Between June 03 and 10 FURG's Laboratory of Ocean and Climate Studies (LEOC) of the Institute of Oceanography (IO) was visited by Profs. Catherine Goyet (UPVD, France) and Rosane Ito (retired professor, USP). The visit was funded by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and CAPES, and also received support from FURG.

The purpose of the visit was to strengthen the academic and scientific cooperation links between FURG and UPVD, in view of the Cooperation Agreement signed by the Institutions in 2017. The cooperation between the research groups of Prof. Goyet and Prof. Rodrigo Kerr (IO-FURG) has been occurring since 2015 and has been involved in investigations of the Biogeochemical aspects of the Carbonate System in marine environments and of the Ocean Acidification, as part of the actions that were developed through the High Latitudes Oceanography Group (GOAL) and the Brazilian Network Research on Ocean Acidification (BrOA Network).

During her stay at FURG, Prof. Catherine Goyet gave a scientific lecture on the topic of cooperation and participated in several scientific discussions on the studies developed in the LEOC by the Undergraduate and Graduate students of the Oceanology Programs. Among these, we highlight the development of the doctoral thesis from the student Iole Orselli, who carries out her thesis under a co-tutelage scheme in the Graduate Program of Oceanology from IO-FURG and at the University of Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD). Both teachers took part in the discussions to outline future academic mobility actions for the GOAL members and to outline strategies for advancing in the scientific research developed by both GOAL and BrOA Network.

Regarding the topic of technological innovation, the creation of an equipment to measure the continuous flow of the four parameters of the carbonate system (pH, total alkalinity, CO2 partial pressure and total inorganic dissolved carbon) is under discussion between the teachers and Prof. Kerr. Prof. Goyet has already come up with a prototype that is going through tests so that it can be used in on board activities. The intention is that, after the field tests on the next Brazilian and French cruises in Antarctica, a similar equipment will be built to help out on the GOAL activities.