New infrastructure in Matosinhos will support the monitoring of bivalve molluscs and the identification of marine biodiversity, strengthening the country’s capacity to respond in the areas of food safety and ecosystem monitoring.
CIIMAR and the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) today inaugurated the new laboratories at IPMA’s premises in Matosinhos, as part of the collaboration agreement established between the two institutions in 2025.
The new facilities have been set up to support the monitoring of bivalve molluscs in the fields of microbiology, chemistry and biotoxins, as well as to house a genomics laboratory dedicated to identifying marine biodiversity.
This collaboration combines CIIMAR’s scientific and technological expertise with IPMA’s public service mission, strengthening the country’s capacity to monitor the quality of the marine environment, track potential risks to public health and deepen knowledge of the biodiversity of marine ecosystems.
The refurbishment work on the laboratories was funded by IPMA, whilst CIIMAR provided the scientific equipment and technical staff required to operate the new laboratory facilities, thereby implementing the collaboration agreement signed between the two institutions in 2025.
Through this partnership, CIIMAR and IPMA are strengthening their scientific and technical cooperation, creating better conditions to address the challenges associated with monitoring the marine environment and developing scientific knowledge to support the sustainable management of marine resources.