The project is establishing a network to monitor the general marine environment, water and air quality in the ports of Madeira, the Azores, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde. The aim is to promote marine and maritime research, sustainable development and innovation in the Macaronesian region.
- 23 May 2019
“The ECOMARPORT project provides the right framework for improving a coastal ocean monitoring network across the Macaronesia region that covers specific needs of the marine and maritime sectors, providing useful information and derived products for more efficient, safe and sustainable activity.”
The project focuses on coastal areas. Harbours are of particular interest as they are key to identifying and engaging with maritime sector end users. A coastal monitoring network has been consolidated and business opportunities fostered in the context of Blue Growth, which is a long-term strategy to support sustainable growth in the marine and maritime sector.
Innovative technology has been developed and implemented and a data portal for real-time visualisation and display updated. Regional ocean monitoring initiatives have been linked to international ones, and technology transfer and specialised training has been provided – from the Canary Islands to the rest of the Macaronesian archipelagos and Western Africa through Cape Verde.
Technological advances
New measuring instruments, services and tools for environmental management and impact assessment have been created as part of the project. This makes it possible to validate results, products and services. The sensors and data formats of standardised monitoring stations have been configured. Cooperation and technology transfer between the public and private sectors in the field of marine and maritime science and technology has also taken place.
The project’s real-time observational network for water and air quality monitoring is improving the environmental and marine management of harbours. In eight different ports, meteorological and oceanic data is being monitored. In addition, a forecasting and alert system for port overflows and another that monitors harbour air quality have been implemented. A common data portal, accessible for free, has also been developed.
R3M Network
The project is the latest regional partner to work through the Marine and Maritime Monitoring Network of Macaronesia, otherwise known as the R3M Network. This initiative aims to increase the quantity and quality of marine environmental observations so as to understand and predict both the activities that take place in this realm and their environmental and socioeconomic impact. It uses a tool that makes marine environment observations available to any sectors using the oceans, such as commercial enterprises, governments and research units.
RM3 is composed of both existing regional data and new observational programmes. The platforms currently making up the initiative have derived results from more than a decade of work carried out in partnership with a number of previous regional projects.
The project has created employment for two research staff.
Video
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Technological transfer and eco- innovation for the environmental and marine management in the port areas of the Macaronesia” is EUR 1 360 713, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 1 156 606 through the “Interreg-MAC” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Research Improvement, Technological development and Innovation”.