Access to ecosystems
Access to ecosystems
Explore ecosystems with our assistance
With our services, you can access a wide range of marine habitats, including intertidal rocky shores, lagoons, salt marshes, mudflats, saltpans, sites with low anthropogenic impact, coastal and continental shelf (30 miles), planktonic and pelagic communities, kelp forests or coral reefs.
We can provide access to vehicles, sampling instruments and an experienced diving team, allowing for in-situ experiments, collection of material or other essential research tasks.
CCMAR Scientific Diving Center
We promote and support all scientific activities that use diving as a resource in their research through the CCMAR Scientific Diving Centre . With us, researchers can find knowledge and advice to plan and execute scientific diving tasks. All diving equipment, breathing gas, boats and dive guides are available to be used for diving related activities.
The CCMAR Scientific Diving Centre has a fully certified scientific diving team able to perform biological sample collection; underwater experimental deployment; sensor/probe deployment and/or testing and video and photography collection.The objective is to connect the researcher with the underwater world in an efficient and safe way, collecting unbiased data in a systematic approach.
Coastal Research Vessels
We offer boats fully equipped for research in coastal areas (up to 9 meters and up to 30 miles range). Our boats enable basic work in oceanography, fishing, and acoustic telemetry studies in the Algarve Atlantic coast area.
Our largest research boat is 9 meters long and a maximum capacity of 8 people. Its area of navigation is the Atlantic coast of the Algarve (South of Portugal), including the Guadiana River and the Ria Formosa. It is operated by a skipper with the appropriate navigation certificates, and experience on the Algarve coast, and qualified with a VHF radio licence.
Sampling and environmental monitoring equipment
We provide basic equipment for sampling (e.g.: Niskin bottles, nets), in situ environmental monitoring (e.g.: CTD, multiparameter probes), and small submersibles.
In addition, we have established a permanent ocean observatory on the continental platform SW of Cape St. Vincent, about 200 m deep. This observatory is part of the "Iberian Margin node", one of the 8 observatories and 3 test sites that are part of our activities with EMSO-ERIC - European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water collumn Observatory
Privileged access to Ria Formosa Natural Park
Our Ramalhete Marine Station is located at the Ria Formosa Natural Park, a unique coastal mesotidal lagoon, separated from the ocean by a system of barrier islands and inlets, with very high biodiversity and an ideal natural laboratory protected by national and international legislation. The station enables experimental setups and environmental and organisms monitoring on salt marshes and salt pans.
