Acronym: RADIALES Period: 1991 Status: In Progress
Thesaurus terms Oceanography; Time series
Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competiveness; Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), more, co-ordinator
The Radiales project collects oceanographic time series data based on a systematic and prolonged sampling, making interdisciplinary (physical, chemical, biological) observations in the ocean. The frequency of sampling is set as to depict the oceanographic events occurring at different seasonal and interannual scales and to let us to distinguish between the different sources of temporal variability.
As part of the in situ sampling programme, regular observations are performed (mainly on a monthly basis) along 8 transects located offshore Santander, Gijón, Cudillero, A Coruña, Vigo, Fuengirola (Málaga), Cabo de Palos (Murcia), and Palma de Mallorca, as well as during specific cruises focused on the study of particular oceanographic processes of recognized relevance. In the A Coruña ria the benthic communities are also sampled.
The selection of the transects and sampling stations was done according to the following criteria:
It should be viable to sample the locations regularly at a frequency that allows the identification of the main ecosystem fluctuations and resolve its periodicity.
The stations should be located as to avoid continental effects or other factors that could alter natural conditions.
The sampling area should be representative of the region where it is located and not only of the local conditions.
