AQUABENEFIT Begins Field Activities with Study Area Recognition Trip

The first AQUABENEFIT field trip for study area recognition was completed on 6 January 2026. During the visit, the team visited the oyster aquaculture site that will serve as the main study area in the Lima River Estuary, in Viana do Castelo (Portugal). The team identified the most suitable locations to collect water and sediment samples, which will be used to study biodiversity through DNA-based analyses and the identification of small organisms living in the sediment.

A control area was also defined, which will allow comparisons between areas influenced by aquaculture and nearby zones with similar natural conditions but without farming activities. This field trip was highly productive and essential for setting up a robust and well-designed field sampling plan for the next stages of the project.

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