SOCIB - News

SOCIB visitors: Spanish Government Delegate, visited SOCIB

Spanish Government Delegate, MmeTeresa Palmer visited SOCIB headquarters on May 9th, 2013. SOCIB's Director and all the team presented the ongoing activities with particular emphasis on the role of science, technology development, and innovation (development of tools for decision support) to advance towards knowledge based management of our oceans and coasts. Some examples of the innovative tools developed at SOCIB and showed during this visit are:

Forecasting models and tools for search and rescue operations, oil spill tracking in the ocean and implementation of decision support tools to establish the coastal response
New technologies such as underwater gliders for routine monitoring of our oceans and coastal areas
Indicators and methodologies to advance towards real science based sustainability by establishing equilibrium points between environmental, economical and societal goals
Smartphones apps for real time visualization of oceans and coasts data
Beach monitoring systems related to beach safety, etc.
Data management at SOCIB, real time data available, catalogue, visualization, download, etc.

For more information, please visit: http://www.seap.minhap.gob.es/

SOCIB featured in May issue of "The Parliament Magazine"

SOCIB is featured in the last edition of "The Parliament Magazine", issue 369 (pages 30-31), as en example of a solid foundation for multi-platform oceanic research, which is revolutionizing the understanding of key questions on ocean processes, climatic change and ecosystem variability. SOCIB was mentioned in the frame of EU initiatives such as Blue Grouth strategies, etc. The Parliament Magazine is Dods' EU political news and information website, providing comprehensive real time news and analysis of the key issues and debates within the EU institutions.

For further information please see: www.theparliament.com
PDF

SOCIB and IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB) actively participated in the "Blue Growth in the Mediterranean perspectives of Spain"

SOCIB and IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB) actively participated in the "Blue Growth in the Mediterranean perspectives of Spain" meeting hosted in Palma de Mallorca, 2-3, May 2013.

Mélanie Juza presented the on-going activities of the SOCIB Modelling Facility in Workshop 1 (Maritime Security and integrated management of emergencies, threats and maritime risks prevention). In Workshop 2 (Marine Research: Contribution to science, industry and needs of society, support elements for IMP), David March from IMEDEA presented the on-going activities related to PERSEUS and KNOWSEAS EC funded projects, well in line with SOCIB activities from the SIAS Division. Finally, Joaquin Tintoré presented the paradigm change in Ocean Observation that is at the origin of the multi-platform approach of SOCIB as well as recent developments associated with the monitoring and the descriptors needed for the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the marine pillar of Integrated Maritime Policy.

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) is the marine pillar of the Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP) in Europe. One of the aims of IMP is to offer a more coherent approach to maritime and marine affairs and an improved coordination between relevant actors and sectors, by this contributing to establish the potential of the seas and oceans for growth and jobs. More specifically, the implementation of the MSFD requires:

An Initial Assessment of the present status (carried out in 2012) to guarantee the achievement of
Good Environmental Status by means of specific actions that include
Monitoring Programs (to be implemented in 2014) and detailed
Programs of management measures (2014).

Multi-platform systems, such as SOCIB, by integrating different types of monitoring platforms at different scales, and by this, providing data and tools, contribute to MSFD pressures and states indicators.

Presentation
- J. Tintoré (PDF)
- M. Juza (PDF)
- D. March (PDF)
References:
- Blue Growth Communication
Related Links:
- Research and Innovation to Reach Blue Grouth
- Taking the Pulse of Our Planet: New Strategy for Earth Observations

SOCIB visitors: a delegation from the Brazilian Government, visited SOCIB

A delegation from the Brazilian Government including the Secretary of Science and Technology of the Prefecture of Rio de Janeiro, Franklin Dias Coelho and Deputy Secretary of Science and Technology, Jardim Maria Helena Cautiero Huerta, accompanied by the regional secretary of Business and Employment Promotion, Lourdes Cardona, Antonio Mateos, CEO of Innovation and Technological Development, Bit Foundation Manager, Miquel Bernat; Lourdes Cardona, Regional Secretary of Occupation and Business Promotion, Esther Gil-Zorzi, Coordinator of the Project Río-Baleares, Pablo Rivero representing the CEOE and Julio Federico Monsalve, head of the Coordination of the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX) and Toni Viader, responsible of the Innovation Unit at Parc Bit, visited SOCIB headquarters on April 11th, 2013. SOCIB team presented the ongoing activities with particular emphasis on the role of science, technology development, and innovation to advance towards knowledge based management of our oceans and coasts. Some examples of the innovative tools developed at SOCIB and showed during this visit are:

Forecasting models and tools for search and rescue operations, oil spill tracking in the ocean and implementation of decision support tools to establish the coastal response
New technologies such as underwater gliders for routine monitoring of our oceans and coastal areas
Indicators and methodologies to advance towards real science based sustainability by establishing equilibrium points between environmental, economical and societal goals
Smartphones apps for real time visualization of oceans and coasts data
Beach monitoring systems related to beach safety, etc.
Data management at SOCIB, real time data available, catalogue, visualization, download, etc.

Related Video

First JERICO-TNA glider mission ended successfully

In the frame of JERICO EU funded project (http://www.jerico-fp7.eu/) and its Trans National Agreement (TNA) open international call for access to gliders, the Spanish glider Seaglider 'sdeep03' successfully ended the first round trip mission from the Balearic Islands to Sardinia (see previous news on this mission from 24/10/2012; 25/01/2013 and 19/02/2013).

'Sdeep03' was recovered 8 nm off Portocolom on March 16, after navigating, almost autonomously, during 44 days and covering 450 nautical miles. To perform this mission, the glider consumed 66 Ahr from its lithium batteries, approximately 7,5 MJ, the equivalent to the energy consumed by a 125cc scooter in just 15 minutes. The glider sampled physical and biogeochemical variables and encountered extreme atmospheric conditions in an area of high scientific interest (water masses formation, intense atmosphere-ocean fluxes, mixed layer deepening, etc...). Precisely rough weather conditions did not allow to recover the glider in the scheduled time at the east of Menorca, and the glider was the directed towards the south-eastern coast of Mallorca where it was recovered under safer sea state.

All data have been downloaded from the glider and are currently available for JERICO TNA partners. Dr Ribotti, PI of this experiment, and Dr Olita, both from CNR (Oristano), visited last week IMEDEA and SOCIB facilities and were introduced to the glider's technology, operation and data management. The second part of this JERICO TNA Agreement is planned for autumn-winter 2013 and will consist of a similar transect.

SOCIB's Seagliders have performed two long missions (longer than a month) since their purchase in 2011. Seaglider data are now being integrated into SOCIB's glider data processing chain. NetCDFs files are available in Real Time and Delay Mode in the SOCIB Thredds Repository and EGO glider website, by this allowing users easy access to glider data in a standard format and in three levels of processing (L0, L1 and L2) for both Slocum and Seaglider platforms without distinction.

Project Co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

SOCIB Press Clipping Update

Press releases related to SOCIB appearances at different national media. For further information please see attached links:

Mallorca Zeitung - "Der neue Star der Meeresforscher" - 14/03/2013
El Mundo - Baleópolis - "El Surfer de las Corrientes Marinas" - 26/02/2013
Última Hora - "El nuevo catamarán oceanográfico del SOCIB surca las aguas de Balears" - 17/02/2013
El Mundo - Baleópolis - "SOCIB, El Mar en Tiempo Real" - 29/01/2013
Diario de Ibiza - "Eivissa, El Grifo del Mediterráneo" - 04/01/2013
Naukas - "Observando el Océano en Tiempo Real" - 23/12/2012

Directly related Publications

Marine Research Infrastructures Experts Group - Final report
- PDF