In 2019, the Istituto Idrografico della Marina continued the long-standing collaborations with national research centres, universities and local authorities, promoting and carrying out marine geophysics and hydro-oceanography activities and campaigns for the acquisition of data and the development of specialized projects.
Numerous activities were carried out with the Ministry for Economic Development (MISE), related to specific charting and to the environmental monitoring of sites of national interest. The IIM worked with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), creating ad-hoc charts and consulting for international agreements and legal disputes related to marine boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea.
The IIM collaborates with the Ministry of the Environment (MATTM) and of Education (MUR) and with a number of national entities in activities ranging from research at sea to theoretical studies. With the ENEA Santa Teresa Marine Research Center a project has been carried out for the recovery and validation of the huge amount of historical XBT data held by the IIM. The IIM has participated in the drafting of publication Estimate of the robustness of XBT temperature measurements from soop in the Mediterranean by comparison with ARGO profiles, in collaboration with ENEA and Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRiM).
The IIM further collaborates with Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS), exchanging oceanographic data, developing and managing policies related to monitoring campaigns at sea and training.
As far as capacity building is concerned, in 2019 the following activities were carried out:
“ANTAR XXVI”, Oceanographic Campaign in Antartica – Peruvian Navy
ANTAR XXVI oceanographic campaign took place in January and February 2019, on board Peruvian BAP Carrasco. The campaign ended in Punta Arenas on February 27, after 34 days of activity in Antarctica, having covered 3,283 nautical miles. Scientific research activities actually ended on February 18, when the ship anchored in Ensenada Mackellar.
After that, personnel and materials were transferred, Peruvian base Machu Picchu in King George Island was closed, and the vessel crossed the Drake Passage, the body of water between South America’s Cape Horn, Chile and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica.
BAP Carrasco is an oceanographic research vessel with polar capability, ICE-CLASS 07, built in 2016 by Freire Shipyard in Vigo (Spain) and delivered to the Peruvian Navy in March 2017. It was designed to carry out marine geophysical research in extreme environmental conditions thanks to her 5,000 ton displacement, Dynamic Positioning System, two hatches (side and aft), winches for deep operations, a ROV which can reach depths of up to 1,000 m, two AUVs HUGIN 3000, state-of-the-art echo sounders and sub-bottom profiler.
The scientific activities carried out in 2019 focused mainly on the study of the marine environment, with particular reference to the biological communities in the Brainsfield Streit, hydro-oceanographic surveys, and mapping of the seabed.
IIM commander Maurizio Demarte took part in the campaign, together with Peruvian hydrographers, oceanographers
The BAP Carrasco
Commander Maurizio Demarte at Machu Picchu base
As far as capacity building is concerned, in 2019 the following activities were carried out:
“ANTAR XXVI”, Oceanographic Campaign in Antartica – Peruvian Navy
ANTAR XXVI oceanographic campaign took place in January and February 2019, on board Peruvian BAP Carrasco. The campaign ended in Punta Arenas on February 27, after 34 days of activity in Antarctica, having covered 3,283 nautical miles. Scientific research activities actually ended on February 18, when the ship anchored in Ensenada Mackellar.
After that, personnel and materials were transferred, Peruvian base Machu Picchu in King George Island was closed, and the vessel crossed the Drake Passage, the body of water between South America’s Cape Horn, Chile and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica.
BAP Carrasco is an oceanographic research vessel with polar capability, ICE-CLASS 07, built in 2016 by Freire Shipyard in Vigo (Spain) and delivered to the Peruvian Navy in March 2017. It was designed to carry out marine geophysical research in extreme environmental conditions thanks to her 5,000 ton displacement, Dynamic Positioning System, two hatches (side and aft), winches for deep operations, a ROV which can reach depths of up to 1,000 m, two AUVs HUGIN 3000, state-of-the-art echo sounders and sub-bottom profiler.
The scientific activities carried out in 2019 focused mainly on the study of the marine environment, with particular reference to the biological communities in the Brainsfield Streit, hydro-oceanographic surveys, and mapping of the seabed.
IIM commander Maurizio Demarte took part in the campaign, together with Peruvian hydrographers, oceanographers
The BAP Carrasco
Commander Maurizio Demarte at Machu Picchu base
and geologists.
In particular, Seamount Orca, an underwater volcano, was surveyed using Multibeam Echo Sounder, and the seabed was sampled with Van Veen grab sediment samplers and piston-corers. Sea currents were measured and the water column was sampled and analized. Two ROV missions were carried out, one of which 730 m deep, to visually explore the underwater volcano.
All the data acquired in the ANTAR XXVI Oceanographic Campaign will be analysed in the laboratories of the various Peruvian research centres and made public.
ANTAR XXVI Oceanographic Campaign is part of the international cooperation program between the Italian and the Peruvian Navies.
Capacity Building project with the Lebanese Navy
The capacity building and support project with the Lebanese Navy continued throughout 2019. On May 17 a ceremony was held at the Navy base in Beirut in which hydro-oceanographic equipment was donated by the Italian Navy to the Lebanese Armed Forces. The purpose of the project is to increase the current hydro-oceanographic capabilities of the Lebanese Hydrographic Service and to integrate the equipment supplied by Italy in 2016 and 2017 part of a United Nations initiative called “International Support Group” (ISG).
The ceremony was chaired by the Italian Ambassador to Lebanon, Massimo Marotti, and by General Taan Nassar, representing the Lebanese Armed Forces.
A delegation from the IIM was also present.
The object of this Capacity Building Project is to create an independent and autonomous Lebanese Hydrographic Service to be part of the IHO.
Collecting samples form the BAP Carrasco
Ceremony for the delivery of hydro-oceanographic equipment to the Lebanese Navy
The project included the training of seven hydrographers from the Lebenese Navy at the Istituto Idrografico della Marina, who then obtained the proper international certification.
The creation of a fully autonomous Lebanese Hydrographic Service will take another few years and will require further commitment of the Italian Navy and the Istituto Idrografico.
The work that the Istituto Idrografico della Marina is carrying out with foreign Hydrographic Offices is a key factor that guarantees added value to the national activities, contributing to the quality of the effort to ensure safety of navigation and the protection of the marine environment.
Finally, the IIM supports the Italian Armed Forces and NATO forces. In 2019, the
Italian Ambassador at Beirut S.E. Marotti and Lebanese General Taan Nassar
Ceremony for the delivery of hydro-oceanographic equipment
The project included the training of seven hydrographers from the Lebenese Navy at the Istituto Idrografico della Marina, who then obtained the proper international certification.
The creation of a fully autonomous Lebanese Hydrographic Service will take another few years and will require further commitment of the Italian Navy and the Istituto Idrografico.
The work that the Istituto Idrografico della Marina is carrying out with foreign Hydrographic Offices is a key factor that guarantees added value to the national activities, contributing to the quality of the effort to ensure safety of navigation and the protection of the marine environment.
Finally, the IIM supports the Italian Armed Forces and NATO forces. In 2019, the
Italian Ambassador at Beirut S.E. Marotti and Lebanese General Taan Nassar
Ceremony for the delivery of hydro-oceanographic equipment
IIM has contributed to Italian Mine Exercise ITAMINEX 2019, with the preparation of an Environmental Briefing Docket (EBD) and dedicated charts to be displayed on the control systems of the Italian Navy and allied Navies. An Environment Briefing Docket is a document that summarizes all the geologic, geophysical, meteorological and climatological information relevant to the area of the exercise.
Personnel from the IIM Department of Marine Geophysics and Oceanography took part in the 9th meeting of the MILOC (Military Oceanography) Panel, during which the most important aspects of Meteo-Oceanographic support to operations were discussed, with particular attention to REA and Tactical Decision Support.