Joana Maria Mendonça Marques

I am an ecologist and lichenologist with a strong interest in applying scientific knowledge to the conservation of cultural heritage. My research focuses on lichen-induced weathering processes in natural environments, with the conservation of rock surfaces in cultural settings as target application. 

I am the Principal Investigator of the ROCKinBIO group at BIOPOLIS/CIBIO-InBIO, which integrates ecological knowledge into the conservation of rock hewn cultural heritage.

My research is inherently multidisciplinary, situated at the intersection of ecology, geomorphology, and heritage science. It is structured around five main lines aligned with ROCKinBIO’s research:

• Remote sensing and ecological modelling for the conservation of rock-hewn cultural heritage
Applying landscape-level tools to understand and predict biological colonisation patterns and weathering dynamics at fine spatial scales.

• Contributions of ecology to the biodeterioration vs. bioprotection debate
Investigating the dual role of lichens and other organisms as both agents of deterioration and natural protectors of stone surfaces, to inform evidence-based conservation strategies.

• Lichenometry as a tool to date unrecorded human interventions on heritage surfaces
Using lichen growth patterns to estimate the timing of past disturbances, while also providing data to support ecological modelling.

• Palaeoecological reconstructions of Late Pleistocene communities
Exploring long-term biogeomorphic processes by reconstructing ancient lichen communities and their roles on rock surfaces under changing environmental conditions.

• Omics approaches for cultural heritage studies
Developing molecular tools, including a lichen DNA barcode database, to support biodiversity assessments and monitoring in heritage contexts.

I am committed to science communication and public engagement, regularly participating in outreach initiatives and disseminating my research through national media channels. 

I am also a collaborator at the Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto, where I support efforts to document and conserve lichen diversity in Portugal. I maintain a particular research interest in the ecology and biology of lichens in arid and semi-arid environments around the world.

I am an active member of the IUCN SSC Lichen Specialist Group and am involved in the preparation of the first Portuguese Checklist and Red List of Threatened Lichens for both Portugal and Spain. I am a long-standing member of the International Association for Lichenology and the Spanish Lichen Society, contributing to the international network of researchers dedicated to the study and conservation of lichens.