Signed by Brazil, France and the United States, the international cooperation project Network of Anchored Buoys for Forecasting and Research in the Tropical Atlantic (Pirata) turns 25 this month, with an impact all over the world.
“It is an investment that spills over to the entire planet because we are talking about weather, climate, where research contributes to the modeling of forecast models, modeling of processes to take good care of the oceans”, he explained during an interview with the program. The Voice of Brazilthis Tuesday (10), the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovations (MCTI), Paulo Alvim.
The program has 18 buoys spread across the Atlantic Ocean that collect oceanic and atmospheric data, which allowed improving the definition of models for weather and climate prediction. According to information from the MCTI, the data also contribute to the measurement of sea surface temperature estimates, optimizing the forecast of rains and hurricanes.
According to Paulo Alvim, of the 18 buoys, eight are under the responsibility of Brazil.
“[O programa] contributes to the advance in mathematical modeling, in the modeling of how this can contribute to safety, and here is an important aspect, when we work with forecast we are talking about natural disasters, how can we anticipate this type of thing. In other words, the impact of Pirata is very significant”, says the minister.
Paulo Alvim points out that Pirata expands the ability to predict climatic phenomena of great social and economic impact, such as droughts and excess rainfall. It also adds to the Brazilian capacity to know and explore, in a sustainable way, the sea resources in the Tropical Atlantic.
ocean culture
During the interview, Paulo Alvin also spoke about the Dialogues of Oceanic Culture event, which discusses the topic in Santos (SP), with the participation of several countries. “It’s a partnership with the Federal University of São Paulo that has the participation of NGOs, the participation of Unesco and that is concerned with society’s view of ocean issues. This is part of a broader context, which is the decade of the oceans, we are in the decade of the ocean”.
According to the minister, the sea is the new frontier of knowledge. “We have achieved this as an opportunity for new knowledge that unfolds in the possibility of generating wealth. Sometimes we only think about fishing, but we have other impacts that can mean a lot, for example in the mining area, in the energy area”, he highlighted. adding that “the sea can be a new source of opportunity, of food supply, of mineral supply, of energy supply”.
