The Wirewalker™ system is a water column profiler consisting of a positively buoyant vehicle guided along a cable to measure seawater parameters. The system moves vertically, powered by surface wave energy, reaching depths of up to 150 m, and is equipped with sensors for temperature, pressure, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and chlorophyll-a. The system measures vertical profiles of the water column and autonomously collects oceanographic data, either in fixed or drifting mode, transmitting the data to land in real-time. It integrates the seafloor and water column observatory of EMSO-PT. Watch the video: https://youtu.be/vEoTMs9smvE?feature=shared

The EGIM (EMSO Generic Instrument Module) is a set of environmental sensors constituting a deep-sea submarine observatory and integrates the European EMSO (European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water column Observatory) network. The standardized sensors among the various network partners allow the comparison of time series of oceanographic parameters of the European sea, namely: conductivity (salinity), temperature, pressure, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, hydrophone (acoustic sensor), and current direction and intensity. To learn more about EGIM and EMSO: https://emso.waveweb.pt/; https://emso.eu/; https://youtu.be/vEoTMs9smvE?feature=shared

On the NI Mário Ruivo, a Simrad EK80 echo sounder is installed - a high-precision scientific equipment with an ADCP (acoustic doppler current profiler) system attached, designed to quantify and monitor underwater ecosystems. The echo sounder emits sound pulses and records the echoes reflected by objects and organisms in the water column. The EK80 is particularly notable for its multi-frequency capability, allowing detailed and precise analysis of biological and environmental parameters in the ocean. This echo sounder is used in fishing, especially to estimate the abundance of fish and zooplankton, whether the ship is sailing or stationary.

IPMA research fleet enables the execution of campaigns from inland and coastal waters to deep waters, supporting the achievement of IPMA's objectives and mission. To learn more, visit the ships' website at: https://marioruivo.ipma.pt/

A Kongsberg EM 304 deep-water multibeam echo sounder is installed on the NI Mário Ruivo. The system allows high-precision bathymetric surveys of the seabed down to depths of 8,000 meters. By emitting multiple pulses at different angles simultaneously, it can cover a large area of the seabed quickly and with high detail, creating a high-precision, high-resolution 3D map of the marine terrain. The acquired data enables the characterization of marine reliefs, supporting habitat mapping, underwater archaeology, and the production of navigation support charts.

The intermediate-water multibeam echo sounder installed on the NI Mário Ruivo is a Kongsberg EM 712 model, which allows high-precision bathymetric surveys of the seabed down to depths of 3,000 meters. By emitting multiple pulses at different angles simultaneously, it can cover a large area of the seabed quickly and with high detail, creating a high-precision, high-resolution 3D map of the seabed terrain. The acquired data enables the characterization of marine reliefs, supporting habitat mapping, underwater archaeology, and the production of navigation support charts.

The NI Mário Ruivo is equipped with a Kongsberg TOPAS PS18 parametric sub-bottom profiler. The system emits high-frequency sound waves and measures the echoes reflected by the different layers below the seabed, capable of operating at depths up to 11,000 meters. The system is used to obtain images of underwater structures, and the collected data provides information on geological structure, sedimentary layers, and seabed composition, as well as any buried objects.

The NI Mário Ruivo is equipped with a Kongsberg Simrad SX93 omnidirectional sonar. This long-range system allows observation of the entire volume of water around the vessel. Additionally, the SX93 incorporates a stabilization system for electronic tilt and roll compensation, increasing its operational efficiency. The sonar is used for measuring fish schools and macrozooplankton, as well as for counting and behavioural studies of fish schools, supporting the fishing campaigns and studies conducted by IPMA.

The ARGO is an autonomous drifting float and also a water column profiler equipped with sensors to monitor temperature, salinity, and other biogeochemical parameters. IPMA owns 4 standard ARGO floats equipped with CTD for measuring Conductivity, Temperature, and Pressure (model ARVOR-I); 1 standard ARGO CTD(O) float equipped with an additional sensor for measuring Dissolved Oxygen (model ARVOR-DO-I); and 1 Biogeochemical ARGO float equipped with CTD and six additional sensors for biogeochemical variables: pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Nitrate, Chlorophyll a, Suspended Particles, and Downwelling Irradiance (model PROVOR CTS4). All floats have the capacity to reach depths of 2,000 meters.
To learn more about the ARGO program: https://www.euro-argo.eu/

The CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth profiler) is an oceanographic profiler used to measure the electrical conductivity (C), temperature (T), and depth (D) of the water. IPMA owns a SBE 19plus CTD from SEABIRD SCIENTIFIC, equipped with the following additional sensors: dissolved oxygen, pH, chlorophyll-a, turbidity, FDOM, and PAR-LOG, with operational capability up to 7,000 meters depth. The CTD is an essential tool used in all disciplines of oceanography, providing important information about the physical, chemical, and even biological properties of the water column.