European Fundend Projects

  • ID:
    projects-570
  • fiwar:
    LIFE92 ENV/F/000022
  • Project_Acronym:
    No data
  • Project_Name:
    Automated network for monitoring the coastal environment
  • Funding Authority:
    LIFE
  • Call for proposals:
    Environment
  • Focus Area:
    Sensitive and protected areas management
  • Begin Date:
    1992-12-01
  • End Date:
    1994-12-31
  • Status:
    Completed
  • Budget:
    No data
  • Description:
    The project which set up an automated network for the monitoring of the coastal environment was initiated by IFREMER (French institute for oceanic research) and MORS, in order to develop automatic tools for a continuous and real-time monitoring of coastal water quality. A lot of monitoring networks already exist, but they rely on manual collection of water samples, at high period (several days or weeks). The state-of-the-art in physico-chemical sensor technology now allows automatic data collection. Some monitoring systems have recently been developed, but they do not take into account the specific constraints of coastal environment.The project consisted of the development and the experimentation of a buoy, autonomous regarding energy, set in a very shallow water depth area (4 meters), with a strong tide range (7 meters). This buoy made hourly measurements of the main physico-chemical parameters of sea water, at various depths between the surface and bottom. The measurement principle consisted in pumping water at the appropriate depth, and in driving it into a cell fitted with the sensors on the buoy. Electrolysis of sea water provided the means to produce chlorine, in order to protect the water circuit from bio-fouling. A radio-electric link between the buoy and a control station on shore was used both to recover data from the buoy, and to modify some measurement parameters. Data were then stored in a data base on shore, and broadcast to users. The project also required the design of original methods (two patents) for the anchoring of the buoy and the water sampling device, and for the hydraulic circuit which works under very high power consumption constraint. The amount of data also made it necessary to design data qualification and processing methods for the control station.
  • Resource:
    https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/life/publicWebsite/project/LIFE92-ENV-F-000022/automated-network-for-monitoring-the-coastal-environment
  • Inland water types:
    Coastal waters'