The Portuguese Coastal Ocean, a Broad Vision over the North Atlantic Environment
Abstract
Instituto Hidrografico (IH), the Portuguese Hydrographic Office, is a State Laboratory that develops a broad range of activities in the areas of hydrography and cartography, physical oceanography, marine chemistry and pollution and marine geology, covering the continental and insular Portuguese margins. The vast and complex geographical area covered comprises key regions for the understanding of the connectivity mechanisms between the European and North African continental margins, the North Atlantic basin and the Mediterranean or for the study of mid-ocean islands environments such as the isolated archipelagos of Azores and Madeira. IH operates an integrated real-time ocean monitoring system for the Portuguese EEZ - the MONIZEE system - which includes networks of multiparametric buoys (providing waves, meteorological parameters, temperature and currents in the water column, near surface DO2 and fluorometry, acoustical monitoring and, through collaborations, hosting low cost contaminant samplers and larvae traps), of coastal HF radars, of coastal tidal stations and of classical wave buoys. The MONIZEE system is feeding GTS, IBIROOS and EMODNET, is contributing to global programs such as NEAMTWS or GLOSS and is part of European networks (JERICO-NEXT) and regional observatories (OCASO). The system is also providing real-time observations and forecast products to governmental and local authorities, port administrations, research and nautical communities (e.g. fishermen, surfers) and to the general public. To meet its national responsibilities IH also conducts an intensive survey program under the framework of programs such as "Mapping of the Portuguese Sea" (bathymetric surveying), "SEDMAR" (sedimentary mapping) and "AQUIMAR" (environmental characterization in support of the implementation of coastal aquacultures). Here we present IH monitoring capacities and identify future challenges (e.g. MONIZEE articulation with autonomous vehicles and with citizen science programs) and future developments (e.g. the extension of activities to a broader Atlantic domain through collaborations with Portuguese speaking African countries), highlighting the potential contributions to the UN Decade of Oceanic Sciences for Sustainable Development.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMOS53B1532V
- Keywords:
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- 4262 Ocean observing systems;
- OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL