NRP Admiral Gago Coutinho ends third stage of the multidisciplinary hydro-oceanographic campaign

The NRP Admiral Gago Coutinho finished the third phase of the hydro-oceanographic mission in which it has been engaged since 20 March, which consisted in the collection of samples of surface sediments from the seabed and samples for analysis of microplastics, the surface and the water column. The sediment collection was performed by dredge, while the samples for microplastic analysis were carried out by vertical drag, in the first 20m of the water column, and by horizontal drag, on the surface.

This stage of the campaign is part of the AQUIMAR and i-plastic projects, developed by the Division of Chemistry and Pollution of the Marine Environment of the Hydrographic Institute, and had 36 collection stations between 15 and 190 m deep.

The ship also carried out the collection of Nazaré's coastal multiparametric buoy as part of the maintenance of the coastal ocean monitoring network off mainland Portugal guaranteed by the Hydrographic Institute.