Latest news from SAMSAS

- Our work is proceeding according to plan and we have already both initiated and implemented several activities during 2024. In addition to monthly meetings with the group, we have also implemented a number of measures in the action plan that we adopted at the beginning of the year. The current action plan is strongly linked to the target work for SLU Aqua's environmental analysis, says Malin Hällbom, chair of SAMSAS.

Increasing the knowledge of Aqua’s employees

A priority focus area for SAMSAS in 2024 is to increase the knowledge of employees at SLU Aqua, including the technology and opportunities available in environmental monitoring and assessment. A good example of this is the new seminar series Tekniksprånget/The Technical Leap, where invited lecturers present interesting and new technology solutions in research and environmental monitoring and assessment.

- We have already conducted four presentations, including acoustic technology, AI and machine learning, and new technical methods for analyzing otoliths. The seminars have been well attended and the interesting presentations have really highlighted the potential of the new technology in environmental monitoring and assessment, Malin continues.

All episodes of the Technology Leap are available at SLU Play.

More efficient use of field resources and staff

Another important focus area is the need to make optimal use of field resources, staff and equipment. Already in 2023, work began to enable the exchange of field staff between the divisions to increase the exchange of knowledge and support in each other's field work. The work on a joint coordination with responsible field planners at the department has continued in 2024 and the hope is to achieve major coordination gains and inspiring opportunities for staff to participate in other divisions' field activities.

- Getting the planning right with the right staffing for the field surveys is a challenging task. Although the exchange of staff between departments has not been so extensive yet, the coordinating field planning work has nevertheless been successful for the coordination at the department, says Anders Adill, environmental monitoring and assessment analys and member of SAMSAS.

In 2024, SAMSAS has also started work to enable divisions to work to common standards and coordinated procedures in the fieldwork.

- Many of the field activities carried out at the divisions have great similarities and should therefore be covered by similar marine safety procedures and rules. We are currently conducting a review of the division's documentation on field activities and regulations, and hopefully during the year we can create common standards and procedures for regulations and maritime safety at SLU Aqua, Anders concludes.