Collaboration between France and Portugal for the 1st deployment in the Gulf of Cádiz

As part of the improvement of Argo observations of boundary current regions (Euro-Argo RISE project WP2), two Argo floats have been deployed in the Gulf of Cádiz between the 7^th – 10^th October, during the SHOM PROTEVS Gibraltar’s campaign on board the Atalante research vessel. These two Argo floats are the first floats under Portuguese scientific responsibility.

These deployments represent a step forward in the entry of Portugal as a Member of the Euro-Argo ERIC and as a contributor to the global Argo network.
These deployments are the result of a collaboration between IPMA and Argo-France, who tested and programmed two Provor floats equipped with oxygen sensors and coordinated these deployments during a French SHOM’s campaign.

Within the context of the Euro-Argo RISE project, IPMA will study boundary system of the Gulf of Cadiz (GoC). Argo floats should help to investigate (1) the permanence time in that area and (2) the feasibility of studying the variability of the Mediterranean outflow water using dissolved oxygen measurements. This research will allow to design a strategy for monitoring the GoC with Argo floats in the future. A close monitoring of the floats is required near the Strait of Gibraltar, given the complexity and variability of water mass exchanges within this boundary current region.