In March 1992, he conducted his first field trip for marine mammals and subsequently began working with the Aquatic Mammal Study Group of Rio Grande do Sul (GEMARS), an institution where he continues to work as a researcher to this day.

Daniel is an advisor for Master's and Ph.D. students at the State University of Santa Cruz. His current research interests include the study of the distribution and density of marine megafauna through aerial monitoring, the ecology, health, and behavior of marine mammals using drone monitoring, the life history of cetaceans, and monitoring interactions between marine mammals and human activities.