Marine Environmental Quality Marine Environmental Quality

Marine Environmental Quality Research Program

 

The mission, of this research program, is to contribute to the understanding of environmental characteristics and the impacts of natural and anthropogenic tensors in marine and coastal ecosystems; identifying, evaluating and prioritizing the causes, effects and possible actions of prevention and mitigation over the tensions that degrade or deteriorate those ecosystems and proposing rehabilitation or restoration actions where appropriate. To achieve the mission, the CAM program generates  scientific knowledge, performing basic and applied research and defining monitoring guidelines of environmental problems in strategic areas or ecosystems, in order to provide predictive information,  advisory services and tools for sustainable environmental management of  coastal and marine ecosystems of the country.

 

Lines of research and Laboratories

 

Assessment and Monitoring of Environmental Quality - ESC

The Assessment and Monitoring of Environmental Quality Line, evaluates spatially and temporally the quality and quantitative characteristics of marine and coastal ecosystems to determine their condition associated to natural and anthropogenic impacts, providing essential basic and applied information to structure environmental management tools taken from the regional and national monitoring system, assessment pollutant sources and the application of environmental quality indicators.

 

Prevention and Protection of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems – PEM

The purpose of the Prevention and Protection of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems Line (PEM), is to identify and assess the possible impact of natural and anthropogenic origin on marine and coastal ecosystems. In this context, the Line establishes strategies to predict and minimize the effects of impacts, considering the vulnerability degree of ecosystems.

 

Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Rehabilitation - RAE

The Marine-Coastal Ecosystem Rehabilitation research Line (RAE) formulates and implements several strategies to support the recovery in the environmental quality and ecosystem services of marine and coastal areas that have been degraded or altered. 

 

Laboratory of the CAM program

The CAM program has the Laboratory Unit of Marine Environmental Quality, LABCAM where different procedures are developed through different areas:

  • Rehabilitation of marine ecosystems
  • Optical area
  • Heavy metal area
  • Physical chemistry
  • Organic contaminants
  • Microbiology
  • Nuclear techniques (Alpha, Beta and Gamma)
  • Common areas