Mira Beach was identified, over ten years ago, as a hotspot of coastal erosion in the central region of Portugal, which led, in 2017, to the establishment of a collaboration protocol with the Municipality of Mira and the University of Aveiro.
A partnership of great importance for the Municipality of Mira, as stated by its president Artur Jorge Fresco, “What we seek with this partnership is to ensure the protection of the coast and the safety of the people. Therefore, the existence of protocols and partnerships that optimize resources is fundamental. The Municipality of Mira has always shown willingness to collaborate with the University of Aveiro, to ensure that these initiatives proceed in the best possible way.”
Initially, a first-generation prototype of coastal video monitoring was installed to study erosion in the northern part of Mira Beach, which was operational until 2023.
On April 23, a new generation of a coastal video and transmission system was installed. This new prototype incorporates more advanced video cameras, coupled with a laser system for the detection of coastal bathymetry. The combination of these technologies allows the observation of rip current formation and a better understanding of the processes associated with coastal erosion. It is an innovative platform that will help understand how erosion forms, identify the most aggressive winters, and the most vulnerable coastal locations.
The interaction between the Municipality of Mira and the University of Aveiro has been driven by several research projects from CESAM, as stated by Paulo Baganha, researcher at CESAM/DGEO, “This new monitoring platform is significantly more advanced and, currently, unique in the country with these capabilities applied to monitoring the coastal strip and erosion. It allows safeguarding the dune cordon and guiding the necessary interventions with greater efficiency.”
Highlighted in this context is the A-AAGORA Project from the Atlantic Missions, in which the video monitoring system will allow, in real time, the provision of optical shoreline assessment services, and the SHORESAFTY project, where an asymmetric topographic model will be generated that includes, for the emerged beach area, the automatic creation of the topographic model from the combination of video and laser. For the submerged part, bathymetric imprinting methods will be applied to estimate coastal bathymetry.
The research developed by the RC1 research cluster – Deep Sea, Ocean and Transitional Ecosystems of CESAM also contributes decisively to the understanding of mechanisms associated with climate change. This knowledge, transversal to the center’s scientific areas, supports the development of adaptation strategies and reinforces mitigation efforts, with emphasis on the work carried out at Mira Beach as an emblematic example of the practical application of this research.
This work is also being developed in collaboration with the company R5 Marine Solutions, responsible for implementing the developed technologies and currently an integral part of the A-AAGORA project living lab.