The Littoral Station of Aguda,in the North of Portugal

The public authorities have recently approved the building of a Littoral Station in Aguda, a small fishing village on the Atlantic coast, 15 km south of the River Douro estuary in the municipal area of Vila Nova de Gaia. The internal structure of the building involves a Fishery Museum exhibiting ancient and modern gear, a Public Aquarium displaying the local marine fauna and flora and a Research and Educational Department for marine biology, aquaculture and fishery. The project was drawn up by the architect João Paulo Peixoto, in collaboration with local engineers, and the author. In Aguda there is an active, small-scale fishery, based on traditional methods handed down from generation to generation. The almost unstudied local marine fauna and flora is characterized by a high diversity of invertebrates and a rich abundance of fish stocks. Easy access to a variety of marine biotopes is guaranteed by means of the local fishing-fleet, thus supporting the Station's programme of education and research.