AIR Centre at EO26: ocean monitoring from space to sea

The AIR Centre attended the Encontro de Oceanografia 2026 (EO26), organised by the Portuguese Oceanography Association (APOCEAN) and held on May  21–22 in Lisbon, represented by two researchers. André Valente, Head of AIR Centre's Space Systems and Applications programme, presented several applications, opportunities and recent trends on the use of Earth Observation satellite data for monitoring marine life across multiple spatial scales. The presentation, delivered during the Thursday afternoon oral session,  was the result of research involving a wide multidisciplinary and international team of researchers, including collaborations with Portuguese and foreign institutions. It demonstrated the current work developed in the AIR Centre regarding applications of optical remote sensing for monitoring organisms as different as cetaceans and zooplankton, highlighting current trends and new possibilities for ocean surveillance at a global scale. Adriana Ferreira, from AIR Centre's Data Science, Cloud Infrastructure, and Development programme, presented "A Global Observation-Based Platform for Internal Solitary Waves." She introduced the Internal Waves Service - an open, global framework for the systematic detection, mapping, and archiving of internal solitary waves (ISWs) using satellite Earth observation data. Together, the two contributions highlighted AIR Centre's growing role in advancing ocean observation through space-based technologies, and its commitment to engaging with and contributing to the Portuguese oceanography community. The annual gathering brought together the Portuguese oceanography community for two days, fostering close interactions among the national oceanographers, and had a vast range of captivating invited lectures, oral presentations, and poster sessions covering physical oceanography, coastal modelling, marine biodiversity, and observation technologies, alongside APOCEAN's annual general assembly and an awards ceremony. This participation reinforces the AIR Centre's involvement with the Portuguese scientific community and co-development of innovative ocean monitoring tools at a national level and beyond. [AV, 28 May 2026]