In summer 2016, respectively in Aqaba (Jordan) and in Mahdia (Tunisia), two Resinex light buoys for instruments were installed, while Resinex instrumental elastic beacon was deployed in Oristano (Sardinia) in 2017.
These supplies have been developed by two Italian companies: Idromarambiente and Bioethic. They are inserted in a wide project of environment monitoring named Sustainability and Tourism in the Mediterranean (S&T Med).
It is a strategic project co-financed by the European Union (through the ENPI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme 2007-2013) which aims to engage tourists and local communities in environmental monitoring and protection, by increasing their awareness of the values of coastal ecosystems with their associated services and, therefore, proposing an all-out experience of the destinations. This is key to ensure the sustainable development and management in areas where attractiveness depends by and large on the good environmental status of the coastal areas, its biodiversity and habitats.
Resinex buoys provide the necessary support to the instrumentations, which measure the environmental and meteo-marine parameters. Buoys have a diameter of 2.1 m, a focal plane of 3 m and a net buoyancy of 2500 kg. They are complete of top mark (Saint Andrew Cross) with radar reflector, of a self powered marine lantern (3 NM of range) with solar panels and batteries incorporated.
The instrumentation on the buoys is composed of: weather station to measure wind, air temperature and humidity; submerged multi-parameter probe which detects the sea characteristics such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, chlorophyll, pollution; current meter and wavemeter to take the evolution of currents and the features of the wave-motion. Buoys are equipped with webcams to provide information on maritime traffic, marine flora and fauna conditions and weather conditions.
The elastic beacon installed in Oristano is composed of a submerged float constituted by two modules in linear polyethylene of 2.1 m of diameter filled with polyurethane foam which guarantees a high resistance. It has a focal plane of 5 m with an operative depth of 11.7 m.
As per the light buoys, also the elastic beacon is equipped with a weather station, an immersed multi-parameter probe, a current meter, a wavemeter for the constant survey of the meteo-marine conditions and the transmission of the data ashore.
Thanks to this monitoring activity is possible to provide data on the real time condition of the solar radiation, wave conditions, water temperature, streams; info on climate change (by providing information on temperature and pH); pollution by hydrocarbon (industrial harbour, vessel tracks, oil dumping, etc.) and organic pollution. These parameters are acquired in a data logger and are transmitted to the zoological Station “Anton Dohrn” in Naples.
Each target area of the Project (Aqaba, Mahdia and Oristano) is connected to and supported by a local scientific institution that cooperates with the Station “Anton Dohrn” in customizing environmental monitoring to sites’ specific features and monitoring needs. S&T Med project allows the three target areas to enter into a worldwide network of sites which adopt the best environmental procedures through the usage of markers of the water quality.
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