Françoise Lima holds a Ph.D. in Systematics and Evolution from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil), in collaboration with La Trobe University and James Cook University (Australia). She has extensive experience in scientific research across various domains of marine biology and ecology, with a particular emphasis on molecular genetics, evolution, seascape ecology, niche modeling, fisheries management, and species conservation. With over 15 years of fieldwork experience in marine environments, including coastal areas and oceanic islands, she currently serves as a researcher at the University of the Azores - Okeanos. In this role, she is a member of the COSTA project (COnsolidating Sea Turtle Conservation in the Azores). Her research primarily focuses on the use of molecular genetics (Sanger and Next-Generation Sequencing - NGS) and active/passive dispersal models to assess the genetic diversity, gene flow, and connectivity patterns of North Atlantic sea turtles.