OREANDA-NEWS. The Brazilian government formally approved the creation of the National Institute of Oceanographic Research (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Oceanograficas, or Inpo) to collect information about the sea and Brazilian coast. The intention is to support marine research already being undertaken at the country’s universities, institutes and companies, and to stimulate new studies. The project is a partnership between Vale, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, the Navy, and Petrobras.

The new institute will be equipped with a hydro-oceanographic ship specially adapted for research. The vessel is one of the five best research platforms of its kind in the world. The aim is to expand Brazil’s offshore infrastructure and to support the generation of knowledge and human resources development with respect to the marine environment in the South Atlantic and tropical regions.