Research Progress on Ocean Observations Technology and Information Systems

Dear Colleagues,

The oceans play a crucial role in the global ecosystem for shaping climate and weather trends, water management and health, and the biogeochemical cycles, representing valuable sources of oil, food, minerals and renewable energy. Although increasingly mature marine observation technologies have been developed during recent decades for a better understanding of the oceans, the new advances of existing operational observing systems have been constrained by limited cooperation and interaction between the managers of existing ocean networks on earth as well as between the observing units. Furthermore, the development of smart in situ marine sensors to be integrated into existing fixed units (such as landers and mooring buoys) as well as in mobile units (such as AUVs, ROVs, ships of opportunity, marine drones, Argo floats and gliders) are under development in the frame of various European and international projects. In recent years, a lot of progress has been made for the Ocean Observation Technologies and Information Systems by developing cost effective and miniaturized sensing devices with very low power consumption that would be directly integrated as a “plug and play” operational mode in existing sensor networks. Additionally, a lot of effort has been made to develop acoustic communication methods and modules to transmit the data from the deep ocean as well as cellular systems for transmitting the data of the marine sensors in near real-time mode using 4G/5G protocols (especially in coastal areas). In order to improve the processes that take place globally in the oceans (such as weather monitoring and forecasting, climate variability, sea level rise, natural hazards, ocean acidification, health of the ocean, pollution and ecosystem functioning, energy, economic development and coastal management, public safety, security, training and education), new research is ongoing to improve and optimize infrastructures and updated models at the international level. The state-of-the-art in situ marine sensors with the capability to be easily integrated into ocean platforms combined with innovative communication and information systems for real-time data transmission will emerge as new features of both forecasting methods and smart emergency systems to protect humans.

Dr. Christos Tsabaris
Dr. Gabriele Pieri
Guest Editors

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• Abstract: The continuous monitoring of radioactivity in the oceans is crucial to identify potential incidences due to accident or blasts as well as due to various phenomena that may take place due to climate change and natural hazards. Effective monitoring provided in a continuous basis the type of the radioactive contaminant as well as the activity concentration of radionuclides in different matrices in the ocean environment. The spatial and temporal monitoring is performed using in-situ methods combined with low consumption detection systems that are enough tolerant for ocean conditions, while the data transmission is performed using wireless or on line methods. In the frame of RADCONNECT project, the integration of a medium resolution underwater radioactivity system was integrated in an existing cabled ocean observatory placed in Helgoland Island. The system operated in an online mode controlled by the operational Centre (AWI) as well as from the end-user (HCMR). The system provided gamma-ray spectra and activity concentration of key radionuclides that were enriched in the sediment as well as in the seawater during the monitoring period. The data analysis proved that the system had a stable operation in terms of voltage stability so that all acquired spectra could be integrated effectively in time to produce high statistically gamma-ray spectra for further analysis.

  Keywords: in-situ sensors; ocean radioactivity; sensor integration, Helgoland