Dr. Nuria Llobregat
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Professor of Marine Meteorology, SAR, and Operational Safety; Coordinator of Navigation Risk Management.
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Weather and wave models, weather routing and sailing windows, SAR (planning and IAMSAR patterns), first aid on board and emergency response, operational risk management on the bridge
Specialist in meteorological and operational decision-making for coastal and offshore navigation, integrating wind, wave, and current models with vessel and port limitations to construct safe and profitable navigation windows.
Its approach combines numerical prediction (multi-model), nowcasting, and onboard sensor data with objective criteria (Hs threshold, Tp, gusts, UKC affected by waves and swell, berthing and draft limitations) to reduce deviations, stoppages, and exposure to risk.
In SAR, it applies IAMSAR procedures with Parallel Track, Expanding Square, Sector, and Creeping Line patterns, exploiting DRIFT (wind/current/leeway drift) and GMDSS communications for On-Scene Coordination.
It leads training in first aid on board, hypothermia, and medical advice, connecting STCW protocols with the reality of small crews and recreational/semi-professional navigation.
His proposal provides clear metrics: mean absolute error (MAE) in Hs, ETA deviation due to weather phenomena, fuel/time loss due to poor routing, and success rates in SAR exercises (notification times, establishment of the pattern, and time to first visual contact). He has designed templates and checklists that standardize risk management (5×5 matrix, go/no-go, bridge risk brief) and elevate the safety culture.
Skills Key
- Models and ensembles: multi-model interpretation (wind/waves/current), uncertainty and spread.
- Waves and swell: Hs, Hmax, Tp, direction, swell-dominated seas, wave-blocking at mouths.
- Local systems: breezes (daytime/nighttime), mistral/tramontana/levante, gap winds, downbursts.
- Nowcasting and sensors: anemometry, barometer, basic thermodynamics, sea state logs, and trend analysis.
- Operational criteria: thresholds by LOA, freeboard, maneuverability, mooring and towing limitations.
- Window optimization: delay vs. risk, severity and return scales, harbor readiness.
Find out more
Current teaching
- Operational Marine Meteorology and Waves — 5 ECTS, blended, T1
RA: interprets multi-model outputs and estimates MAE; translates forecasts into go/no-go thresholds and harbor readiness.
Evidence: operational weather report by route with trend analysis and alternative plan. - Weather Routing and Navigation Windows — 4 ECTS, online+lab, T2
RA: builds routes with hull/propulsion restrictions, reduces fuel/time loss, and documents decision.
Evidence: routing dossier (A/B routes, thresholds, impact on consumption/ETA). - Operational SAR (IAMSAR) — 4 ECTS, simulator, T2
RA: defines datum, chooses pattern, and executes OSC coordination with appropriate communications; records POD and coverage.
Evidence: SAR plan and debrief with time and coverage metrics. - Operational Safety and First Aid on Board (STCW) — 3 ECTS, intensive, T3
RA: applies primary assessment, hypothermia, and medical communication protocols; generates initial clinical record.
Evidence: clinical checklist and after-action review. - Navigation Risk Management (bridge SOP) — 3 ECTS, T3
RA: implements 5×5 risk matrix, risk brief, abort criteria, and log traceability.
Evidence: SOP package (brief, checklist, matrix, and internal audit).
Programmes in which they participate
- Master’s Degree in Bridge Operations and Safety (45–60 ECTS) — Full professor (weather, SAR, risk management).
- Master’s Degree in Marina Management & Operations (30–45 ECTS) — Associate professor (port closures, harbor readiness, contingency plans).
- Diploma in Electronic Navigation and GMDSS — Guest lecturer (SAR and distress/urgency/safety communications).
- Diploma in Predictive Maintenance and Survey — Short module (weather impact on beaching/sea trials).
- CPD Skippers/OOW/Captains — Updates on navigation windows and SAR.
Accreditations and certifications
- Meteorology laboratory: academic ensemble viewer, historical datasets, MAE calculation, and hindcast.
- SAR simulator: low visibility conditions, dynamic targets, OSC management, and communications.
- First aid classroom: mannequins, thermal kits, oxygen therapy training, medical communications mock-ups.
- Navalis templates: risk brief, 5×5 matrix, routing dossier, SAR plan, clinical record, and after-action review.
Key experience
- Quantifiable weather decisions: thresholds translated into port SOPs and passage plans; control of MAE Hs/Tp and ETA error.
- Practical weather routing: balance of safety/time/consumption with hull, propulsion, and crew limitations.
- Effective SAR: IAMSAR skippers trained in simulation with coverage, sweep, and response time metrics.
- First aid applied at sea: simple, scalable, and auditable protocols for small crews.
- Risk culture: briefings, checklists, and logs that facilitate ISM audits/STCW standards.
Publications / applied research
- “Navigation windows: from forecast to operational threshold in Mediterranean ports.”
- “Effective SAR on the coast: datum, DRIFT, and track spacing by visibility.”
- “Onboard nowcasting: minimum sensing, maximum value.”
- “Hypothermia at sea: simplified protocol for small crews.”
Projects / consultancy
- Local predictability: breezes/wind shifts on Mediterranean coasts; impact on laylines and approaches.
- Coastal wave validation: relationship between hindcast and onboard sensors; realistic thresholds for mouths/berths.
- SAR scan efficiency: optimization of track spacing by visibility and observation height.
- First aid for small crews: simplified and measurable hypothermia protocols.
- Results: technical guides, checklists, error datasets, and SOPs incorporated into Navalis programs.
Methodology and assessment
- Participation 10% (weather briefings and SAR).
- Practical work 35% (routing with ensembles; SAR pattern execution).
- Project 35% (passage plan with thresholds, SOP, and contingencies).
- Exam 20% (integrated weather-SAR-first aid case).
- Criteria: technical accuracy (models/waves), traceability of decisions, STCW/IAMSAR compliance, quality of records.
Teaching outcomes/KPIs
- Average MAE(Hs) in practice: ≤0.30 m at 24–48 h.
- ETA error due to weather: <±15 min in 80% of exercises.
- SAR drill: pattern establishment ≤ 5 min and first contact ≤ 25 min in 85% of scenarios.
- SOP adoption: > 90% of students implement traceable risk brief and abort criteria.
Languages
- Spanish (C2),
- English (C1)
Availability
- Valencia campus and online; SAR simulations and meteorological laboratories T1–T3; support for exercises at partner marinas.
Contact
- Email: nuria.llobregat@navalisinstitute.co.uk
- LinkedIn: (añadir URL)