The Atlantic Observatory – Data and Monitoring Infrastructure project aims to create an infrastructure for the acquisition, aggregation and dissemination of oceanographic data contributing to the improvement in the research and monitoring of the Atlantic Ocean, whilst supporting the sustainable management of marine resources.

Promoted and coordinated by the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere, I.P. (IPMA), the project includes national partners from Azores (FRCT - Regional Fund for Science and Technology) and Madeira (ARDITI - Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation), as well as partners from Norway (Institute of Marine Research; Norwegian University of Science and Technology and The University of Bergen) and Iceland (Marine and Freshwater Research Institute).

With a total budget of 2M€ (100% financed by the EEA-Grants), the project will allow to strengthen the operational capacity for monitoring of the Portuguese marine research community, through the acquisition of new state-of-the-art instrumentation: one glider, two ARGO floats and a high-frequency coastal radar system.

The project will take advantage of existing research platforms and infrastructures, such as the research vessel “Mário Ruivo”, and access to Portuguese research laboratories, some of which were developed in the scope of European initiatives, such as EMSO-PT and EMSO-Azores. The data infrastructure will also seek to benefit from other existing marine information systems, such as SNIMAR, SeaBioData or SIMOcean.

The Atlantic Observatory – Data and Monitoring Infrastructure will promote not only the dissemination of high-quality data to the technical and scientific community, but also the creation of products and services to educational, business, and industrial communities, aiming to support and promote sustainable maritime activities.

The project is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants, a mechanism through which these countries set the goal of reducing social and economic disparities in Europe by strengthening bilateral relations with the beneficiary states. Through the Blue Growth Programme, the EEA Grants seek to promote increased value creation and sustainable growth in the Portuguese blue economy. In addition, the intention is to increase research and promote education and training in the marine and maritime areas.

Interview for the Jornal da Economia do Mar

You can consult the website here: somosatlantico.ipma.pt

Know more at eeagrants.gov.pt

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