Dr. Marcelo Soeth

Background & Qualifications

My journey in the world of marine science traces back to the shores of southern Brazil, my birthplace. I found myself immersed in the world of fishing since I was very young, guided by my grandfather. He shared invaluable fishing techniques and kindled in me a profound curiosity for marine life, setting the course for my eventual career.

My educational background comprises a degree in Aquaculture Technology from the Federal Institute of Santa Catarina (2009) and a subsequent degree in Biological Sciences, specializing in Marine Biology (2010), from the University of the Joinville Region, Brazil. Subsequently, I completed my Master's (2013) and Doctorate (2019) degrees within the Coastal and Oceanic System Post-Graduate Program at the Federal University of Paraná, Brazil, where I have also served as a Collaborating Professor since 2019.

I began my career as a Marine Biologist in 2010, working with oyster and fish cultures at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Brazil. However, my research focus has predominantly centered on studying marine fish assemblages and populations. My master's thesis focused on elucidating fish assemblages' spatial and temporal determinants in estuarine environments and their correlations with environmental and biological variables. My Ph.D. research was on fishery biology, including age, growth, and reproduction, as well as fish movement ecology and fish stock identification. I utilized the rich source of demographic information and phenotypic variation contained in otoliths for these investigations.

Additionally, from 2014 to 2019, I had the opportunity to work as an ichthyologist and project coordinator for MarBrasil, a non-governmental organization. In these roles, I conducted underwater visual censuses and implemented standard monitoring units to assess the effectiveness of marine protected areas and artificial reefs in promoting the recovery of overexploited fish populations in southern Brazil. From 2020 to 2023, I worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the Aquatic Biota Monitoring Program (PMBA) that evaluate the long-term effects of the world's largest mining disaster. During my tenure at PMBA, I participated in three subprojects, primarily focusing on employing acoustic telemetry to examine the movement patterns of fat snook in estuarine ecosystems in eastern Brazil.

I began working as a Finfish Scientist at the Fisheries Department of the Falkland Islands in August 2023.

Research Interests

My research interests span various areas applied to the sustainable management of exploited fish populations, including fisheries biology and ecology, decoding otolith archives (natural tags), defining fish population structure and its boundaries, and fish movement ecology.

Publications

Brandl, S.J., Weigt, L.A., Pitassy, D.E., Coker, D.J., Patrick, C.J., Luchese, M.H., Berumen, M.L., Buskey, E.J., Casey, J.M., Di Domenico, M., Soeth, M., Topor, Z.M., Duffy, J.E., Baldwin, C.C., Hagedorn, M., Parenti, L.R., 2023. Using standardized fish‐specific autonomous reef monitoring structures (FARMS) to quantify cryptobenthic fish communities. Methods Ecol. Evol. 2023, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210x.14085

Contente, R.F., Marion, C., Silva, J.V., Soeth, M., Lopes Condini, M.V., Lopes Almeida, L., Louis Spach, H., Hostim-Silva, M., 2023. Surf-zone fish assemblage structure and its diel variability in an ocean beach of Espírito Santo (Central Brazilian coast). Lat. Am. J. Aquat. Res. 51, 133–144. https://doi.org/10.3856/vol51-issue1-fulltext-2925

Santos, R.A.M., Condini, M.V., Almeida, L.L., Soeth, M., Bertoncini, A.A., Hostim-Silva, M. 2022. Unraveling the first steps of juvenile Atlantic goliath grouper Epinephelus itajara (Perciformes: Epinephelidae) in a tropical estuary at the southwestern Atlantic coast. Mar. Bio. Research, 18:5-6, 372-379. https://doi.org/10.1080/17451000.2022.2119251

Soeth, M., Daros, F.A., Correia, A.T., Fabré, N.N., Medeiros, R., Feitosa, C.V., de Sousa Duarte, O., Lenz, T.M., Spach, H.L., 2022. Otolith phenotypic variation as an indicator of stock structure of Scomberomorus brasiliensis from the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Fish. Res. 252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2022.106357

Condini, M.V., Pichler, H.A., de Oliveira-Filho, R.R., Cattani, A.P., Andrades, R., Vilar, C.C., Joyeux, J.C., Soeth, M., De Biasi, J.B., Eggertsen, L., Dias, R., Hackradt, C.W., Félix-Hackradt, F.C., Chiquieri, J., Garcia, A.M., Hostim-Silva, M., 2022. Marine fish assemblages of Eastern Brazil: An update after the world's largest mining disaster and suggestions of functional groups for biomonitoring long-lasting effects. Sci. Total Environ. 807. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150987

Schwarz Junior, R., Franco, A.C.N.P., Ribeiro, A. de S., Martins, M.A., Soeth, M., Cardoso, O.R., Spach, H.L., 2021. Ecological and growth patterns of the longsnout seahorse Hippocampus reidi inferred by mark-recapture techniques in a tropical estuary. Biota Neotrop. 21. https://doi.org/10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2020-1130

Nunes, M.U.S., Cardoso, O.R., Soeth, M., Silvano, R.A.M., Fávaro, L.F., 2021. Fishers' ecological knowledge on the reproduction of fish and shrimp in a subtropical coastal ecosystem. Hydrobiologia 8, 929–942. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-020-04503-8

Hoff, N.T., Dias, J.F., de Lourdes Zani-Teixeira, M., Soeth, M., Correia, A.T. 2020. Population structure of the bigtooth corvina Isopisthus parvipinnis from the Southwest Atlantic Ocean as determined by whole-body morphology. Regional Studies of Marine Science 39, 101379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101379

Soeth, M., Metri, R. Simioni, B.I., Loose, R., Coqueiro, G.S., Spach, H.L., Daros, F.A., Adelir-Alves, J., 2020. Vulnerable sandstone reefs: Biodiversity and habitat at risk. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 150, 110680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110680

Soeth, M, Spach, H.L., Daros, F.A., Castro, J.P., Correia, A.T. 2020. Use of otolith elemental signatures to unravel lifetime movement patterns of Atlantic spadefish, Chaetodipterus faber, in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean. Journal of Sea Research, 158, 101873. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2020.101873

Cattani, A. P., Ribeiro, G. C., Hostim-Silva, M., Soeth, M., Clezar, L., Cardoso, O. R., Pichler, H. A., Spach, H. L. 2020. Spatial and temporal differences in the fish assemblage structure in a subtropical estuary. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research, v. 48, p. 1-13, 2020. https://doi.org/10.3856/vol48-issue1-fulltext-1927

Mafra, L.L., Nolli, P.K.W., Mota, L.E., Domit, C., Soeth, M., Luz, L.F.G., Sobrinho, B.F., Leal, J.G., Di Domenico, M. 2019. Multi-species okadaic acid contamination and human poisoning during a massive bloom of Dinophysis acuminata complex in southern Brazil. Harmful Algae 89, 101662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hal.2019.101662

Ribeiro, G.C., Cattani, A.P, Silva, Mauricio Hostim, Clezar, L., Passos, A.C., Soeth, M., Cardoso, O. R., Spach, H.L., 2019. Marine ichthyofauna of Santa Catarina Island, Southern Brazil: checklist with comments on the species. Biota Neotropica 19(3), 1-12. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1590/1676-0611-BN-2018-0684

Adelir-Alves, J., Daros, F.A.L.M., Spach, H.L., Soeth, M., Correia, A.T., 2019. Otoliths as a tool to study reef fish population structure from coastal islands of South Brazil. Mar. Biol. Res. 14, 973–988. https://doi.org/10.1080/17451000.2019.1572194

Soeth, M., Spach, H.L., Daros, F.A., Adelir-Alves, J., de Almeida, A.C.O., Correia, A.T., 2019. Stock structure of Atlantic spadefish Chaetodipterus faber from Southwest Atlantic Ocean inferred from otolith elemental and shape signatures. Fish. Res. 211, 81–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2018.11.003

Soeth, M., Fávaro, L.F., Spach, H.L., Daros, F.A., Woltrich, A.E., Correia, A.T., 2019. Age, growth, and reproductive biology of the Atlantic spadefish Chaetodipterus faber in southern Brazil. Ichthyol. Res. 66, 140–154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-018-0663-2

Soeth, M., Adelir-Alves, J., Loose, R., Daros, F.A., Spach, H.L., 2018. First record of Pomacanthus maculosus (Perciformes, Pomacanthidae) in the south-western Atlantic Ocean. J. Fish Biol. 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.13791

Adelir-Alves, J., Soeth, M., Braga, R.R., Spach, H.L., 2018. Non-native reef fishes in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean: a recent record of Heniochus acuminatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Perciformes, Chaetodontidae) and biological aspects of Chromis limbata (Valenciennes, 1833) (Perciformes, Pomacentridae).           Check List 14, 379–385. https://doi.org/10.15560/14.2.379

Daros, F.A., Bueno, L.S., Soeth, M., Bertoncini, Á.A., Hostim-silva, M., Spach, H.L., 2018. Rocky reef fish assemblage structure in coastal islands of southern Brazil. Lat. Am. J. Aquat. Res. 46, 197–211. https://doi.org/10.3856/vol46-issue1-fulltext-19

Cattani, A.P., Cardoso, O.R., Ribeiro, G.C., Soeth, M., Hostim-Silva, M., Clezar, L., Pichler, H.A., Spach, H.L., 2018. Fish species richness in shallow environments of the Island of Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil. Rev. CEPSUL: Bio. Cons. Mar. 7, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.37002/revistacepsul.vol7.729e20018001

Cattani, A.P., Ribeiro, G.C., Marcon, E., Soeth, M., Hostim-Silva, M., Clezar, L., Spach, H.L., 2016. Fish assemblage dynamics in the Ratones River Mangrove, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Pan-Am. J. Aquatic Sci. 11, 324–325 https://panamjas.org/pdf_artigos/PANAMJAS_11(4)_324-335.pdf

Soeth, M., Ribeiro, G.C., Spach, H.L., Cattani, A.P., Andrade, V.K., 2015. Comparison of the temporal and taxonomic patterns of ichthyofauna captured with a fyke net in two sheltered environments in southern Brazil. Lat. Am. J. Aquat. Res. 43, 107–122. https://doi.org/10.3856/vol43-issue1-fulltext-10

Ribeiro, G.C., Soeth, M., Andrade, V.K., Spach, H.L., Cattani, A.P., 2014. Nycthemeral and monthly occupation of the fish assemblage on a sheltered beach of baía norte, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina state, Brazil. Brazilian J. Oceanogr. 62, 209–223. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1679-87592014065606203

Soeth, M., Spach, H.L., Ribeiro, G.C., Andrade, V.K., 2014. Variação temporal de peixes em diferentes fases ontogenéticas em uma praia abrigada da Baía Norte, Sul do Brasil. Neotrop. Biol. Conserv. 9, 27–41. https://doi.org/10.4013/nbc.2014.91.04

Soeth, M., Daros, F.A., Lima, L.C., 2013. Amiloodiniose em juvenis de Diplodus argenteus (Sparidae) mantidos em diferentes salinidades. Bol. Ins. Pesca 39, 45– 51. https://www.pesca.sp.gov.br/39_1_45-51.pdf