Miguel Santos, Coordinating Researcher at the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) and a member of CCMAR, has recently been appointed President of EMSO Portugal (EMSO-PT), the national structure that coordinates Portugal’s participation in the European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and Water Column Observatory – EMSO-ERIC
EMSO-PT is a broad consortium of national scientific institutions, including the Centre of Marine Sciences of the Algarve (CCMAR), that has played an active role in recent years. CCMAR's participation highlights the institution's contributions to integrated ocean observation, particularly in the areas of physical and biogeochemical oceanography, climate change, and marine ecosystem dynamics. The appointment of a new president will strengthen national coordination of critical scientific infrastructures that are essential for understanding and responding to major global environmental challenges.
As part of the National Roadmap of Research Infrastructures (RNIE), EMSO-PT coordinates the activities of Portuguese observatories, infrastructures, and laboratories that form part of this significant European research infrastructure. It is also responsible for maintaining the EMSO Iberian Margin Observatory. This region is strategically important for studying oceanographic and climate processes, geological hazards, and marine ecosystem functioning. It is also fundamental to producing long-term oceanographic time series.
EMSO-ERIC currently involves eight European Member States and constitutes a unique distributed research infrastructure for the continuous monitoring of the ocean. It provides essential data for science and innovation and supports the development of evidence-based public policy.
