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My name is Igor, I'm from Croatia, Rijeka

I work at the Croatian Meteorological Service (DHMZ) in Rijeka as a general and marine forecaster. I first started as a data analyst (mostly NWP post-processing) at 2013. few years later started working as a forecaster. My work includes marine and general forecasting, weather analysis, data processing as well as radio presenting.

I mostly look forward to meet other forecasters and improve my forecasting skills, also hope to learn to use new and hopefully better :) forecasting methods and techniques.

My hobbies are hiking/swimming, cooking and trying out new recipes, learning languages, choir singing, sometimes playing keyboards and making electronic music.

The photo shows a nice and relatively calm weather on the Kvarner bay in the Northern Adriatic, the kind of weather I like to see when I'm working my shifts :)

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Hi everyone,

I live in Lübeck at the Baltic Sea. I work for the German Weather Service in Hamburg as a meteorologist. Occasionally, I have the chance to take part in expeditions on board of research vessels as a forecaster, but most of the time I am in the office in Hamburg.

I want to improve my analyzing skills by up to date methods. Generally, I like to learn from the experience of other forecaster a lot. So I am very happy to meet you all.

My photo shows a typical short period wind swell we experience frequently at the Western Baltic Sea. Waves will only appear in the fetch, no ground swells. Too bad because I like to surf and windsurf in my spare time. So I have to travel to the Atlantic with my family for vacations. Luckily all fell in love with surfing.

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Pave Pilić

City/Country:
Split, Croatia

Professional Background:
I work as a marine meteorologist and operational weather forecaster at the Marine Meteorological Center of the Croatian Hydrological and Meteorological Service. My role involves analyzing meteorological conditions and preparing marine weather forecasts for the Adriatic Sea, with the aim of ensuring the safety of seafarers and maritime operations.

Expectations for the Course:
My expectations for the course are to deepen my knowledge of marine forecasting. I hope to enhance my skills in analyzing and monitoring marine weather conditions, forecasting meteorological phenomena, and issuing timely warnings for hazardous weather. I am particularly eager to improve my understanding of satellite image interpretation, oceanic and atmospheric models, and the dynamics of severe marine weather systems.

Hobbies:
Traveling, photography, swimming, hiking, and storm chasing.

Photo Description:
My whole life has been oriented toward the sea and meteorology, and photography is a natural extension of that passion. After finishing a shift at work, I went storm chasing with friends to experience the impressive storm lighting up the central Adriatic. I’m often the first person to warn others about dangerous weather—but also the first one to show up in person to watch it unfold live.

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My role involves analyzing and forecasting marine weather conditions to support naval operations and maritime safety.

I hope to enhance my skills in marine weather forecasting, particularly in analyzing and monitoring marine weather situations, forecasting meteorological phenomena, and issuing warnings for hazardous conditions. I am eager to improve my understanding of satellite image interpretation, ocean and atmospheric models, and severe marine weather conditions.

In my free time, I love immersing myself in a good book, letting stories transport me to different worlds. I also enjoy relaxing with a good TV show and taking peaceful walks by the sea, appreciating the beauty and serenity of the ocean.

My photo reflects what the sea means to me. The open horizon represents freedom, the ability to explore without limits. Being on a ship is also about knowledge—understanding the ocean, the weather, and everything that surrounds us. And, of course, every journey is an adventure, filled with new experiences and challenges.

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Helsinki, Finland

Operational weather forecaster at FMI, EUMeTrain consortium member. Participating in the Aristotle project as a Severe weather forecaster for which it will be useful to learn about marine forecasting.

Expectations for the course are to learn about marine forecasting and observe learning techniques used at the course.

Hobbies: gym, swimming, nature walks, foreign languages

The photo is from Jurmala beach in Latvia where I visited with my childhood friend last year. The vicinity of bigger water bodies calms me why I semi-often go for walks near the sea also in Helsinki.

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I am from Norway and work with aviation and maritime weather forecasting at MET Norway in Bergen. I am looking forward to learning more about satellite products that can help me improve maritime weather forecasting, as well as meeting colleagues from other countries. When I'm not working, I enjoy going for a walk or jog, spending time at the gym, cooking, or relaxing in front of the TV while knitting.

I chose a photo from a beautiful summer evening on the island where my family comes from. The sea is a significant part of my life, as I come from a family of fishermen and sailors. To me, the sea represents a space for leisure activities such as fishing, swimming, boating, and water skiing.

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I work as marine weather forecaster in Varna branch of National Institute of meteorology and hydrology since 1998.

It is still very interesting for me to do this. Because there is no weather type that repeats. I am also engaged in scientific work which is also related to the sea. Because I think that this is the way to understand it.

Wind and wave forecasting in the Black sea usually follows the classical synoptic theory. But this does not make the work of the forecaster easier. That is why it is necessary to constantly learn.

On 14th of May 2024, for the first time in my life I saw "cnoidal waves". In the Varna Bay. Such waves are usually generated in the oceans and I was extremely interested understanding their origin in this place. My photo is from that time.

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My name: António Tavares

Country: Portugal

Professional Activity: I am a hydrographer and oceanographer at the Maritime GEOMETOC Center of the Portuguese Navy, which is part of the Hydrographic Institute. My work focuses on analyzing METOC and hydrographic data to support naval operations and maritime safety.

Expectations for the course: I hope to acquire skills that will enhance the support we provide to naval units and task forces, ensuring safer maritime operations through a better understanding of oceanographic and meteorological phenomena.

Hobbies: I enjoy traveling, hiking, playing padel, and cybersecurity.

What marine means to me

My photo captures the stunning yet formidable nature of the ocean, depicting a striking pattern of crossing waves. To me, the sea is both a magnificent and perilous environment. Its beauty is undeniable, but it demands respect and understanding. Only through knowledge of its complex phenomena can we truly appreciate and safely navigate its ever-changing conditions.

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I am from The Netherlands and I live in a village called Kerkdriel.

I am working as a marine meteorologist at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) for about 3 years. Each shift, we work as a team with three other meteorologists. Besides marine forecasts, the marine forecaster also makes some of the forecasts for the aviation sector.

I have a passion for meteorology in general. Therefore, I really would like to improve my marine forecasts and learn new techniques. With this course I hope to expand my knowledge on the most recent developments on monitoring and forecasting, improving my skills as a marine meteorologist. Also, I am looking forward getting to know other experts and discuss about the topics and learning a lot from each other.

My hobbies are roller skating, ice skating, travelling and being outside in the nature. Also, photography is my hobby. Especially photographing landscapes and extreme weather is what I really like to do.

The photo shows a sunset in combination with sea fog in the Algarve, Portugal when I was on vacation there. This was during a 'sunset-tour' I did with my girlfriend. The guides said that there would be no clouds. However, when driving to the specific place, some very low clouds start to appear near the coast and within just a few minutes the weather changed from completely sunny to fog with much lower temperatures. As a marine forecaster, you know how hard it is to forecast sea fog and the difficulty models have to forecast this. Not only for the marine sector, but also for the aviation, this sea fog is important. It characterizes the subtle processes present in the interaction between sea and atmosphere. The photo highlights the importance and difficulty of marine forecasting.

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Stroll along the Baltic Sea - late August

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I' m from Poland and I live in Szczecin

I've been a general and marine forecaster at IMGW since 2017. But actually my work as a meteorologist in the Institute started in 2006. Then I was recruited as an observer at Goleniow Airport and was sending METAR's for about 10 years.

I really like to do my job and hope to do it as best as I can, so my expectations for the course are to improve my forecasting skills, especially in such a challenging field like marine forecasting. I'm also looking forward to meet marine experts and students from different countries to exchange our knowledge.

Things that I find relaxing are jogging, cycling, travelling, visiting new places or reading books. But the most calming for me is walking with my little dog to the park/forest or at the seaside where I can enjoy nature.

Me and my family love spending time by the water, especially by our Baltic Sea. Even though for swimming I prefer some other seas :-), I think Baltic Sea is magic. It can be very different from day to day. Sometimes it's very calm and peaceful, the other time it's violent and agitated. I love every aspect of our sea. I feel happy that I can go often at the seaside. It gives me a lot of energy and positive vibes. After all, it's where we come from.

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I am a meteorologist from Hamburg, Germany. I joined DWD in 2003, first at headquarters in Offenbach, where I became member of the group for operational production of satellite data, including internal training activities. In 2010 I changed to the ship advertisement group in Hamburg, doing marine forecasts both for remote ship routing and as forecaster on board. Other topics of my work include the operations of our wave model at DWD and developing products and tools for marine forecasts. Beside of this, I am a member of some working groups at EUMETSAT.

With this course I hope to learn new techniques in marine forecasting (and being remembered to some as well), to improve my forecast skills. I am looking forward to meet new people (and to meet some again), to exchange our knowledge. Furthermore, I hope to get ideas for useful products that might help our forecasters in duty.

Currently I don’t have “real” hobbies. That might change now when my youngest kid is leaving school in a couple of weeks, but at the moment my family is my biggest hobby. Interests are music, swimming, sailing and gliding (all as former hobbies).

My photo is taken in a fjord aside from the Magellan Strait. For me, it represents both the beauty and the roughness of the sea, gives an impression of width even in front of the mountains and an idea of possible leaving and approaching at the same time. By the way: the rainbow is no “rain”bow, but caused by sea spray – stable over a long period of that late afternoon.

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·        Portugal

·        Weather forcaster at IPMA operational center in Lisbon.

·        With this course, I am looking forward to gaining new knowledge, new tools and new perspectives regarding maritime forecasting, which is one of the tasks we do in the operational center in forecasting for maritime navigation.

·        I don't have many hobbies at this stage of my life, as I have two young children who take up a lot of my free time. Between shift work and the kids and their activities, I have little time left that I like to spend on the couch watching a good series or film.

·        My photo was taking two years ago at Consolação beach in Peniche, with the city and the Berlengas Island in the horizont, with my kids in first plan. This is the beach where we spend most of our holidays and weekends in the summer. Unlike many days in August, this day was a beautiful sunny day.

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Bulgaria

Meteorologist at the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH) in Sofia since 2023.

I’m excited to participate in this course, especially since it’s my first one and provides an excellent opportunity to expand my knowledge in marine forecasting, to gain experience with remote sensing data and to meet new colleagues from other countries.

My hobbies include hiking, skiing and Bulgarian folk dancing. I also love travelling and enjoy learning new languages.

The photo shows the lighthouse near Ahtopol, a small coastal town in southeastern Bulgaria. I took this picture during a vacation with my friends in August 2020. On one hand, the sea for me is a place, where I can escape from the noise of everyday life and reflect on all the memories there. On the other hand, the sea with its crashing waves can also be dangerous, highlighting the importance of marine forecasting.

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I come from Athens, Greece and work as a meteorologist in Hellenic National Meteorological Service. (HNMS). I have a position on model verification section and I also perform all forecasts including marine forecasts for shipping. Sea forecast is very important in my country which has plenty of islands.

I am looking forward to this course in order to learn new methods of marine forecasting and apply them to my forecast duties. I would also like to meet new people and exchange ideas.

My hobbies include hiking, latin dance, gym, travel.

The photo I uploaded was taken last summer in my origins island, Andros Cyclades. The view of the sea is always beautiful, not only in the day but also around sunset and at night. It always gives me a relaxing moment when I look at it. The sea of my island is most of the time rough due to the etesian winds, but that evening was one of the calm ones.

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Lithuania, Klaipeda

Senior specialist in LHMS (marine weather forecaster),  Forecasts and warnings division (started in 2012), had some long gap (tried new carrier road), and now coming back to the job I love and I'm passionate about.

I am really excited about this learning opportunity; it's been a while since I've participated in one. I really hope to improve my skills in forecasting, and learn more about remote sensing data, and of course change experiences and knowledge.

My hobbies are cycling, hiking, running, swimming, books, puzzles, trivia quizzes.

My photo is Curonian lagoon, which is a part of Baltic sea, and I think that photo is giving calming vibes, especially what spending time near the sea really gives to me, it always clears my mind and gives me better perspective.

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I am from Barcelona (Catalonia - Spain). I work as a weather forecaster at Meteorological Service of Catalonia (SMC) since 2011; forecasting, nowcasting and also issuing warnings for hazardous weather conditions are some of my tasks.

I have a strong interest in meteorology in general, the severe weather events and everything that happens at sea, as it is one of my passions.

I would like to make the most of this course, from the sources of information to the interpretation of satellite images and improving the forecasting of maritime storms.

My hobbies are trail running, nature, reading, learning languages, travelling, and sports in general.

For me, the sea represents freedom, passion, wildness, sport, nature, and disconnection, but also dangers and anxiety. In fact, one of my hobbies is rowing. It combines several of my passions: outdoor team sports, meteorology, and oceanography. That is why I chose this photo, from a day of Mediterranean llaüt (the boat on the photo) competition on the Costa Brava (Catalonia). In this photo, you can see the danger that the waves can pose.

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I come from Italy.

I’m meteorologist, senior forecaster and trainer at Air Force national meteorological and climatological centre in Rome (CNMCA). I’m Head of the medium and long range forecasting section.

My expectations are to learn and improve the marine forecasts.

My hobbies are: swimming, snorkeling, hiking, alpine and cross country ski, tennis, watching biathlon, ski and tennis.

In the photo it's me during the occasional lifeguard activity on the beaches of Rome. Observing the sea and the sky for 10 hours a day is also an interesting marine meteorological experience.

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1. I am from Latvia and I work as a general and marine forecaster for Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LEGMC).

During this course I expect to learn more about tools, for example, satellite products, that could help me improve my marine forecasting skills, as well as ways to use them to verify model data over sea territories. I also look forward to meeting the colleagues, working together and exchanging experience.

In my free time I like travelling and visiting new places. I am also interested in various kinds of arts. My hobbies include graphic design, photography and music record collecting.

2. I chose a photograph of the Cliffs of Moher that I took on film last February. One of my favourite places to be at is the sea, and this was my first time at the ocean. I find it thought-provoking-- the ocean plays a big part of our lives (recreation, food production, transportation etc.) yet the weather can make it act ever so differently, like on the Cliffs of Moher, where the wind blowing from the ocean range from light breeze to hurricane force. It is a reminder of the importance of marine forecasting.

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I am from Norway, and work at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute in Bergen.

I've been working in MET Norway since 2000. Since 2012 I have also been following up contracts and customers we have in MET Norway's small maritime commercial service. In addition I work shifts in the duty rotation. At the moment mainly with maritime forecasting, but I have also experience with forecasting for the public and aviation forecasting.

I am looking forward to meet colleagues from the other countries. Exchange experiences in maritime forecasting and I expect to learn more about remote sensing data.

When I'm not working, I like to spending time outside. Go for a walk, gardening, take a swim or kayaking. But you can also find me relaxing on the coach knitting.

My picture is from a stormy October day from one of the beaches on Jæren (the coastal areas just south for the city of Stavanger). I grew up in this area, and the rapid changing in weather conditions early fascinated me.

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I come from Portugal and I am a Retired Navy Officer of the Portuguese Navy, rank Captain.

I am a Hydrographic Engineer, and currently a professor of Atmosphere and Ocean Dynamics at the Portuguese Naval Academy.

I am very interested in the short-term weather and sea-state forecasting based on "classical" synoptic meteorology methods, for these may be very important in real operation scenarios where communications between naval units and forecasting centers may be disrupted. I am very interested in this course, because it will be an excellent opportunity for learning from experienced meteorologists.

My hobbies are photography, wood carving, and studying physics, astronomy and meteorology.

My photo invokes the golden period of the Portuguese seafaring and one of its main protagonists, Prince Henry the Navigator. It also brings to mind how important atmosphere and ocean dynamics were in this past days, long before the age of scientific meteorology and oceanography, when the navigators had to empirically explore the general wind and current patterns. It is a kind of bridge between past and future.

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What marine means to you_title_ Henrique, o Navegador_Author_Carlos M. Lemos

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I come from Cyprus and I have been working as a forecaster at the Cyprus Department of Meteorology since 2021. I am part of the forecasting team where we perform all kinds of forecast, including marine forecasting. At my free time, I like going to the gym and watching sports.

I am really looking forward to attending this course, because I expect to learn new or better methods and tools for a more efficient marine forecasting and also ways (e.g. satellite data) to verify wave model data (e.g. sea state, surface wind).

The photo shows the western coast of Cyprus, near the town of Paphos, during a rainy and windy day when the sea state was slight to moderate. The ''weather'' in Cyprus usually visits us from the west, thus the western coast is quite vulnerable to the upcoming changes. The feedback taken from this coastline is crucial for us to assess our data.

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1. I am from Greece and I work at the Hellenic National Meteorological Service. I am the Head of the Department of Observation Methods and Quality Control of Meteorological Data, while I also perform weather forecasting duties, including marine forecasting. What I expect from this seminar is to be trained in the use of satellite tools that will enhance my skills in marine forecasting.

2. The photo shows the village of Tolo in the Peloponnese, an area I know very well. I have experience with how the sea reacts there under different weather conditions, which greatly helps me assess the data we rely on for marine forecasting.

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Hi, everyone, i will be in the Marine Course team as a facilitator. Hope you all enjoy the course and have a nice time learning new things! I have a 1st degree in Meteorology/Oceanography and I love the beach and ocean. This is a picture of one of my favorite beaches, Comporta, Setúbal.

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I am originally from Belgium but have been living in England for many years working at ECMWF.

I am one of the instructor, expert in ocean wave modelling.

I love to look at waves and how they interact. My picture is actually a composite of 2 pictures of how long swell propagating from the Southern Ocean (left to right on the picture) refract on the headland along the coast of Phillip Island in Australia. One can follow the long waves turning around the headland as they shoal in the shallow part and start to slowing break to then reach the beach as almost perfect wave fronts

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Last year I started a new career on a sup (photo). I grew up on sandy grounds 20m above sea level and in the Netherlands you are considered a "landrot". Nevertheless, in my professional career, the last 38 years, I've remotely sensed the sea with radar and lasers in substantial detail, from satellites and from airplanes. Furthermore, I much indulged in in-situ measurements over the sea in order to grasp the sea roughness and stress on my computer. Only last year, a new friend invited me to become more of a "zeeman" as we started supping together in the North Sea. I already knew that it needs a lot of patience, control and balance to master the sea, but one is never too old to try :)

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Portugal

Meteorologist at IPMA since 1998

I hope all students have a great experience in the 6th EUMeTrain marine couse

My hobbies are going to the gym, doing snorkeling, going to the cinema and watching TV series and sports (mainly handball and ski jumping)

My photo is about finding the ideal coastal area for snorkeling... one that is sheltered from swell in days with no wind waves

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Before the welcome session on 31 March

1. Each student has to create his profile according to the example (name, contry, ...)

2. Each student has to upload one (own) photo related to "what marine means to me"

During the welcome session on 31 March

1. Each student has to vote on 3 photos from other students with "Add Comment" from 1 to 3 points (that is, "1 point" for student X, "2 points" for student Y, "3 points" for student W)

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1. Present yourself:

country

professional activity

expectations for the course

hobbies

2. Write about your photo on "what marine means to me":

My photo is about ...