READING THE WATER
Water holds stories we cannot always see. Beneath the surface,
processes unfold that reveal the health of ecosystems, the presence of biodiversity, the impacts of human activity, and the transformations taking place across territories.
With every operation, the Caravela also acts as a platform for observation, research, and knowledge generation.
More than monitoring aquatic environments, we seek to understand what the water has to tell us.
WHAT WE INVESTIGATE?
Every territory becomes a living laboratory.
Infinito Mare’s work integrates environmental characterization, applied research, and continuous observation of aquatic ecosystems.
Our investigations include:
Eutrophication & Nutrient Cycling
Metals, Metalloids & Inorganic Contaminants
Microbiology & Environmental Health
Persistent & Emerging Organic Pollutants
(PAHs, PCBs, PFAS, phthalates, pesticides, pharmaceuticals)
Aquatic Biodiversity & Ecological Succession
Blue Carbon & the Carbon Cycle
Water Quality & Environmental Biogeochemistry
Water, Cities & Climate Change
Biomass Circular Economy
Environmental Monitoring & Ecological Intelligence
FROM WATER
TO KNOWLEDGE.
But generating knowledge is only part of the journey.
We also seek to translate the complexity of science into accessible information, stories, and experiences that bring more people closer
to understanding water.
OBSERVE
Observe the territory
COLLECT
Samples and records
ANALYZE
Investigate the subject matter
Every Caravela operation is also an opportunity
to investigate aquatic ecosystems.
From field observations to scientific analyses,
different stages come together to transform samples and records into knowledge about water.
INTERPRET
Understand relationships
Because knowledge matters.
But making it accessible
is also a way of caring.
TRANSLATE
Make accessible
SHARE
Engage people
SCIENCE
BUILT TOGETHER.
Science can also begin with a closer look, an unexpected question, or a shared discovery.
In the waters where we work, local residents, students,
and people connected to these territories can expand opportunities for observation and learning.
It is through these encounters that we recognize the potential of citizen science:bringing people closer to research, valuing local knowledge, and creating new ways
to participate in science.
Because understanding water can also be
a collective experience.
RESEARCH LINES
Research currently underway
Nutrient and contaminant removal by algae — bioremediation
Nature-based Solutions for urban aquatic environments
Biomonitoring using biofilms, periphyton, and macroalgae
Climate resilience and ecosystem-based urban adaptation
Microbial ecology associated with the Caravelas
Biodiversity associated with Caravela biomass
Blue Carbon in urban ecosystems
Biomass valorization and circular economy
Ecological intelligence for water management
Integrated environmental sensing
Biological indicators of water quality
Bioaccumulation of contaminants in algal biomass
QUESTIONS WE STILL WANT TO EXPLORE
Not every question has an answer yet.
We believe science moves forward when new questions find people willing to explore them.
Research areas we hope to develop with new partners
Agronomic potential of the biomass produced
Biomaterials & regenerative materials
Environmental DNA (eDNA)
Interactions between the Caravelas, aquatic communities, and other trophic levels
Bioaccumulation & food webs
Ecosystem services generated by the Caravelas
Predictive modeling of water quality
Artificial intelligence applied to water management
Water IoT through sensors integrated into the Caravelas
Expanded Blue Carbon quantification
Biotoxins in algae & periphyton
Monitoring of pharmaceuticals & emerging contaminants
Integration of environmental, biological & climate data
Urban planning based on ecological infrastructure
Are you a researcher or a Research Institution?
We are always open to new scientific collaborations.
SCIENCE THROUGH COLLABORATION
Knowledge is built collectively.
Throughout its journey, Infinito Mare has been developing research in partnership with universities, specialized laboratories,
and scientific organizations.
Scientific Partners:
PUBLICATIONS
Articles, academic papers,
reports, and studies focused on
the technology and its applications.
Publications about the Caravela
Articles, book chapters, reports, technical notes, and other publications developed by
the Infinito Mare team.
Publications by Infinito Mare
Research developed by partner institutions
using data from our operations or in dialogue
with the scientific work developed by Infinito Mare.
Publications from Our Research Network
BIODIVERSITY OBSERVATORY
Beneath the water's surface, life is constantly changing.
Algae, microorganisms, invertebrates, and other forms of life find surfaces where they can settle, interact, and form new communities.
Throughout their operations, the Caravelas also become places to observe these processes.
The Biodiversity Observatory brings together records, observations, and insights gathered across different aquatic territories.
More than identifying species, we seek to understand how communities take shape, how they change over time, and what these relationships reveal about the ecological conditions of each environment.
Every organism tells part of the story.
It is through the relationships between them that we begin to understand the whole.
LIFE IS NEVER STATIC.
NEITHER IS OUR OBSERVATION.
WHAT WE OBSERVE
Every Caravela offers an opportunity
to follow ecological processes
that are not always visible to the naked eye.
BIOLOGICAL COLONIZATION
The arrival and establishment of organisms on the surfaces
of the Caravelas, forming biofilms
and associated communities.
ORGANISM DIVERSITY
The presence of different biological groups, their characteristics,
and their relationships with the conditions
of each aquatic environment.
ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
Changes in the composition of communities over time,
as organisms arrive, remain,
and are gradually replaced.
ECOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS
The relationships between organisms, substrates, and aquatic environments that help us understand
the dynamics of ecosystems.
LIFE HAS A SOUND, TOO.
Among organisms, surfaces, and movement, there is a dimension of water
we do not always perceive.
On the Caravela’s mesh panels,algae, polychaetes, sea squirts, and small organisms findplaces to settle, interact, and form new communities.
With each cycle, biodiversity evolves.
And the sounds recorded while observing
these panels reveal another dimension
of this encounter between water and life.
Press play.
And listen closely to the sounds of water and the life taking shape on the Caravela.
DIFFERENT KIND OF LIFE.
Biodiversity does not respond in the same way in every environment.
Lakes, rivers, bays, and coastal waters each have their own conditions, shaping how communities form and change over time.
By bringing together observations from different operations, the Observatory allows us
to recognize patterns, identify unique characteristics, and deepen our understanding
of aquatic ecosystems.
But every territory also holds its own encounters, events, and unexpected discoveries.
We seek more than simply documenting life.
We seek to learn from it.
ECOLOGICAL STORIES
EVERY WATER.
A NEW DISCOVERY.
Not all discoveries happen in the same way.
Some emerge through microscopic analysis.
Others reveal themselves over the course of months,
as new organisms arrive or communities begin to change.
Ecological Stories bring together some of these observations and discoveries, drawn from selected experiences across different aquatic territories.
Small stories that help us understand larger processes.
Because observing biodiversity also means recognizing the uniqueness of every water.
MARINA DA GLÓRIA | RIO DE JANEIRO (RJ)
WHEN LIFE FINDS
A NEW SURFACE
Biofilms and organisms associated with the marine-estuarine environment began to colonize the Caravela’s surfaces.
An encounter that allows us to observe how new substrates
can be colonized by different forms of life.
ECOLOGICAL STORY · AUDIO
At Marina da Glória, tiny bubbles among the algae
sparked a discovery about the life growing on the Caravela.
LAGOA DA PAMPULHA | BELO HORIZONTE (MG)
On the Caravelas at Pampulha, different groups of microalgae
revealed a diversity of life forms growing beyond our sight.
A microscopic community that helps us understand
how biomass becomes a habitat for biological colonization.
AN INVISIBLE FOREST
ECOLOGICAL STORY · AUDIO
At Pampulha, a decision made during sampling
revealed an unexpected transformation:
green gave way to a carpet of cyanobacteria.
And accidental freezing brought another blue surprise.
GUAÍBA & ARROIO DILÚVIO | PORTO ALEGRE (RS)
Two aquatic environments within the same city revealed different conditions
and ecological responses.
An opportunity to observe how the characteristics of each body of water
influence the formation and development of communities associated
with the Caravela’s biomass.
TWO WATERS.
TWO COMMUNITIES.
ECOLOGICAL STORY · AUDIO
In Porto Alegre, countless bubbles raised a question about what was happening beneath the surface. And the capybaras reminded us that this territory already had inhabitants of its own.
PRAIA VERMELHA | RIO DE JANEIRO (RJ)
Interactions with marine organisms and observations of life associated with the structure raised new questions about the relationship between the Caravela and coastal environments.
An experience that brings together regenerative technology
and marine ecology.
WHEN MARINE LIFE
COMES CLOSER
ECOLOGICAL STORY · AUDIO
At Praia Vermelha, sea slugs, egg masses, jellyfish, and sea turtles revealed different dimensions of life in this territory. And the curiosity of passersby opened the door to new encounters with science.
URCA | RIO DE JANEIRO (RJ)
BIODIVERSITY IN MOTION
The Caravela’s continued presence made it possible to observe changes in biological communities over time.
New organisms, different associations, and transformations that help us understand the processes of ecological succession.
ECOLOGICAL STORY · AUDIO
At Urca, the Caravela attracted a network of curious observers: local residents, people on boats, and even a green sea turtle that seemed to have found its favorite restaurant.
A WORLD OF WATER KNOWLEDGE. WITHOUT HAVING TO DIVE IN.
ATLANTIS LIBRARY
Water science is vast.
And it keeps growing every day.
The Atlantis Library is a platform by Infinito Mare created
to organize, connect, and make scientific research
about water easier to access.
A place to find research papers, discover who is behind the science, follow new studies, and understand where knowledge is being produced, in Brazil and around the world.
FROM BLUE CARBON
TO MANGROVES.
FIND.
Scientific papers organized by topic, with abstracts and direct links to the original publications — whether openly accessible or subject to the access requirements of the original platform.
The Atlantis Library does not host or distribute scientific papers.
It serves as a curated gateway to knowledge,
organizing information and guiding readers to
each publication at its original source.
BlLUE CARBON · METALS IN WATER · MICROPLASTICS · MANGROVES
AQUATIC BIODIVERSITY · ECOLOGY · NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS · NUTRIENTS
and many more topics continuously being added to the library.
EXPLORE.
Researchers, institutions, universities, and maps help reveal who is producing knowledge and where
water science is being developed.
BECAUSE KNOWLEDGE
ALSO DESERVES
TO BE FOUND.
There is no regeneration without knowledge.
And knowledge that remains hidden
cannot create change.
STAY CURIOUS.
New studies and featured content help you keep up with
a field of science that never stops evolving.
SCIENCE NEVER STOPS. NEITHER DOES WATER.
Every territory brings new questions.
Every operation reveals new connections.
Every discovery expands what we have yet to understand.
As new operations move forward, new data is generated, new questions emerge, and new research begins.
The science we build follows the movement of water:
observing, investigating, learning, and evolving.
Because understanding water is an ongoing journey.
This page is evolving, too.
New results, research, publications, and discoveries will be shared
as our knowledge grows.
Water science continues.
And we continue with it.