Intersectoral Oceanographic Commission of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education - COI-MCTES

The Intersectoral Oceanographic Commission of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education (COI-MCTES) was created in 1998, by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 88/98, to establish a comprehensive institutional framework, of an intersectoral and interdisciplinary nature, through the appropriate representation of all parties with involvement in the different specific areas related to scientific and technical research on the ocean and its applications.

Taking into account the coordinating functions of the scientific research and technological development activities of the Minister of Science and Technology at the time, this Commission was created within the Ministry, with the secretariat at FCT and comprised four Working Groups, namely:

• Coordinating Group for the allocation of research ship time;
• Working Group on Ocean/Climate Research/Monitoring;
• Working Group on Pollution Research / Monitoring / Coastal Zone;
• Working Group on Deep Sea Research/Monitoring.

These groups operated for the first few years, and the Research Ship Time Allocation Coordinating Group is still active.

Representatives:

• President of the IOC-MCTES: to be appointed
• FCT contact point: Victor Silva(victor.silva@fct.pt), FCT

FCT Involvement:

• Provision of facilities and support;
• Support to the Coordinating Group for the Allocation of Research Vessel Time with regard to the preparation of scientific advice requested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning the entry and conduct of scientific activities of foreign research vessels in waters under national sovereignty and/or jurisdiction and development of annual reports thereon.

Initiative accompanied by the FCT Ocean Program.