The APB participates in the SAMOA project, which provides oceanographic and meteorological information on each port

The APB participates in the SAMOA project, which provides oceanographic and meteorological information on each port

Palma

04/12/2017

 

SAMOA (Meteorological and Oceanographic Support System of the Port Authority) is the name given to the project launched by the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB). The favourable advancement of the project has been confirmed by the innovation department of the port body. The project, which has been co-funded by the port authorities and State Ports, aims to provide the ports with personalised consultation and operating systems regarding oceanographic and meteorological information.

The main aim of the project is to make personalised ocean-meteorological information available to each port authority that is adapted to the needs of each one.

Knowing the climate situation helps, in the infrastructure design stage of a port, to better establish its parameters, determine the execution plans and to ensure the safety of future facilities, among other aspects.

Furthermore, having measurements and forecasts available in real-time ensures safety during the construction stage. Finally, in the operating stage, the data from the SAMOA project optimise the functioning of the facility, its security and the pilotage service.

Additionally, the SAMOA project incorporates the data obtained from PORTUS (Coastal Observatory of State Ports) –which comprises 25 buoys, 39 tide gauges, 20 weather stations and 8 HF radars–, and additional data provided by partners of the SOCIB (Balearic Islands Coastal Observing and Forecasting System) and AEMET (State Meteorology Agency).

A made-to-measure project for each port authority

This system, which will be managed by the administrator of each port, will allow users to access a real-time summary of the measuring stations available at each port, forecasts of the ocean-meteorological situation and users, if interested, can register and receive more specific reports or set up an alert system.

There are a total of 18 port authorities participating in the project led by State Ports, which is now in operation.

SAMOA can be accessed through the following link: https://cma.puertos.es

In view of the significant welcome that this project has received among different users of the port authorities, State Port has initiated the formalities of undertaking a new agreement with said public organisations that want to implement SAMOA II. This new project will have, among other modules, a forecast system based on the climatic conditions and a progress system regarding discharges that may accidentally take place in the port.

As such, containment systems, which minimise the effects of such discharges, can be coordinated more effectively. The APB has already told State Ports of its intention to participate in this second project.