Salt marshes are amongst the most productive ecosystems in the world and provide important ecosystem services, namely regulation and maintenance of coastal areas. Acting as coastal filters, salt marshes also have important roles in carbon (C) storage, thus contributing to climate regulation at local and global levels.

Nevertheless, these habitats have been converted or degraded due to many drivers and pressures, and its sustainability and C storage capacity might be threatened by climate change effects. As a result of global climate change and sea level rise, Baixo Vouga Lagunar (BVL) salt marshes, included in Ria de Aveiro (Portugal), are likely to be affected and, consequently, the services they provide, namely C storage.

The main goals in this project are to analyse the BVL salt marshes phytosociological trend and to assess their C storage capacity, as an ecosystem service.

Given the rising environmental awareness scientist from all over the world highlight that water quality is essential for a healthy development of aquatic ecosystems and humans. The analysis of the human‐environment interaction process and their evolution are among the OHM main goals. Therefore, the permanent monitoring of heavy metals released into natural water bodies by industrial wastewater discharges in water, surrounding the OHM sites, has become essential.

This project aims to improve the water quality control by a real time wireless monitoring of the metals inputs (Hg, Cr and Cd) into the water body. A smart sensor wireless network system will be developed and used to monitor and predict the risk of water contamination by such hazardous substances, which have very harmful effects on human health and environment, including loss of biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems, even at extremely low concentrations, due to their high toxicity. The Estarreja Municipality lagoon, an important source of irrigation waters for the region, will be monitored and the results will allow the understanding of the Estarreja Chemical Industrial Complex influence on the surrounding ecosystems.