"Laboratórios da Natureza" is a documentary that follows biologists from the University of Aveiro

In Portugal, there is no strong tradition of national production of documentaries about science, and even less of documentaries about scientific research carried out in Portugal. For this reason, the broadcast on the SIC television channel of the new documentary "Laboratories of Nature" is excellent news for science and science communication. All the more so because it was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Ecology and Biodiversity category at the VIII Art&Tur International Tourism Film Festivala festival which, this year, featured 256 films from 54 countries.

The documentary follows five research projects and around 30 scientists from the University of Aveiro. It is divided into five chapters: "Endangered marine species", "Nanoparticles - the invisible dangers", "The threat of multi-resistant bacteria", "The Baixo Vouga Lagoon - Biodiversity Reserve" and "Life in the deep seas". It resulted from an original idea by Joaquim Pedro Ferreira and Paulo Caetano, authors of several science books on natural life and biodiversity, and also authors of the documentary. Their aim was to show how biologists contribute to the well-being of society and to a better relationship with the living world. Joaquim Pedro Ferreira is an FCT post-doctoral fellow in the area of Science Communication and this documentary is part of his research project.

Filming for the documentary took place over 16 months, following the research projects as they went along. projects as they progressed. Of the five projects covered, three are or have been supported by the FCT. One of the projects is coordinated by an FCT researcher, selected in the 2013 Call Isabel Henriques is studying the risks associated with the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from hospitals to the aquatic environments of the River Vouga, and is looking for solutions to minimize these risks.

Another FCT-funded project, coordinated by Ana Hilário, seeks to identify how different species live on the seabed. To simulate the habitat of whale carcasses on the ocean floor, the team placed cow carcasses in the Setúbal canyon. They collected them a year later to analyse what kind of organisms had colonized the carcasses.

Carlos Fonseca's team is investigating the unique habitat of farmland surrounded by hedgerows. These habitats are home to a wide variety of animals, including frogs, mice and bats, foxes, ginets and otters. By identifying and tracking these animals, the researchers hope to contribute to the sustainable coexistence of agriculture and biodiversity.

Susana Loureiro and her team's goal is to learn about the effects of nanoparticles used in sports jerseys and sunscreens, for example, on the environment and health. 

The documentary also follows the team of biologists who, under the coordination of Catarina Eira, rescue animals such as dolphins, sea turtles and even seals that wash up on the Portuguese coast, trying to identify the main threats to these species.

(Image credits: University of Aveiro and Terra Líquida Filmes)