Raquel Alves is a Madeira native and research technician at MARE-Madeira. Her passion for the ocean from an early age eventually led to a BSc in Biology from the University of Algarve and an MSc in Applied Marine Biology from the University of Aveiro. She completed a master’s internship at MARE-Madeira titled "Insights into Marine Megafauna Studies in the Madeira Archipelago," which sparked her interest in the study and conservation of Marine Megafauna in Madeira’s waters.