An official handshake between the Rector of the University of Malta, Prof. Alfred Vella, and the Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, Brig. Jeffrey Curmi, marked the start of a half-day seminar organised by the University鈥檚 Physical Oceanography Research Group to detail the use of a sea glider for the first time in Malta.
The gesture was intended to officially thank the AFM for the vital support that was offered throughout the implementation of the project. During the crucial deployment and retrieval phases of the sea glider at sea, the scientific team from the Physical Oceanography Research Group were assisted by AFM crew and had access to an inflatable dinghy launched from a maritime patrol boat. AFM also assisted in the launching of a number of drifters that were concurrently used to track sea currents in the area.
The gesture was intended to officially thank the AFM for the vital support that was offered throughout the implementation of the project. During the crucial deployment and retrieval phases of the sea glider at sea, the scientific team from the Physical Oceanography Research Group were assisted by AFM crew and had access to an inflatable dinghy launched from a maritime patrol boat. AFM also assisted in the launching of a number of drifters that were concurrently used to track sea currents in the area.
The seminar was opened by the Hon. Jos茅 Herrera, Minister for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change, and the Rector of the University of Malta. Key stakeholders and interested parties attended the event. The seminar was intended to describe the versatility of sea gliders as a means of collecting profiles of sea data from an autonomous device that can monitor large sea areas at high resolution and in all sea state conditions without the support of large survey ships.
The new generation multi-purpose sea gliders offer an innovative aid to observe and monitor the sea areas under local jurisdiction. Prof. Aldo Drago, the head of the Group and coordinator of this project, highlighted the commitments that as an EU country Malta is to set up by 2020, namely a comprehensive national system to report regularly on the state of health of coastal waters. The seminar showed how the use of sea gliders offers a cost-effective solution to achieve a state-of-the-art marine environmental monitoring system capable of collecting baseline data and routinely assesses the good environmental status of the sea surrounding the Maltese Islands.
The new generation multi-purpose sea gliders offer an innovative aid to observe and monitor the sea areas under local jurisdiction. Prof. Aldo Drago, the head of the Group and coordinator of this project, highlighted the commitments that as an EU country Malta is to set up by 2020, namely a comprehensive national system to report regularly on the state of health of coastal waters. The seminar showed how the use of sea gliders offers a cost-effective solution to achieve a state-of-the-art marine environmental monitoring system capable of collecting baseline data and routinely assesses the good environmental status of the sea surrounding the Maltese Islands.
