Presentation
Presentation
Luis Ivens Portela
Head of Unit/Senior Researcher
The Estuaries and Coastal Zone Unit (NEC) is a unit of the Hydraulics and Environment Department that undertakes applied research in the domains of hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and water quality in estuaries, coastal lagoons, beaches, and the marine environment.
The unit also provides advanced technical consultancy services (supported by R&D&I) in response to requests to solve specific problems, whether environmental, infrastructure or risk related.
Our research addresses challenges in various areas:
- Beach dynamics, protection, and restoration;
- Coastal risk management, including erosion and flooding;
- Climate change adaptation measures;
- Morphodynamics and stability of tidal inlets;
- Improved design of estuarine and coastal infrastructure;
- Maintenance of ports, harbours and navigation channels;
- Assessment and prediction of estuarine water quality;
- Underwater noise modelling;
- Prediction and monitoring of oil spills at sea.
Activity
The research activity of the unit is carried out through research and innovation projects, co-funded by national and international programmes, and takes place in the framework of LNEC’s Research and Innovation Strategy.
Over the last decade, NEC has been involved in more than 20 research projects funded by the European Commission, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, and the Blue Fund, among others.
For the period 2021-2027, NEC's strategic research activity will focus on the "Management, Protection, and Restoration of Coastal Systems" programme, covering four main areas:
- Coastal protection;
- Estuarine management;
- Water quality;
- Digital technologies.
The unit has an experienced, multidisciplinary team with in-depth knowledge of coastal processes and an awareness of the importance of coastal resilience and sustainability.
The projects and studies are mainly developed using advanced numerical models, including operational forecasting systems, as well as physical models, test facilities, and fieldwork.