Description
Research Axis 5 of the GIS Europôle Mer aims at developing and implementing smart underwater observatories to observe, measure and interact with the environment as required by the Research Axis 2 to 4 (2: Global change – ocean – marine ecosystems interactions ; 3: Observation and integrated management of the coastal zone ; 4: Deep sea exploration and understanding). Indeed Research Axis 2 to 4 deal with marine sciences and draw upon engineering sciences and technologies by expressing specific needs for observations such as long term and high frequency multi parameters measurements, over long distance with a low special sampling, including accessibility to a large scientific community.
Besides addressing the needs expressed by other Research Axis, the scientific project of Research Axis 5 focuses on reinforcing the European leadership position in sea bottom observatories as well as in gliders and profilers technologies. It also aims at developing local expertise in remote measurements of marine environment to the level already recognised for acoustic observations of ecosystems. Acoustic and electromagnetism teledetection for marine environments is used for sea bottom and marine ecosystems characterisation along two lines:
- Passive observations methods, using opportunity acoustic and electromagnetic sources;
- Generation of sound signals in the marine environment under a large array of frequencies and incidence. A stimulation of research on SONAR systems is expected in physical modelling of environmental responses and information integration.