Sem categoria – SEDTRAIL

SedTrail Project Launches Its First Sediment Sampling Campaign at Maranhão Reservoir

Written by Stephania Marcelia on 10 de September, 2026. Posted in Sem categoria. No Comments on SedTrail Project Launches Its First Sediment Sampling Campaign at Maranhão Reservoir

A field campaign carried out in Coruche marks a new stage of the project and initiates the collection of samples for sediment characterisation and the study of sediment dynamics and water quality.

As part of the SedTrail project (LISBOA2030-FEDER-00840300; 2023.17943.ICDT | DOI 10.54499/2023.17943.ICDT), the research team, comprising researchers and students from Universidade Lusófona, the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (FCUL), and Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), conducted a new field campaign in the study area on 10 July 2026, marking the beginning of the project’s first sediment sampling campaign.

The campaign marks an important stage in the development of SedTrail, initiating sample collection in the study area, specifically within the Maranhão Dam and Reservoir system, in Coruche. During the fieldwork, sediment samples were collected at different sampling points, initiating the establishment of a sample set that will subsequently be analysed as part of the project.

The collection of these samples will enable a more detailed characterisation of the sediments present in the study system and support the investigation of their relationship with the processes that influence sediment dynamics and water quality. The data resulting from this campaign will therefore provide an important contribution to a more integrated understanding of the functioning of the aquatic system and to the development of the scientific objectives of SedTrail.

This first sampling campaign represents a significant step forward in the project’s scientific work, providing material collected directly from the study area for the subsequent stages of analysis. The information obtained from these samples will contribute to advancing knowledge of sediment dynamics and their interaction with the aquatic system, strengthening the scientific basis required to understand the processes under investigation.

SedTrail will therefore continue its research into sedimentary processes and water quality, moving into a phase in which the analysis of the collected samples will enable the field data to be transformed into scientific knowledge about the functioning of the system under study.

Entities involved:

Instituto Superior Técnico – IST-ID
Universidade Lusófona de Lisboa
Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (FCUL)
Instituto Dom Luiz (IDL)
Association of Irrigators and Beneficiaries of the Sorraia Valley (ARBVS)

Image credits:
Images: SedTrail Project

From the Laboratory to the Field: SedTrail Project Brings Academia and Stakeholders Together for Its First Field Campaign in Coruche

Written by Stephania Marcelia on 10 de September, 2026. Posted in Sem categoria. No Comments on From the Laboratory to the Field: SedTrail Project Brings Academia and Stakeholders Together for Its First Field Campaign in Coruche

As part of the SedTrail project (LISBOA2030-FEDER-00840300; 2023.17943.ICDT | DOI 10.54499/2023.17943.ICDT), the research team, comprising researchers and students from Universidade Lusófona, the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (FCUL), and Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), visited the study area on 28 November 2025, namely the Maranhão Dam and Reservoir in Coruche.

The initiative included a meeting with the Association of Irrigators and Beneficiaries of the Sorraia Valley (ARBVS), the organisation responsible for managing the Maranhão system and the project’s main stakeholder. The meeting provided an opportunity to present the project and its methodological approach, while also gaining first-hand insight into the needs, concerns, and challenges identified by ARBVS in its role as the organisation responsible for managing the system.

The activity began at ARBVS headquarters with a meeting between the project team and the organisation responsible for managing the system. This provided an opportunity to present the objectives of the SedTrail project, which focus on sediment monitoring and the analysis of its relationship with water quality, as well as to discuss the overall methodology adopted. This methodology combines sediment monitoring, water quality analysis, and direct field observation, bringing together different scientific approaches to develop an integrated understanding of the system.

The meeting also provided an important opportunity to gather input from ARBVS as the project’s main stakeholder, fostering direct dialogue between scientific knowledge and management practice, and reinforcing the importance of collaboration between academia and organisations responsible for water resources management.

The meeting was followed by the field component, including a visit to the Maranhão Dam, where the team was able to directly observe hydrological dynamics, sediment transport processes, and the factors influencing water quality within the system. The methodological approach combined direct field observation with an integrated assessment of the water system, enabling a deeper understanding of the processes under study.

The active participation of students, researchers, and institutional representatives highlighted the value of a collaborative approach to the analysis and management of water resources, bringing scientific knowledge closer to the realities of the field and contributing to a more applied, critical, and informed learning experience.

More than a technical experience, this first field visit marks the beginning of a joint endeavour in which science, practice, and cooperation converge to address contemporary challenges in sustainable water management.

The SedTrail project thus reinforces the importance of linking scientific research and territorial management, highlighting the role of collaboration with stakeholders in understanding the challenges associated with water systems and in developing more effective and sustainable approaches.

Entities involved:

Image credits:
Images: Anabela Cruces and Stephania Manuel (SedTrail Project)