The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) played a leading role at the International Symposium on Marine Sciences (ISMS 2026) in Cádiz, contributing to the Physical Oceanography Meeting (EOF)—one of the conference’s key parallel programs. Specifically, PLOCAN took a leading role alongside AZTI, IEO/CSIC, SOCIB, and ULPGC in organizing and moderating the session on Unmanned Vehicles, a forum for the scientific and technical community dedicated to the development and application of autonomous marine platforms.
In addition to session’s coordination and chairing, PLOCAN delivered two oral presentations focusing on the capabilities and services of the VIMAS (Underwater Vehicles, Instruments, and Machines) facility. This unique infrastructure enables the institution to operate and maintain a fleet of autonomous marine vehicles—including underwater gliders and USVs—serving the national and international oceanographic community. These presentations showcased VIMAS’s operational capabilities and its role as a key node within European ocean observation infrastructures.
One of the presentations highlighted the Glider School initiative, a training program that PLOCAN has promoted since 2011, which the 2026 edition once again has the support of the European AQUARIUS-RI project through its summer school and training scholarship programs. The Glider School has established itself as a benchmark initiative for training new generations of technicians and researchers in the operation of autonomous underwater vehicles, helping to bridge the specialized skills gap required by the ocean observation sector in Europe.
PLOCAN’s contribution to ISMS 2026 directly aligns with the institution’s strategic objectives as a Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructure (ICTS) aimed to support the research community with cutting-edge technologies for ocean observation and knowledge. The VIMAS facility serves as specific operations vector through which PLOCAN fulfills this commitment, offering autonomous vehicle capabilities that are crucial for marine research programs and projects, environmental monitoring, and the systematic generation of high-quality oceanographic data—all in line with frameworks such as EuroGOOS, EMSO, ICOS, and AQUARIUS-RI.
PLOCAN’s presence in forums of this nature reinforces its standing as a benchmark in the field of applied ocean technology, consolidating alliances with the national and international scientific community and showcasing the work carried out from the Canary Islands to the broader European oceanographic community. Furthermore, organizing and leading the Unmanned Vehicles session at the EOF confirms the active role PLOCAN plays—not only as a user of these technologies but also as a driving force behind scientific exchange platforms centered on them, such as the Spanish Glider Operators Committee (CEOG).
Through this participation, PLOCAN reaffirms its commitment to scientific-technical outreach and knowledge transfer, positioning VIMAS and initiatives such as the Glider School as key elements of its infrastructure strategy in the service of marine science—at the Canary Islands, national, and international levels.
