This tool makes it possible to improve predictions on how marine microbes interact and could be applied to climate change and bioremediation studies, and to other fields such as medicine or agriculture. The study has been led by the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) in Barcelona.

Data quality is key to developing environmental policies based on scientific evidence. The European project MINKE, coordinated by the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) in Barcelona, held its kick-off online meeting last June. The project partners took the opportunity to explain not only the role and responsibilities of each other, but also the main objectives and planned actions of a project that aims to improve the quality of oceanographic data.

FuturEnzyme, a European project led by the CSIC, aims to obtain microbial enzymes to replace chemical agents in consumer products. The scientific team will develop a method to quickly identify enzymes that are effective, stable, and that can be obtained through a low-cost process. The project will bring the developed process to industrial scale.

The IDAEA-CSIC participates in the European project DSWAP-PRIMA that as a solution for the shortage of freshwater resources, seeks to improve the quality of treated wastewater (reclaimed water), that is an increasingly frequent resource for agricultural irrigation due to its availability and nutrient content. However, its usage can impair crop productivity and human health due to the potential occurrence of pathogens, contaminants of emerging concern and high salinity.

The international campaign SAGA (South Atlantic Gateway) led by Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), the University of Las Palmas (ULPGC) and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) will release moorings in the ocean with different sensors to study how the South Atlantic currents behave. This set of instruments will allow to better know the deep-ocean circulation, that has a key role in keeping the climate equilibrium of the planet.

The objective of this collaboration agreement is to develop joint research programs, and to exchange information related to treatment, quality monitoring and water management. An action planned within the framework of the agreement is the RESTORA project at the Palamós Treatment Plant, where an experimental pilot area has been installed to investigate new processes to improve the recharge of aquifers.

This is a key experiment of Plastic0Pyr project and it will evaluate the degradation of plastic materials, bioplastics and natural materials abandoned in rivers from the mountain. Both parties trust in creating synergies that will allow them to tighten relationships and secure future collaborations in environmental preservation research.

A study by the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC) shows that areas where fishing is prohibited are contributing to the recovery, in just a few years, of species such as hake, one of the most commercially interesting in the Mediterranean. According to the study, the effect of the reserve especially favours juvenile individuals, but it also contributes to an increase in their catches around the area where fishing is not allowed.