Ship Ramón Margalef

On board the ship Ramón Margalef, researchers from the Oceanographic Centre of Vigo del IEO will carry out a campaign with the aim of analysing the pollution in the sediments of the Spanish North Atlantic platform, from the coast to 500 meters deep.

The SECON 16 campaign has begun, which aims to take samples of sediments on the Spanish North Atlantic platform. Ten scientists and technicians of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) will lead this campaign on board the ship Ramón Margalef that will leave Vigo and will last for 12 days.

During the campaign, surface sediment samples will be taken at more than 75 stations along perpendicular transsects to the coast reaching more than 500 m deep. The objective of the sampling is the subsequent assessment of the content of pollutants and microplastics in sediments, as well as a study of the possible biological effects associated with the contamination present in those sediments. This campaign is conducted on a five-year basis and the data obtained as a result of the analysis of the sediments of this campaign will be used for the national and international assessment of the state of the marine environment in the North Atlantic region in forums such as the OSPAR Commission or the Marine Strategies Framework Directive.