Professor Manfred Kaufmann holds a PhD in Biological Oceanography and a Masters in Biology (majors: Marine Zoology, Fisheries Biology and Marine Chemistry), both from the Institute of Marine Research, Kiel, Germany (now: Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research). His main research areas are phytoplankton communities and dynamics around seamounts and islands (taxonomy and ecology), potentially harmful benthic dinoflagellates (HAB) and marine ecology. He is an associate professor at the University of Madeira, having extensive experience in undergraduate and postgraduate (master’s, doctoral) training. He is an associate researcher at MARE/ARNET (MARE-Madeira) and a member of the Madeira Ocean Observatory (OOM), which promotes marine and environmental research at a more local and regional level.