The context
The new approach developed by Cefas to meet the UK's need for improved data on the health of the seas employs technologies within a network of automated monitoring systems deployed at sea. A range of international (Oslo and Paris Commission) and European (e.g. Nitrates Directive) policy drivers determine the legislative framework for which the UK developed a National Marine Monitoring Programme (NMMP) under the auspices of the Marine Pollution Monitoring Management Group. During the previous decade, monitoring of the offshore and coastal seas around England and Wales has been carried out employing research vessels during annual winter and summer surveys. Although providing good spatial coverage, sampling frequency is unable to resolve temporal variability adequately for current and future purposes. Against this background, Cefas has developed a suite of automated in-situ instrumentation capable of deployment at a mooring for monitoring a range of physico-chemical and environmental variables including phytoplankton.
Cefas is now using the SmartBuoy with spatial systems from other participating research groups in a series of pan-European collaborative deployment programmes. These programmes consist a series of deployments, grouped according to a particular location or timeframe. Each deployment group page describes the purpose of the particular series of deployments, the participants and instruments used. Data from each deployment is telemetered via satellite to Cefas where interpretative software affords rapid public access from this website.
Our systems support international programmes for marine data collection and sharing. For example, the North-West Shelf Operational Oceanographic system (NOOS), is an organisation operated by participating partners from the 9 countries bordering the extended North Sea and European North West Shelf (NWS). These partners are developing and implementing ocean-observing systems for the NWS area, to deliver real time operational data products and services.
Cefas is leading a project to establish a European ecosystem observatory in the North Sea. This North Sea Observatory will produce monthly bulletins describing the ecological status of this region, using real-time and model data. Data elements already in place for the observatory include the Cefas SmartBuoy network, ferrybox data from GKSS's Immingham-Cuxhaven route, daily remote sensing images from Ifremer, and results of Cefas' own bimonthly research cruises with RV Endeavour.
The North Sea observatory will promote collaboration between the organisations responsible for the health of the North Sea. By sharing resources and data we will be able to identify gaps in information and provide a truly synoptic overview of marine ecosystem function.
