The AIR Centre’s Executive Director, Miguel Miranda, participated in the International Conference on Sustainable Fishing and Aquaculture (CIPAS 2025) in Luanda, Angola, showcasing the application of Copernicus Earth Observation data to enhance ocean monitoring and support fisheries operations in Angolan waters.
Organized by Angola’s Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources under the theme “Responsible Fishing and Sustainable Aquaculture: A Challenge, a Commitment, a Mission Uniting the Nation,” the two-day conference brought together national and international experts to foster dialogue on sustainable fisheries.
On November 5, Miguel Miranda presented “Integration of Copernicus Data into the INIPM Portal: Supporting Ocean Monitoring and Fisheries Operations” as part of the Science, Data and Ocean Monitoring panel. His presentation highlighted the AIR Centre’s collaboration with Angola’s National Institute of Fisheries and Marine Research (INIPM) to enhance ocean observation capabilities using advanced satellite data. He also promoted the sea state forecasting service supported by the AIR Centre, which provides real-time data on significant wave height, peak period, currents, temperature, salinity, and elevation for Angola’s coastal waters – essential parameters for safe and efficient fisheries operations. This service is now fully accessible via INIPM’s official portal.
By integrating Copernicus data into local monitoring systems, the AIR Centre is supporting Angola in strengthening its capacity for evidence-based fisheries management and ocean surveillance, bridging Earth Observation technology with practical applications for ocean sustainability.
The conference was opened by José de Lima Massano, Minister of State for Economic Coordination, who emphasized Angola’s commitment to the National Development Programme 2023-2027 and the National Strategy for the Sea of Angola 2030, aligning with the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the African Integrated Maritime Strategy 2050.
The AIR Centre’s participation in CIPAS 2025 reinforces its commitment to supporting sustainable ocean management and fostering international collaboration in marine science across the Atlantic basin.
Image of the Day | March 15, 2021 | Sao Paulo, Brazil
This is one of the first images taken by the Brazilian Amazonia-1 satellite, which was developed by the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and successfully launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, India, together with other 18 co-passenger satellites onboard of the launching vehicule PSLV-C51, on February 28, 2021. In the image, acquired on March 3, 2021, we can see the sprawling megacity of Sao Paulo in the left side and, just below, the coastal city of Santos (Google maps). More information available on INPE’s Website. Credit: Image courtesy of INPE.
Networking Friday with Konstantinos Topouzelis (UAegean)
On March 19th, 2021, 1-2 PM UTC, Konstantinos Topouzelis, University of the Aegean, marvelled us with his presentation “Fighting the ocean plastic pollution with the use of satellite images and drone data: Plastic Litter Project (PLP), history and future steps”. The moderator was Leah Mupas Segui, who just started a new position with the Pew Charitable Trusts as part of their Preventing Ocean Plastics research team.
Vacancy: Project Officer – Earth Observation Laboratory