Hydrographic ship participates in marine research project in the Algarve

The NRP D. Carlos I is sailing south of the Algarve until 4 May to collect data and water samples under the AQUIMAR – Marine Knowledge Supporting Aquaculture Project.

The ship aims to perform CTD profiles (Conductivity, Temperature and Pressure) along the water column, collecting water samples and measuring currents. These data will be subsequently analyzed considering biological, physicochemical and microplastic parameters. From 17 April to 4 May, the ship is expected to run about 400 stations between the bathymetry of 30 and 200 meters deep.

This mission is the second of the project, in the continuity of the mission carried out in 2018 by the ships NRP Admiral Gago Coutinho and NRP Auriga. For this mission there are aboard the NRP D. Carlos I, in addition to the garrison of 38 military personnel, 15 elements of the technical teams of the Hydrographic Institute, Oceanography and Chemistry.

The AQUIMAR project aims to characterize oceanographic, physicochemical, geochemical and biological conditions to optimize the selection of sites for the implementation of aquaculture units in the Maritime Space Planning Plan.

Source: Portuguese Navy