Presentation
I am an oceanographer, trained in an era when the great icon of the field was — and still is — Jacques Cousteau. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Geological Oceanography and a master’s degree in Biological Oceanography, both from the Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), Brazil, completed between 1988–1993 and 1994–1997, respectively.
From the early stages of my career, I developed a strong interest in Polar Oceanography. I participated in my first Antarctic research cruise in 1994, followed by a second expedition in 1995, aboard the polar icebreaker Nathaniel B. Palmer (NBP94-5 and NBP95-5). These early experiences were fundamental to my scientific training, providing direct exposure to sea-ice dynamics and the complexity of polar systems.
Between 1997 and 2002, I completed my doctoral training in Polar Oceanography at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven, Germany, where I further developed my work in high-latitude environments and interdisciplinary Earth system research.
Upon returning to Brazil, I began my academic teaching career at higher education institutions in Bahia and São Paulo. I held teaching positions at the State University of Santa Cruz (UESC) and later in Santos (UNESP, the now-extinct UNIMONTE, UniSanta, and Senac Santos), between 2003 and 2011. In 2007–2008, I completed my first postdoctoral fellowship at the São Carlos School of Engineering (University of São Paulo – USP), focusing on hydrometry and hydrology. Subsequently, I carried out a second postdoctoral appointment in paleoceanography at the Department of Geochemistry, Fluminense Federal University (UFF), from 2011 to 2015.
I am currently a professor at the School of Engineering of UFF, where I teach environmental modeling and climate change to engineering students, as well as physical oceanography and related topics at the graduate level, particularly within the Graduate Program in Ocean and Earth Dynamics (PPG-DOT).
My research activities focus primarily on the analysis of oceanographic and climatic time series, with emphasis on low-frequency signals, natural variability, and climate change. In recent years, I have increasingly incorporated Machine Learning and Deep Learning techniques into my research, fully aware that learning to program — especially in Python — is a continuous and ever-evolving process.
I am currently working on a book on Time Series Analysis in Oceanography and remain open to collaborations in paleoceanography, climate modeling, and the development of computational tools for climate change research. Some of my reflections and essays can be found on Medium.
📫 Contact
The most direct way to reach me is via email at andrebelem@id.uff.br. I am also present on academic and professional platforms such as LinkedIn, GitHub, ORCID, ResearchGate, and Lattes. For in-person meetings, please refer to my current institutional schedule at UFF.
Personal interests
Outside academia, I am a vegetarian, enjoy cooking, and actively participate in the maintenance of a community garden and a small botanical collection. I also engage in outdoor activities such as stand-up paddleboarding, Polynesian canoeing, diving, and outdoor photography.
⚡ Fun fact
In 2024, I completed 30 years of fieldwork in Antarctica. Nearly every year, I return to the frozen continent for scientific research, international collaboration, and — in many ways — to a place that has become a second home.