During RADMED cruises some fixed stations located all around Spanish Mediterranean coast are sampled following the same methodology since 1992 in some stations like those located in the westernmost part of Alboran Sea. At each station, a CTD cast is taken as well as water samples to determine : pH, Alkalinity, Chlorophyll  and nutrients concentration, phytoplankton (micro, pico and nanoplankton) and zooplankton,

The main objective is to obtain climatological values, variability ranges and the detection of possible trends of the different variables sampled.

The cruise will start in Palma de Mallorca (Spain) and will visit around 110 stations depending on the sea conditions. A mooring developed in Mahon (Balearic Islands) will be released.

The Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) is a public research organization (PRO), under the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, devoted to marine science research, especially in relation to the scientific knowledge of the oceans, the sustainability of fishing resources and the marine environment. The IEO represents Spain in most of the international scientific and technological forums related to the sea and its resources. The fellow will be trained in the Malaga center, located in Fuengirola.

The supervisor will be Dr M. Carmen García-Martínez, that is an experienced researcher in oceanography. She works in the Mediterranean Climate Change Group (www.ma.ieo.es/gcc). One of the main activities of this group is the development of a monitoring programme (RADMED) in which a number of oceanographic stations are sampled in a systematic way. She has included some new analysis techniques in RADMED cruises, as the determination of CO2 not only in the water column (pH and alkalinity) but also the interchange of this gas between the atmosphere and the sea surface using a continous CO2 partial pressure analyzer.