Jump to the content
Hydraulics and Environment Department Hydraulics and Environment Department

Luís Ivens Portela

Luís Ivens Portela
Head of Unit
Phone: 218 443 458

Professional Situation

Research Officer - Head of the Estuaries and Coastal Zone Unit.

Academic and Scientific Degrees

  • 1998 – Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon.
  • 1989 – Degree in Civil Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon.

Functions and Relevant Public Offices

  • Head of the Estuaries and Coastal Zones Division, LNEC (since 2012).
  • Researcher, LNEC: Research Officer (since 2000); Fellow Research Trainee and Ph.D. Researcher (1989-2000).
  • Teaching Assistant, Instituto Superior Técnico (1988-1990).

Areas of Research / Interest

  • Numerical modelling of estuarine and coastal processes.
  • Experimental study of cohesive sediments.
  • Conservation and environmental management of coastal systems.

Research and Professional Activity

Has taken part in 16 research projects funded by the European Union, the Foundation for Science and Technology of Portugal and LNEC. Examples:
  • European Partnership Water4All – Water Security for the Planet (Horizon Europe, 2022-2027);
  • MorFeed - Morphodynamic feedback of estuarine margins to climate change (Foundation for Science and Technology, 2010-2012);
  • Murano - Rehabilitation of saltpan walls of Aveiro lagoon (Foundation for Science and Technology, 2008-2010).
Has taken part in 60 consultancy projects in Portugal, Angola, Cabo Verde, Mozambique and Macau, often as project leader. Examples:
  • Monitoring programme of the dredging of the upper zone of Óbidos Lagoon (Portugal, 2021);
  • Improvement of the maritime accessibility to the Port of Aveiro (Portugal, 2021);
  • Modelling to support the interventions at the beaches of Costa da Caparica (Portugal, 2019);
  • Accretion near the Silopor quay at Trafaria (Portugal, 2018);
  • DGRM multiannual port dredging plan 2018-2022 (Portugal, 2017);
  • Resort in Santa Maria Islet, Praia: numerical modelling studies (Cabo Verde, 2016);
  • Assessment of scour monitoring at Vasco da Gama Bridge (Portugal, 2015);
  • Effect of connecting Luanda Bay and Chicala Lagoon (Angola, 2013);
  • Evaluation of the reconfiguration of the inlet of the Portimão harbour and the dredging of the access channel (Portugal, 2013);
  • Modelling of currents, tides, waves and sediment transport in Nacala Bay (Mozambique, 2012).
Has also taken part in several specialized commissions. Examples:
  • Sediment Working Group (Secretary of State for the Environment, 2015).
Academic awards:
  • 1998/99 – Portuguese Water Resources Association Prize, awarded to Ph.D. thesis: ‘Mathematical modelling of hydrodynamic and water quality processes in the Tagus Estuary’.
  • 1992 – Young Engineer Innovation Prize, awarded by Order of Engineers.
Author of 68 scientific publications and 129 reports and technical notes.

Scientific Orientation

  • Ph.D.: Sandra Costa (2012-2016).
  • M.Sc.: Susana Ramos (2011-2013); Fábio Ribeiro (2013-2014); Ana Custódio (2013-2016).

Relevant Publications

  • Portela, L.I., 2022. Dragagens nos portos comerciais de Portugal Continental (1991-2020): contributo para uma síntese. In: 10as Jornadas Portuguesas de Engenharia Costeira e Portuária, Sines, 9 pp.
  • Portela, L.I., 2022. Erosões localizadas nos esporões da Costa da Caparica. In: 6ª Conferência sobre Morfodinâmica Estuarina e Costeira: 53-54. LNEC.
  • Portela, L.I., 2020. Evolução do sistema Bugio-Caparica entre 1980 e 2018. In: 6as Jornadas de Engenharia Hidrográfica: 300-303. Instituto Hidrográfico.
  • Portela, L.I., 2020. Correntes, ondas e transporte de sedimentos na baía de Nacala, Moçambique. In: 6as Jornadas de Engenharia Hidrográfica: 324-327. Instituto Hidrográfico.
  • Portela, L.I., 2019. Erosões localizadas na vizinhança do esporão EV2 da Cova do Vapor. In: 5ª Conferência sobre Morfodinâmica Estuarina e Costeira: 9-10. Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa.
  • Portela, L.I., Teixeira, S., Sancho, F., 2018. Evolução da praia da Nazaré após a construção do porto de pesca. In: IX Simpósio da Margem Ibérica Atlântica: 321-322. Universidade de Coimbra.
  • Portela, L.I., 2018. Dinâmica sedimentar e evolução a longo prazo do porto da Praia, ilha de Santiago, Cabo Verde. In: 5as Jornadas de Engenharia Hidrográfica: 245-248. Instituto Hidrográfico.
  • Portela, L.I., 2018. Taxas de acumulação sedimentar no porto de pesca da Nazaré. In: 5as Jornadas de Engenharia Hidrográfica: 253-256. Instituto Hidrográfico.
  • Portela, L.I., Custódio, A., Teixeira, A.T., 2016. Deposition in flowing water of fine sediments under different salinity conditions. Journal of Coastal Research SI 75: 118-122.
  • Portela, L.I., Ramos, S., Teixeira, A.T., 2013. Effect of salinity on the settling velocity of fine sediments of a harbour basin. Journal of Coastal Research SI 65: 1188-1193.
  • Portela, L.I., 2008. Sediment transport and morphodynamics of the Douro River estuary. Geo-Marine Letters 28: 77-86.
  • Portela, L.I., 2006. Sediment delivery from the Guadiana estuary to the coastal ocean. Journal of Coastal Research SI 39: 1819-1823.

Other scientific and technical Activities

Co-organisation by LNEC of the 8th international SedNet conference ‘Innovative Sediment Management’ (2013).

« return