Hydrographic Institute Holds the Seminar “The Sea of Nazaré and the Challenges of the Coastal Ocean”

The seminar “The Sea of Nazaré and the Challenges of the Coastal Ocean,” organized by the Hydrographic Institute (IH), took place on Thursday, January 23, at the auditorium of the José Soares Municipal Library in Nazaré. This event was one of the actions planned under the initiative “Synergies for the Coastal Ocean Between Norway and Portugal” (COSYNOPT).

The event aimed to bring together Portuguese and Norwegian researchers to share experiences on the challenges of observing the coastal ocean. Additionally, new strategies and technologies developed to address these challenges were discussed.

The seminar was divided into two parts. The first focused on the area influenced by the Nazaré Canyon, featuring contributions from the Hydrographic Institute and the University of Aveiro. These presentations addressed the impact of this submarine canyon on the physical, sedimentary, chemical, and biological processes in that area of the Portuguese coastal ocean, as well as the technological capabilities being developed to meet the challenges of observing such a complex region.

The second part of the seminar highlighted the Norwegian coastal ocean, with presentations from the Institute of Marine Research (IMR), a Norwegian institution. These discussions covered topics such as mapping seabed habitats for spatial management, monitoring seafood safety and environmental conditions, and the impact of Artificial Intelligence on coastal zone monitoring.

The initiative “Synergies for the Coastal Ocean Between Norway and Portugal” (COSYNOPT), which led to the seminar, is funded by the Bilateral Relations Fund of the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, EEA Grants. The Hydrographic Institute serves as the lead institution, while the Institute of Marine Research acts as a partner organization.