This service will improve the assessment, in the fisheries field, associated with the impact of surface currents on exploited species such as sardines, anchovies and shrimp.
The Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), through the Institut Català de Recerca per a la Governança del Mar (ICATMAR), has contributed to the development of the Operational Oceanography Service of Catalonia, which has just been launched thanks to the acquisition of a first high-frequency radar that will collect data on surface velocities of marine currents with a resolution of 2 to 3 km and a coverage of about 60 km offshore.
This device will be part of a radar network financed by the Catalan government and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund which is aimed to cover the entire Catalan coastline. The information gathered by this network will have many applications, including advice on the impact of surface currents on exploited species such as sardines, anchovies and shrimp.
The data from the Operational Oceanography Service of Catalonia will also contribute to improve the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODNET), the European Union's official network of research institutions for long-term observation of the sea.
According to a press release from the Catalan government, this high-frequency radar data collection system is scalable and can cover the entire coastline. Likewise, its deployment in a northerly direction (Gulf of Lion), within the framework of cross-border collaborations, would facilitate better integrated management of the maritime space on a regional scale.
ICATMAR, key to the collect and analyse information about the marine environment
The ICATMAR, a cooperation body between the DARP's General Directorate for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs and the ICM, aims to provide scientific advice of excellence to the Government of Catalonia in the field of oceanographic research.
The growing importance of maritime activities on the Catalan coastline and, in general, that of the blue economy sectors, requires a structure for collecting and analysing information on the marine environment in real time to enable efficient and safe development. In this sense, the Catalonia Maritime Strategy 2030, in its first multiannual Strategic Plan, established the strategic lines for the development and consolidation of the new Institute and for the design and implementation of a network for monitoring environmental variables in the maritime sphere.
Since its creation, ICATMAR has been staffed by scientists of recognised prestige in research fields ranging from marine biology to oceanography, and has already set up a complete advisory service for those involved in professional and recreational fishing. The Operational Oceanography Service is the second major pillar of its structure.