Marine Environment Observation – Centro Tecnológico del Mar
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Marine Environment Observation

By 17 January, 2025 No Comments

The Coastal Observatory of the Xunta de Galicia (Regional Government) improves its ocean-meteorologic stations network with a new observation platform in the Rande bridge

  • The new infrastructure will incorporate sensors and technological solutions developed within the Galician Marine Sciences Programme by the IEO-CSIC, IIM-CSIC and the University of Vigo
  • The station will be fully operational before the summer, joining the other five stations in A Garda, Cíes, Muros, Ribeira and Cortegada

CETMAR has installed a new platform for the observation of the marine environment in one of the concrete dolphins of the Rande bridge, in the Ría de Vigo, with the collaboration of the Instituto Tecnolóxico para o Control do Medio Mariño-Intecmar and the Galician Marine Sciences Programme.

This infrastructure will improve the monitoring of biogeochemical parameters of the Galician ocean-meteorological stations network of the Coastal Observatory of the Xunta de Galicia.  Up to now it was focused on monitoring classical parameters such as wind, sea temperature or salinity. The network is made up by six automatic platforms, like the A Garda, Cíes, Muros and Ribeira buoys, the Rande station and the Cortegada platform.

The new structure will be the basis to integrate the advances in the observation of marine environment obtained in the Galician Marine Sciences Program. In fact, this area constitutes one of the main pillars. The joint effort of the entities is allowing the development of technologies and methodologies to obtain better data on the marine environment efficiently.

Installed in one of the concrete dolphins of the Rande bridge, the station will enable the monitoring of biogeochemical variables by integrating different sensors and technologies whose prototype is already operational in Dávila Marina in Bouzas, in the Port of Vigo. They will measure continuously some essential oceanographic variables such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen in the water, pH, fluorescence, or radon concentration, through the collection of data throughout the water column.

With the collaboration of the Coastal Observatory of the Xunta de Galicia, and particularly Intecmar, CETMAR enables this new infrastructure to install measuring equipment continuously and autonomously. Developed with an open access by different Galician research organizations, the maintenance is assumed by CETMAR just like the other stations.

The work of CETMAR, under the Regional Department of Maritime Affairs, is part of the collaboration agreement signed in 2021 between the abovementioned organism and the Regional Department for the Environment and Climate Change. This department coordinates the work developed since 2008 by MeteoGalicia, Intecmar and CETMAR, enabling the activity of the Coastal Observatory of the Xunta de Galicia and the contribution to an efficient management of extreme events, resilience to climate change and sustainable management of marine resources.

The Coastal Observatory of the Xunta de Galicia not only provides data, but also quality and useful predictions for research and sustainable management of the marine environment.  It also supplies the necessary information for emergency management, thanks to the daily work of MeteoGalicia and Intecmar. Regarding maritime rescue, it is an indispensable support for Gardacostas de Galicia (regional coastguard service) and Salvamento Marítimo (national maritime rescue), and a key piece to execute the territorial contingency plan for accidental marine pollution in Galicia (Camgal).

The information from the sea obtained by the observatory’s infrastructures facilitates the sustainable development of the productive sectors, offering information on the salinity decrease and the temperature increase, supporting studies on the production areas and generating value-added products for the general population (information on beaches, ports, etc.) or for specific sectors of the blue economy.

About the Galician Marine Sciences Programme

The Galician Marine Sciences Programme is a comprehensive and multidisciplinary scientific initiative to address the challenges of global change and is committed to the conservation and sustainable management of marine ecosystems in Galicia. It is part of the complementary science plans of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities included in the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR-C17.I1). It is financed through the Xunta de Galicia with Next Generation EU funds and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund of the European Union.

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