster immunogenetics and is one of the partnership coordinators. He explains that aquaculture is an economic activity highly impacted by emerging or existing marine pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, which affect not only farmed animals but also the human populations that depend on these ecosystems.

One Health applied to coastal ecosystems means looking at the health of the entire environment, not just humans or other isolated species. “Oysters are sentinel organisms. Because they filter large volumes of water, they accumulate everything present in it. So studying oysters also means studying water quality and the overall health of the marine ecosystem,” he explains.

Oyster spat of the Magallana gigas species produced at the UFSC Marine Molluscs Laboratory (Photo: CCB/UFSC)

According to Professor da Rosa, the causes of high mollusc mortality during the hottest months of the year — a phenomenon similar to that studied in other oyster-farming countries — are not yet fully understood. Since the 1990s, when farming of the Japanese oyster Magallana gigas  (formerly Crassostrea gigas) began in Santa Catarina through the Marine Molluscs Laboratory at UFSC, high mortality rates have been observed during the summer, with losses reaching up to 50% of production, according to data from the Santa Catarina State Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Agency (Epagri-SC). Possible causes include predation, pathogen infections, pollution, or limited resistance to environmental stressors such as temperature, salinity and PH fluctuations.

Investigation

Over the coming years, UFSC researchers will conduct sampling and analyses of oysters farmed in Florianópolis’ North and South Bays to determine whether the mortality causes resemble those found in Europe. There, research has identified polymicrobial infections known as Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS) as the main cause of oyster mortality, with Vibrio bacteria and the oyster herpesvirus OsHV-1 recognized as the principal etiological agents.

“Because these are very distant locations with different environmental conditions, it is possible that here the situation will be different, with mortality caused by other infectious factors, such as viruses and bacteria distinct from those found in Europe, or by some aspect related to climate change,” explains Professor da Rosa. The network will exchange information to identify common phenomena and seek solutions to ensure oyster health, preventing losses and the spread of pathogens that may affect other organisms.

Oyster farming overview

Oyster samples will be collected from farms in the North and South bays, such as those in Ribeirão da Ilha (Photo: CCB/UFSC)

Brazil ranked as the world’s 13th largest aquaculture producer in 2024 – an industry covering molluscs, fish, crustaceans, algae, and other commercial species. In 2022, global fishing and aquaculture production reached a record high in aquaculture production of aquatic animals, surpassing capture fisheries for the first time, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The organization recognizes aquaculture production as a key solution for improving food and nutritional security, alleviating poverty, and driving socioeconomic development, especially in coastal communities. The sector employed approximately 61 million people in 2022.

The state of Santa Catarina is Brazil’s leading producer of oysters, scallops and mussels, accounting for 93.2% of national production in 2023, according to data from Epagri. The main oyster farms are located in the municipalities of Florianópolis, Palhoça, and São José. In 2023, the state produced 1,731 tons of oysters, 98.5% of which were Magallana gigas, with the remainder consisting of native species such as Crassostrea gasar.

Ana Paula Lückman | ana.paula.luckman@ufsc.br
Agecom Journalist | UFSC

Translated by SINTER/UFSC.

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In Chemistry alone, 13 UFSC researchers appear in the ranking, with more than 3,200 publications. Photo by Daiane Mayer/Agecom/UFSC

The Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC)  has 34 scientists across 12 disciplines among the most influential in the world, according to the ranking Best Scientists in the World By Discipline 2025, published by Research.com, which measured and disclosed the impact of their work.

Compared to the 2023 edition, which included 26 UFSC researchers, this year’s ranking reflects an increase in citations of work associated with UFSC and its scholars, based on Research.com’s evaluation criteria. In the field of Chemistry alone, 13 researchers stood out, with a total of 3,264 publications recorded.

In the national ranking by discipline, UFSC ranks second in Electrical Engineering, third in Chemistry, and seventh in fields such as Medicine and Engineering and Technology.

According to Research.com, UFSC researchers have produced a total of 6,766 publications, with an average of 199 publications per researcher. The total number of citations among the highlighted scientists is 249,032, with an average of 7,324.47 citations per researcher.

List of UFSC scientists in the ranking

See the names cited in the ranking, as they appear on the platform. The disciplines, also defined by the platform, are listed below in alphabetical order.

Animal Science and Veterinary

Maurício Laterça Martins
Maria José Hötzel

Chemistry

Bernhard Welz (in memorian)
Antonio L. Braga
Rosendo A. Yunes
J. Vladimir Oliveira
Moacir Geraldo Pizzolatti
Debora de Oliveira
Ademir Neves (in memorian)
Eduardo Carasek
Regina de Fátima Peralta Muniz Moreira
Adailton J. Bortoluzzi
Roseane Fett
Valdir Soldi
Faruk Nome

Ecology and Evolution

Sergio R. Floeter
Paulo Antunes Horta
Malva Isabel Medina Hernández

Electronics and Electrical Engineering

Ivo Barbi
Julio E. Normey-Rico
Richard Demo Souza

Engineering and Technology

Roberto Lamberts
Enedir Ghisi

Environmental Sciences

Marcos L.S. Oliveira

Materials Science

Dachamir Hotza

Mathematics

Ruy Exel

Medicine

João B. Calixto

Microbiology

Álvaro José Romanha (in memorian)

Neuroscience

Ana Lúcia S. Rodrigues
Reinaldo N. Takahashi
Roger Walz
Peter Wolf

Plant Science and Agronomy

Marcelo Maraschin
Miguel Pedro Guerra

About the platform

Research.com is an educational platform designed to helps students find the best schools, academic opportunities, and career paths. The platform features popular rankings of colleges and universities in the United States and other countries around the world, with an overview of each institution based on various metrics. In the 2024 ranking, UFSC ranked seventh in Brazil and fourth among Brazilian federal universities.

Translated by SINTER/UFSC.

Read the original article here.