First Edition of the CMAS Scientific Diving Course – Polytechnic University of Leiria Successfully Concludes in the Berlengas
On 13 May, the first edition of the CMAS Scientific Diving Course – Polytechnic University of Leiria successfully concluded in the Berlengas Marine Protected Area, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The initiative brought together participants from six countries (Italy, Belgium, England, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Germany), further establishing the Berlengas as a leading location for advanced training in science and diving.
Organised by the regional unit of MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre at the Polytechnic University of Leiria, in partnership with CMAS and FPAS, the course was successfully completed by all participants, reinforcing MARE’s role in promoting scientific diving training and positioning Portugal among the European pioneers implementing the new international standards for scientific diving.
The training programme included researchers from leading Portuguese institutions in the fields of marine and aquatic sciences. MARE was represented by João Franco, from MARE – Polytechnic University of Leiria, and David Jacinto, from MARE – University of Évora, both researchers also affiliated with the Associate Laboratory ARNET, dedicated to aquatic and marine sciences. Participants also included Duarte Duarte, researcher at CIMA – University of Algarve and course director, and Bianca Reis, researcher at CIIMAR.
During the first stage of the programme, participants were introduced to safety techniques, emergency response procedures and dive planning, progressing from pool sessions to open-water dives where they practised buoyancy, underwater navigation, communication and specific scientific diving techniques.
In the final days, the training focused on applied underwater scientific work, including the use of photo quadrats for benthic community analysis, photogrammetry and monitoring of kelp forest restoration areas. Throughout the programme, participants highlighted the technical and scientific rigour of the training, as well as the unique environmental setting of the Berlengas as a natural laboratory.
This initiative is part of a strategic area for the School of Tourism and Maritime Technology (ESTM) and FPAS, reinforcing the commitment of the National Academy of Underwater Activities, established in Peniche in 2026.
The course therefore represents an important milestone in the internationalisation of the Polytechnic University of Leiria, bringing together science, marine conservation and technical capacity-building at an international scale, while further strengthening MARE’s role in advancing marine research and underwater scientific training in Portugal.
Text: Patrícia Chaves