Portuguese Coastal LAgoon NETwork

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The Portuguese Coastal LAgoon NETwork (PLANET) was launched in September 2004, following the  "élan" of the DITTY Project (Development of an Information Technology Tool

for the Management of European Southern Lagoons under the influence of river-basin runoff).

PLANET aims to increase coooperation between experts on Portuguese coastal lagoon environments and to integrate scientific knowledgeon watersheds, lagoons-sea couplings,

in order to enable managers to take supported decisions with lower margins of risk. The inclusion of different types of Portuguese systems is expected to improve both the integration

of the different fields of knowledge and the interface between science, policy and management.

Given the currently available expertise, fluxes of nutrients, distribution and effects of contaminants, geochemical processes, geological records and sedimentary profiles will be among our targets. Plio-pleistocene evolution of these systems will be addressed and global changes will be investigated based on the acquired knowledge. Ecological modelling taking into account impacts and interactions that affect lagoon environments will constitute one of the aims of PLANET in order to built models that are able to simulate watersheds/lagoons/sea relationships and to describe lagoon ecosystem processes. In view of the number of protected areas that include lagoonal environments, conservation, actually problems and conflicts between conservation and their sustainable use, may be assumed as a major goal of this net.

Objectives of PLANET Network.

Following the discussions subsequent to its start, the present main objective of PLANET is to promote in these transitional ecosystems an agreed common approach to multidisciplinary research, namely on:

	Fluxes of nutrients and geochemical processes;
	Geological records and sedimentary profiles;
	Plio-pleistocene evolution of the coastal lagoons;
	Effects of global change on these vulnerable coastal systems;
	Ecological modelling and simulations of watersheds/lagoons/sea relationships;
	Impacts and interactions that affect lagoonal environments;
	Ecosystem function;
	Conservation problems and conflicts between their conservation and sustainable use.

Funding Committee

	- Prof. Alice Newton, FCT, University of Algarve, Gambelas, Faro
	- Dr. Manuela Falcão, CRIP Sul, INIAP/IPIMAR, Olhão
	- Prof. Pedro Duarte, CEMAS, Fernando Pessoa University, Porto
	- Prof. Luís Cancela da Fonseca, FCMA, University of Algarve, Gambelas, Faro and IMAR/Guia Marine Laboratory, Cascais
	- Dr. Carlos Vale, INIAP/IPIMAR, Algés, Lisboa
	- Dr. Ana Margarida Leal, Municipallity of Olhão
	- Prof. Eduarda Pereira, Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, Aveiro
	- Prof. Margarida Cristo, FCMA, University of Algarve, Gambelas, Faro and CCMAR
	- Prof. César Andrade, Geology Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisboa.
	- Prof. Conceição Freitas, Geology Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisboa.
	- Dr. João Carlos Farinha, ICN – Nature Conservation Institute, Lisboa
	- Prof. Pedro Fidalgo e Costa, ESE João de Deus, Lisboa and IMAR/Guia Marine Laboratory, Cascais
	- Prof. Vitor Quintino, Biology Department, University of Aveiro, Aveiro
	- Prof. Henrique Queiroga, Biology Department, University of Aveiro, Aveiro
	- Prof. Ana Manuel Costa, Ecology Department, University of Évora, Évora and IMAR/Guia Marine Laboratory, Cascais
	- Prof. João Manuel Bernardo, Ecology Department, University of Évora, Évora