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.
Networking Friday with Olivia Oliveira (IGEO / UFBA)
In the last session of the month of May, on the 29th, always at 1-2 PM UTC, we went back to Brazil, this time to Salvador, Bahia, to listen to Olivia Oliveira, Director of IGEO, and her colleagues from UFBA, Antonio Fernando de Souza Queiroz and Icaro Thiago Andrade Moreira. They presented current research programmes and flagship projects developed at IGEO. Samuel Djavidnia, from GEO Blue Planet Initiative was the moderator of this session. This session will be conducted in Portuguese Language with Remote Simultaneous Interpretation to English.
Networking Friday with Isabel Sousa Pinto (CIIMAR / GEO MBON)
On May 22nd, 1-2 PM UTC, we will have Isabel Sousa Pinto (CIIMAR – GEO MBON) presenting CIIMAR’s most interesting projects and also showing how GEO MBON is helping us to understand how and why life in the ocean is changing and how local changes relate to changes taking place over larger regions. This session will be moderated by Sheila Heymans (European Marine Board / EOOS)
Survey on COVID 19 impacts on aquaculture
The project is conducted by the University of Palermo, Department of Earth and Sea Science (DISTEM), Laboratory of Ecology, on the effects of the coronavirus COVID-19 on aquaculture.