Comments: pdf
Ref.: OCEANS MTS/IEEE, Hampton Roads (USA), 17-20 October 2022
Abstract:
Long-term and reliable marine ecosystems monitoring is essential to address current environmental issues,
including climate change and biodiversity threats. The existing oceans monitoring systems show clear data
gaps, particularly when considering characteristics such as depth coverage or measured variables in deep
and open seas. Over the last decades, the number of fixed and mobile platforms for in situ ocean data
acquisition has increased significantly, covering all oceans' regions. However, these are largely dependent
on satellite communications for data transmission, as well as on research cruises or opportunistic ship
surveys, generally presenting a lag between data acquisition and availability. In this context, the creation
of a widely distributed network of SMART cables (Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications) - sensors
attached to submarine telecommunication cables - appears as a promising solution to fill in the current ocean
data gaps and ensure unprecedented oceans health continuous monitoring. The K2D (Knowledge and Data from the
Deep to Space) project proposes the development of a persistent oceans monitoring network based on the use
of telecommunications cables and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). The approach proposed includes
several modules for navigation, communication and energy management, that enable the cost-effective gathering
of extensive oceans data. These include physical, chemical, and biological variables, both registered with
bottom fixed stations and AUVs operating in the water column. The data that can be gathered have multiple
potential applications, including oceans health continuous monitoring and the enhancement of existing
ocean models. The latter, in combination with geoinformatics and Artificial Intelligence, can create a
continuum from the deep sea to near space, by integrating underwater remote sensing and satellite
information to describe Earth systems in a holistic manner.
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