Download EMSO-ERIC science and technical planning (under final review)

Technical and Scientific Description of the EMSO ERIC
under final review
Table of Contents
1.
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 2
2.
Rationale .................................................................................................................................... 2
3.
EMSO ERIC ......................................................................... Errore. Il segnalibro non è definito.
4.
Societal and Economic Drivers .................................................................................................. 5
5.
Science Objectives ..................................................................................................................... 5
Geosciences ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Physical Oceanography ................................................................................................................... 6
Biogeochemistry.............................................................................................................................. 6
Marine Ecology ............................................................................................................................... 7
6.
Observatory Design ................................................................................................................... 7
Generic Sensor Module ................................................................................................................... 7
Science Specific Modules ................................................................................................................. 9
Other Components ........................................................................................................................ 10
7.
Data Infrastructure .................................................................................................................. 10
8.
Standardization and Interoperability ..................................................................................... 11
9.
Current EMSO Infrastructure .................................................................................................. 12
10. Tasks and Organisation ........................................................................................................... 12
Scope and Objectives .................................................................................................................... 12
Organisation ................................................................................................................................. 13
11. Perspectives ............................................................................................................................. 13
References ........................................................................................................................................ 14
Technical and Scientific Description of the EMSO ERIC
1. Executive Summary
The European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water-column Observatory (EMSO) is a pan-European
distributed research infrastructure, composed of fixed point open ocean nodes, whose scientific aim
is to provide coherent long-term data sets to monitor European seas. Changes relating to resource
availability, climate change, habitat destruction, and geo-hazards have increased society’s need for an improved understanding of the driving factors and impacts of such changes. Representing the
largest habitat on the planet, the open oceans and deep seafloor play a crucial role and many of the
processes operating in the oceans affect human societies directly. In recognition of this significance,
consecutive EU Frameworks have invested in the establishment of a European distributed research
infrastructure that provides in situ measurements of key ocean variables on a continuous and longterm basis. These measurements are essential to tackle questions at the scales necessary for
example to understand climate change and its impacts, and to improve geo-hazard early warning. An
EMSO ERIC organisation will collect high-resolution data from the ocean surface, water column,
seafloor, and sub-seafloor and transmit the data to shore via satellites or cable connection in real or
near real-time, thereby contributing to answering major ocean science questions. By establishing a
set of common standards and best practices, the distributed infrastructure will play a key role in
integrating equipment, procedures, and data across the European Seas, bringing improved value for
money. Moreover the ERIC will formalise the practice of using both generic and task-specific sensor
packages. In particular the ERIC will work to implement a generic sensor suite at all EMSO nodes,
providing a major enhancement to existing systems. An open-access policy for collected data will
increase the involvement of an increasingly wide pan-European community, including researchers
from new generations and from those areas where access to high-quality data is rare or absent.
Linking into larger frameworks, including the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS)
and COPERNICUS is another integral part of EMSO ERIC activities which will contribute to increasing
European competitiveness and transforming the ability of science to inform government policy and
business strategy with increased certainty and efficiency. These observation systems will be critical
infrastructures in meeting the observational needs of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive
and ensure fixed point marine data collection in coordination with the European research
infrastructures in the environmental sciences domain.
2. Rationale
Over the past few decades research has revealed the enormous complexity of processes that
operate in the largest habitat on Earth, the oceans. The importance of these processes lies in the
mechanistic link to functions that directly affect human societies, including climate regulation,
carbon dioxide uptake and the provision of natural resources, all of which are essential to the wellbeing of human populations. Over the last century, global climate change, the worldwide
degradation of ecosystems, rapid population growth and the depletion of resources have led
governments and international organisations to acknowledge the imminent need to better
understand the causes and consequences of these changes. For example, the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that global warming will continue for centuries and will
have pervasive impacts on society (IPCC, 2013 and 2007). As a result of this growing awareness,
European researchers have been focusing on programmes that address urgent earth and ocean
science related questions of international priority such as the impacts of climate change or threats
posed by geo-hazards (e.g. earthquakes and tsunamis).
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Technical and Scientific Description of the EMSO ERIC
In order to provide meaningful answers to such questions, patterns and processes that range over
many time and spatial scales have to be resolved (Fig. 1), which requires an integrated approach and
a variety of tools. In situ observations of key ocean variables over long timescales and with
104 yr
mantle
convection
magma chambers
1000 yr
climate
change
100 yr
basin
scale
variability
geodetic
spreading
10 yr
hydrothermalism
1 yr
Time scale
1 mon
barotropic
variability
≤ m esoscale physical and
biological
interactions
Organisms
1 wk
eddies &
fronts
coastal
upwelling
1h
internal tides
vertical turbulent
mixing
1 min
Geohazards
surface gravity
waves
0.1 s
surface tides
internal waves &
inertial motions
1d
1s
El Niño &
NAO
Rossby
Seasonal
waves
cycles
EQ fault
capillary
waves
molecular
processes
1 mm
1 cm
10 cm
1m
100 m
1 km
10 km
100 km 103 km
104 km
105 km
Spatial scale
Fig.1: Illustration of overlapping scales of major ocean and earth processes. From Ruhl et al., (2011).
adequate temporal resolution are an essential part of addressing these issues. Indeed no single tool
can span the kinds of temporal and spatial scales required to observe ocean and earth systems, so
these fixed point nodes will be used in concert with other observing tools such as ship-based studies,
satellite oceanography, drifting floats, and gliders. Until recently, marine time-series measurements
were limited to only a few locations worldwide with data from the deep-sea benthos being
particularly limited (Glover et al., 2010). Moreover, most of the data that is available suffers from a
lack of continuity and integration. Such considerations and the growing awareness of the impact of
open-ocean and deep-sea environments on human society have pushed the development of several
observing programmes worldwide, with ocean observatories representing a critical part of a
comprehensive ocean observing system. To provide an integrated approach, consecutive EU
Framework Programmes have invested in the integration of the geosciences, physical oceanography,
biogeochemistry and marine ecology communities with long-term, fixed point nodes in the deep
ocean representing a key contribution. These distributed infrastructures augment traditional
research projects with standardized and integrated in situ observations by addressing
interdisciplinary objectives simultaneously across scales.
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Technical and Scientific Description of the EMSO ERIC
3. EMSO ERIC
Continuous monitoring of the deep ocean is a highly challenging objective that can be compared
only with the exploration of outer space. One must be able to accommodate in a single
infrastructure a multitude of scientific objectives addressing a very large and diverse user
community. EMSO is truly a very ambitions and unique undertaking, facing technical challenges as
well as financial, legal and governance ones. EMSO is the result of a conscious long lasting effort of
the European marine science community towards multidisciplinary research in over 90% of the living
space of our planet, across all disciplines in the ocean including the broad disciplines of biology
chemistry, physics, geology, computer science and engineering; achieving a new unprecedented
awareness of the Earth as an integrated system. EMSO's ground-breaking approach enables a much
deeper understanding of the multiple interactive processes involved in how our complex planet
functions.
The EMSO Preparatory Phase (EMSO-PP) project endorsed the European Research Infrastructure
Consortium (ERIC) as the legal body which will allow the creation of a formal organization to operate
ocean observatory infrastructure in Europe. According to an analysis by ESONET NoE 1 , the
governance structure of an ERIC could reduce personnel and operating costs by 31% during the
construction and by 60% during the operation phase. The centralised management of an ERIC will
enhance interoperability and standardization as well as synchronising funding of regional nodes.
Overall, the EMSO ERIC will increase European competitiveness by representing the counterpart to
infrastructures such as Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) and the United States Ocean Observatories
Initiative (OOI).
The sustained delivery of basic and standardized data products to international agencies responsible
for environmental and Earth monitoring will be among the core services of the EMSO ERIC. The goal
will therefore not only to provide scientific research data, but also supply deep-ocean data to
COPERNICUS and to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) programmes in order
to integrate and complement Marine Services of the satellite, sea surface and subsurface observing
systems. EMSO will supply the required synchronous measurements from fixed locations in four of
the five areas defined by the Marine Services as 1. the Global Ocean, 2. the North East Atlantic, 3.
the Arctic, and 4. the Mediterranean Sea. EMSO members can leverage the infrastructure to
increase the capability of ICG/NEAMTWS (Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami
Early Warning and Mitigation System in the north-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and
connected Seas) through the monitoring of tsunamigenic areas. It will also help member states
facilitate important contributions to meet the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) vision.
Another important mission of the EMSO ERIC is the implementation of open data access through
the adoption of policies favouring free access to all EMSO data by a wide range of users, from
scientists, to educators and the public alike. A European distributed research infrastructure of ocean
observatory nodes, while increasing our understanding of key phenomena such as global change,
will also lead to socio-economic benefits such as increased expertise, and provide access to a new
public environmental scientific culture and inform European government policy and business
strategy.
EMSO ERIC will generate significant benefits, including: knowledge transfer to industry, particularly
for SMEs; high quality educational content and services for academia and for the media; a one-stopshopping world-class reference point and lobby group on marine policy, innovation and ethics for
1
European Sea Observatory-Network of Excellence: a project funded by the Framework Programme 6, running from 2007
until 2011 (http://www.esonet-noe.org/)
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Technical and Scientific Description of the EMSO ERIC
government(s). A communication strategy will be implemented exploiting the capabilities of EMSO
observatory nodes for education and citizen science interactivity for the general public.
4. Societal and Economic Drivers
The decline of ocean resources and our ability to use those resources in a sustainable way is one of
the most urgent problems facing human populations today. The oceans have been playing an
increasingly important part in human societies, providing trade routes, living resources, energy, and
recreation. Presently, about 40% of the world’s population lives within 100 kilometres of the coast
and as population density and economic activity in the coastal zone increase, pressures on coastal
ecosystems increase. These coastal ecosystems are directly linked to the open ocean forming the
largest habitat on earth and an ever-rising number of forcing factors underline the societal need for
an improved understanding of the oceans. These forcing factors include: natural disasters (e.g.
earthquakes, tsunamis); overfishing; pollution; habitat destruction; invasive species; acoustic noise;
and climate change related factors, such as ocean warming, ocean acidification, ocean
deoxygenation, storm intensity and frequency, seafloor stability and sea-level rise.
Human societies depend on accurate and timely information to mitigate and protect themselves
against the socio-economic impacts of these factors, such as an increased geo-hazard risk, habitat
loss, human and animal migration, food security, disruption of marine-related industries, and
reduced tourism, recreation, and aesthetics. It is a societal need to understand the negative effects
of these forcing factors that drives the majority of earth and ocean science today. For example, the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP, 2007) has highlighted the importance of oceanic
and deep-sea ecosystems in providing crucial goods and services that translate into socio-economic
benefits.
The EMSO research infrastructure will feed into GEO, the IPCC, UNEP, and OSPAR (the Convention
for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic) with essential data to help
inform and revise policy and legislation. Furthermore, EMSO’s open ocean seafloor data will contribute to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive initiated by the EU in 2008, which aims to
achieve good environmental status in Europe’s seas by 2020. The Directive is supporting the development of coherent approaches to assess good environmental status in a comprehensive and
holistic manner, thereby supporting an ecosystem-based approach to management. The EU strategy
provides the major driver for EMSO, and its schedule of implementation. EMSO will pioneer
delivering European multidisciplinary real-time data from the sea by providing data from the surface
ocean through the water column to the seafloor and sub-seafloor.
Through the installation and operational phases, EMSO is expected to generate significant economic
benefits, including advanced training and support services (incubator, testing) for industry,
particularly for SMEs. The scientific initiatives in the U.S., Canada., Australia and Japan related to the
construction of cabled observatories show total investment in research of nearly 1 billion euros over
a period of 5 years (2010-2015). A substantial indirect impact for companies both large and SMEs
involved in various sectors such as production for offshore oil and gas, offshore wind energy and
marine biotechnology (blue biotechnology) and ICT companies is expected as a consequence of the
technological developments and implementation of observatories such as EMSO.
5. Science Objectives
The processes that occur in the oceans have a direct impact on human societies, therefore it is
crucial to improve our understanding of how they operate and interact. To encompass the breadth
of these major processes, sustained and integrated observations are required that appreciate the
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Technical and Scientific Description of the EMSO ERIC
interconnectedness of atmospheric, surface ocean, water column, deep-sea, and solid-Earth
dynamics (Fig. 2) and that
can address:





Natural
and
anthropogenic
change
Interactions
between
ecosystem
services,
biodiversity,
biogeochemistry,
physics,
and
climate
Impacts
of
exploration and
extraction
of
energy, minerals,
and
living
resources
Geo-hazard modelling and early warning capability for earthquakes, tsunamis, gas-hydrate
release, and slope failure
Connecting scientific outcomes to stakeholders and policy makers
Long-term, continuous data sets from a variety of fields are necessary to build a comprehensive
picture of the earth-ocean system. These include:
Geosciences
The field of geosciences covers a range of processes, including gas-hydrate stability, submarine
landslides, seismic activity, and geo-hazard early warning. Seismic activity and seafloor slippages, in
particular, can have direct effects on human activities, such as causing damage to offshore industry
infrastructure and catastrophic impacts on citizens through the formation of earthquakes and
tsunamis. In order to produce robust forecasting, measurements need to be carried out
continuously over sufficiently long periods of time to be able to differentiate between episodic
events and trends or shorter period variations.
Physical Oceanography
One of the most urgent problems of modern societies is the effect of global warming on the marine
environment (IPCC, 2007a, b). For example, a rise in sea temperatures will lead to sea ice melting
(IPCC, 2007a) and increasing oceanic stratification (Marzeion et al., 2010; Levin et al., 2001), which
can render large areas of the ocean anoxic and inhabitable. Therefore, detailed knowledge about
ocean transport, wind-driven and deep-ocean circulation is mandatory to assess the role of the
oceans in the global climate system.
Biogeochemistry
One of the effects of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels (which also leads to global
warming) is an increased uptake of carbon dioxide by the oceans. Up to one third of anthropogenic
carbon dioxide produced today is taken up by the oceans through two processes, solubility and the
biological pump. This leads to the lowering of the pH of seawater, known as acidification of the
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Technical and Scientific Description of the EMSO ERIC
oceans (Feely et al., 2004; Orr et al., 2005; Raven et al., 2005; Fabry et al., 2008; Feely et al., 2008).
An increasingly acidic ocean impacts the ability of marine organisms, such as calcifying primary
producers, molluscs, and corals, to calcify their skeletons (Orr et al., 2005; Hoegh-Guldberg et al.,
2007; Tyrrel, 2008). In the longer run, there is only so much carbon dioxide the oceans are able to
absorb. Once this threshold is reached the declining oceanic uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide
could increase the proportion that accumulates in the atmosphere and thereby accelerating the
effect of global warming.
Marine Ecology
An increased understanding of ecosystem functioning is crucial in evaluating the sensitivity of marine
ecosystems to anthropogenic change and represents one of the main challenges in marine science
over the next decades (Sutherland et al., 2006). Marine ecosystem functions maintain key services
such as primary production, climate regulation, carbon sequestration and storage, and living
resources, including fisheries. Compared to terrestrial systems, changes in the ecology of the oceans
as a result of global warming and carbon dioxide accumulation could have significant and numerous
repercussions (Richardson, 2008). So far, only a limited number of data sets are available allowing
for the observation of climatically-driven changes in marine ecosystems by discerning between
interannual and interdecadal variations and secular change (Rosenzweig et al., 2008; Glover et al.
2010). The pace and scale of anthropogenic changes occurring in the oceans, such as overfishing
and pollution, and the impact of these changes on marine biodiversity and ecosystems are cause for
serious concern. Ocean observatory research efforts to better understand marine biodiversity will
provide the knowledge necessary to inform an adaptive management process by linking variations in
biodiversity, its function, and the ecological and environmental forcing that drive change in a
comprehensive way.
6. Observatory Design
Science objectives guide observatory design and dictate the ability to collect data autonomously.
Traditional means will complement the EMSO distributed infrastructure, which will be serviced by a
combination of research vessels and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations provided by EU
Members. The most transformative facet of observatory design is its ability to address
interdisciplinary objectives simultaneously across scales (NRC, 2000; Priede et al., 2003, 2005; Favali
and Beranzoli, 2006; Barnes et al., 2008 Ruhl et al., 2011). Data will be collected from the surface
ocean, through the water column, the benthic boundary layer (BBL), to the sub-seafloor. Depending
on the application, in situ infrastructure can either be attached to a cable, which provides power and
enables data transfer, or operate as independent benthic and moored instruments. In the latter
case, data can also be transmitted through acoustic networks that are connected to a satellite-linked
buoy. Mobile systems, such as benthic rovers and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) can also
be used to expand the spatial extent of a node. Cabled infrastructure provide important benefits
including high power, high-capacity real-time data transmission lines, allowing interactive
observatory operation as well as rapid geo-hazard early warning systems (Favali and Beranzoli, 2006;
Ruhl et al., 2011). Elements of observatory design and standardisation are addressed specifically in
the development of the ESONET Label (Rolin et al. 2011), which define a set of criteria to be applied
in order to make choices for the specifications of stand-alone and cabled observatory nodes.
Generic Sensor Module
While not all questions can be addressed by each individual infrastructure, it is feasible to include a
specific set of variables that are measured at all sites and depths, including: temperature,
conductivity (salinity), pressure (depth), turbidity, dissolved oxygen, ocean currents, and passive
acoustics. These variables are important in the context of climate system monitoring and are known
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Technical and Scientific Description of the EMSO ERIC
as Essential Climate Variables (ECVs), which were defined to support the work of the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the IPCC. As sensor development progresses, other
variables can be added, such as the remaining ECV and other key chemical variables (e.g. Chl-a, pH,
CO2, CH4, H2S, Eh, and hydrocarbons).
These generic sensors can be used to directly address a wide range of geo-hazard warning and
scientific applications related to understanding natural and anthropogenic variation and the possible
impacts of climate change. They will also provide supporting data to a large set of additional uses.
Some of these systems are able to detect passing tsunami waves and associated low frequency
sounds related to earth motions. In the observatory setting these data can then be relayed back to
shore via seafloor cable or satellite telemetry within seconds to minutes respectively. Because nearly
all tide gauges are along shorelines, offshore data can improve warning times. The systems are also
able to detect storm and tide wave loading, sedimentation dynamics that influence turbidity, such as
resuspension and benthic boundary layer dynamics. By linking tide, turbidity, and current meter
readings, interaction strength and thresholds for resuspension and sediment transport can be
further described. Furthermore, the measurement of these parameters on the seabed and in the
water column can help determine how seabed processes interact with ocean circulation,
biogeochemistry, and ecological parameters. Combining generic sensors with specific sensors such
as seismometers, geodetic sensors (e.g., tiltmeters, bottom pressure recorders), bubble flux
observing systems, hydrothermal flow meters, and piezometers, the remaining key questions
outlined in Ruhl et al. (2011) can be addressed such as: How are seismic activity, fluid pore chemistry
and pressure, gas-hydrate stability, and slope failure related? What are the feedbacks between
deformation, volcanism, seismic, and hydrothermal activity?
Generic sensors can also address questions related to physical oceanography. However, a generic
sensor module at the surface, midwater and/or at the seafloor can only answer these questions
partially. The use of salinity and conductivity sensors spaced regularly along strings and additional
ADCP coverage can, however, capture themes related to ocean physics. These include understanding
wind-driven and deep-ocean circulation, planetary waves, and interactions between the BBL and the
seabed. Mobile systems, such as gliders, used in conjunction with the fixed infrastructure can also
augment the impact of generic sensors.
The oxygen sensor in the generic specification can address several aspects of biogeochemistry.
Oxygen itself is important for aerobic life in the oceans which includes all metazoans (e.g.
zooplankton, fish, and benthic invertebrates). Oxygen in the oceans is replenished primarily by
inputs related to photosynthesis and equilibration at the air-sea interface. By making some basic
assumptions one can estimate how much oxygen has been utilized by measuring how much remains
compared to saturation levels (apparent oxygen utilisation [AOU]) (Garcia et al., 2006). So, variations
in oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), as well as oxygen dynamics in the rest of the water column are of
interest. Generic modules will also be able to make sensitive measurements of how oxygen
concentration relates to turbidity and temperature, which have both connections to time variant
respiration and/or remineralisation.
Carbon dioxide is an abundant greenhouse gas and is a key molecule in the oceans’ biological pump. It is transferred from the atmosphere into the ocean and incorporated into phytoplankton
production during photosynthesis. Some of this photosynthetic production is exported out of sunlit
surface waters and sequestered for extended periods of time. There remains, however, much
uncertainty in the transfer rates and dynamics of CO2 uptake.
Measuring chlorophyll-a as an indication for the amount of primary production through the water
column has many implications for biogeochemistry and marine ecology. These include
sedimentation processes from the sea surface to the seabed, the input amount and seasonality of
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Technical and Scientific Description of the EMSO ERIC
organic material, and the latter’s role as food supply and the resulting implications for the existing
fauna in different habitats. Chlorophyll-a also provides an insight into the importance of other
parameters that trigger plankton blooms, as well as their seasonality/periodicity.
As sensor technology develops, biogeochemical sensors will likely transit from specialized to generic
instruments in the coming months and years, including pCH4 and pH sensors. Moreover, the more
specialized measurements of particulate fluxes greatly augment the breadth of biogeochemical
themes that can be addressed. The most elemental of these themes is oceanic carbon and
greenhouse gas uptake, storage dynamics, and estimating how anthropogenic change might alter
the efficiency of the biological pump.
With pictures taken hourly, the activity of hydrothermal vent communities, the growth of chimneys
and fluid venting may be recorded on a time-series basis. Similarly, the behaviour, diversity, activity
rates, and size distributions of many fauna can be determined (Lampitt et al., 1983; Smith et al.,
1993) for slope, canyon and abyssal plain habitats. In addition, photogrammetric techniques can
determine the coverage and lifetime of visible phytodetritus on the seafloor and thus quantify
biogeochemical fluxes (Bett et al., 2001; Smith et al., 2008).
Another sensor with generic specification is the hydrophone, which is capable of detecting marine
mammal sounds. Currently, there are hydrophone-based systems that can detect the position and
identity of mammal sounds and thereby come up with estimates of density and distribution. Other
sounds can also be detected, including geohazard events, anthropogenic sounds like those of passing
ships, as well as rain, and the sounds of certain plankton and fish. Combining these systems with
other ecological measurements will provide verification data that is needed to improve the
detection of even more sounds. ADCP systems are sensitive to zooplankton and fish distributions, as
well as currents. For example, the relative density variations associated with diurnal vertical
migrations and their variation from hours to decades can be quantified and calibrated (Flagg and
Smith, 1989; Kaufmann et al., 1995). The addition of cameras and active acoustic systems like
scanning sonar or synthetic aperture systems can greatly enhance the quantification of abundances.
Fluorometers, zooplankton samplers, and advanced microbial sensing systems also add to the
impact of the generic observing system in order to address a diverse set of ecological questions.
Science Specific Modules
Each site has its characteristic features and can address science questions that are specific to a
certain environment. Science-specific sensor modules complement generic sensors and can be set
up in varying combinations depending on site-specific objectives. For example, measuring seismic
motion, gravity, magnetism, seafloor deformation, sedimentation, pore-water properties, gas
hydrates, and fluid dynamics results in a much more comprehensive understanding and significantly
increases geo-hazard early warning capability (Ruhl et al., 2011). Many physical and biological
applications require instruments throughout the water column for recording high resolution timeseries data over long periods. Depending on the specific application, these can be made up of
profiling sensor arrays or sensors along mooring lines and even mooring arrays. Such systems can,
for example detect variations in deep ocean currents and variations in the surface ocean or BBL.
These specialized systems can include the capability to synoptically measure physics, oxygen,
nutrients, and other biogeochemical and ecological parameters. Other more specialized
biogeochemical systems include sediment traps, pigment and hydrocarbon sensors and in situ mass
spectrometry. Systems for marine ecological research include deep-biosphere monitoring time-lapse
and video imaging, active acoustics, plankton sampling, holographic plankton imaging, in situ
respiration, and in situ molecular and genetic analysis.
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Technical and Scientific Description of the EMSO ERIC
Other Components
The first generation of EMSO subsea observatory nodes are now operating and they provide a
foundation for EMSO implementation. Since the beginning of EMSO-PP project, the capital and R&D
investments of several Member States have been postponed due to the financial crisis. This has not
stopped progress however. Depending on the availability of investment funds and the main focus of
research, the infrastructure will consist either of:
1. a cabled backbone providing power and internet connection to the shore or
2. acoustic stand-alone stations transmitting data to relay buoys which are able to provide a
satellite link to the shore.
The power distribution and real-time data rates are the advantage of the cabled observatories, while
stand alone battery powered observatories are more power and data limited but can more easily be
installed far offshore. The branches of the cabled observatories include nodes for high voltage to low
voltage transformation and junction boxes (200 W, 1kW or 9kW) providing data and power
branching of instruments. In the medium-term, plans are developing for renewable energy
technologies to power stand alone observatories from the sea surface.
EMSO distributed infrastructure is facing the challenge of linking remote sites in extreme oceanic
environments. Data transmission is the crucial function of a subsea observatory and opens new
opportunities to perform ocean scientific research. Indeed, real-time or near real-time data
collection and transmission ensure that the data is collected under more standardised conditions
and will foster inter-comparison of time stamped series from generic and specific instruments of all
disciplines, across the range of European ocean environments.
7. Data Infrastructure
An open access policy requires all data collected by EMSO to be freely accessible. The immediate
delivery of data from the bottom of the oceans directly to the desktops of researchers worldwide
turns observatory networks into “gateways to the oceans” accessible to scientists, educators, and
the public alike. The EMSO data infrastructure has been conceived to utilize the existing distributed
network of data infrastructures in Europe and use the INSPIRE and GEOSS data sharing principles. A
number of standards have been set forth that will allow for state-of-the-art transmission and
archiving of data with the kinds of metadata recording and interoperability that allow for more
straightforward discovery, use and communication of data. These standards include the Open
Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) suite of standards, namely the OGC
standards SensorML, Sensor Registry, Catalogue Service for Web (CS-W), Sensor Observation Service
(SOS) and Observations and Measurements (O&M). OGC SensorML is an eXtensible Markup
Language (XML) for describing sensor systems and processes. Following on progress from EuroSITES
and others, a SensorML profile is being created that can be stored in a so-called Sensor Registry that
will act as a catalogue of each EMSO sensor. This dynamic framework can accommodate the diverse
array of data and formats used in EMSO, including the addition of delayed mode data.
EMSO is exploiting the power of EGI (European Grid Infrastructure) to create a data infrastructure to
serve the wide communities of scientists studying marine mammals, acoustics, oceanography,
geophysics, high energy astro-particle physics, and ecology. A special objective is to also provide
open access and shared tools for collaborative studies with state-of-the-art analysis algorithms. The
distributed computing paradigm of the EU e-infrastructure will be used to provide large CPU and
storage capacity.
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Technical and Scientific Description of the EMSO ERIC
Main user perspective
Portal
Data presentation and application layer
Knowledge
Base
Ocean Observatory
Owners
UDDI (WSDL)
GEOSS
Data Archive
Catalogue Services (CS-W + OAI-PMH)
Sensor Registry
metadata
Data Archive
Ocean instruments and data
ontologies
SensorML
SensorML
SensorML
SensorML
SensorML
SOS handles
data transfer
via internet
using O&M to
encode data.
SensorML- IDs sensors,
describes metadata; also Sensor
Registry via by CS-W.
O&M
O&M
SensorML
SensorML
SensorML
Data Archive
010010 01001 001001010 01001 0110100110 1001 01
Internet
SOS
IEEE 1451 Network Capable Processor with web services
Network
Communication
IEEE1451 STIM
IEEE1451 STIM
Sensor +A/D
Sensor + A/D +
TEDS
TEDS + TIM
Sensor + A/D +
TEDS
Sensor + A/D +
TEDS
Sensor + A/D
'near-sensor' standards and interfaces
Fig. 3: Developing data management structure for European open-ocean observatory nodes. The lowermost area shows the standards and interfaces, which
are sensor related and the line represents the internet. Network connected and delayed mode data enter the scheme through the internet and SOS using
O&M to encode the data itself. This data is archived in the data centres, represented to the right. SOS uses SensorML to identify and describe the observatory
capacities. Capacities are also stored in the Sensor Registry and can be queried there via C-SW. SensorML is used to generate metadata for data archiving. The
uppermost part of the figure shows the user perspective, the data portal and knowledge base. Acronyms include Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Sensor
Web Enablement (SWE), Markup Language (ML), eXtensible Markup Language (XML) Catalogue Service for Web (CS-W), Sensor Observation Service (SOS),
Observations and Measurements (O&M), Open Archives Initiative-Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH), Universal Description Discovery and
Integration (UDDI), Web Service Definition Language (WSDL), analogue to digital conversion (A/D), Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS), Transducer
Interface Module (TIM), and Smart Transducer Interface Module (STIM). From Ruhl et al., 2011 (Fig. 12).
8. Standardization and Interoperability
To create an efficient observatory distributed research infrastructure, the technical and scientific
components need to be standardized and interoperable. The “ESONET label” was formulated during
ESONET-NoE project, representing a quality guideline for standardization and reliability of
equipment and procedures that is underpinned by technical auditing, equipment testing, calibration,
reliability analysis, and common data management protocols. The guidelines encompass the
standardization of data management, sensor interoperability, underwater intervention procedures,
quality assurance, as well as the creation of a sensor registry reference that complies with the Open
Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and adapts standards such as IEEE 1451, CanOpen, Puck, etc. Another
aim of the EMSO community is to define and standardize basic observatory core services that will be
adopted by the oil and gas industry, for example, to help them comply with environmental
standards, and which will complement the COPERNICUS satellite sea surface Marine Services.
Recently, additional challenges for EMSO regarding standardization and data exchange came up as a
result of intensified cooperation with other environmental infrastructures within an international,
multidisciplinary network including observatory operators from the United States, Canada, Japan
and Australia. These standardization and harmonisation efforts are ongoing within the framework of
EC projects (e.g., ENVRI2 and COOPEUS3).
2
http://envri.eu/
11
Technical and Scientific Description of the EMSO ERIC
9. Current EMSO Infrastructure
The principal observatory nodes of
EMSO are distributed from the Arctic
Ocean near Svalbard to the MidAtlantic Ridge, the Mediterranean to
the Black Sea. Based on their
scientific, technological, and socioeconomic importance, ESONET NoE
identified eleven sites as potential
nodes. The proposed sites span the
major biogeochemical provinces
identified in European waters
(Longhurst, 2006) and reflect a wide
range of habitats, including abyssal
plains, open slopes, seamounts,
canyons, ridges, faults, fluid seeps,
hydrothermal vents, gas hydrates,
mud volcanoes, deep-sea corals,
carbonate mounds, and potential
geo-hazard
zones
(Fig.
4).
Observatory nodes either represent
a primary source of data or they will
Fig. 4: Figure showing the distribution of EMSO observatories
be used in a supporting manner. Eight
EMSO nodes out of eleven are presently operating, plus three shallow water cabled test sites. They
include cabled and stand alone sites, with water column moorings and benthic instruments,
communicating in real time or in delayed mode. Remaining sites will become fully operational over
the next years as part of the EMSO ERIC implementation plan. Mobile systems, such as ROVs and
AUVs will augment the potential of some of the nodes by expanding their spatial extent.
10. Tasks and Organisation
Detailed information on tasks of the EMSO ERIC and duties of the different bodies are available in
EMSO Statutes and in the EMSO Business Plan (see www.emso-eu.org, “documents” section). We
provide here a synthesis of the fundamental scope and objectives of the EMSO organisation.
Scope and Objectives
EMSO ERIC will coordinate and facilitate access to open ocean fixed point distributed observatory
infrastructure according to selection criteria defined by the participating members. The EMSO ERIC
will be the central point of contact for observatory initiatives in other part of the world to set up and
promote cooperation in this field.
EMSO ERIC will also integrate research, training, and information dissemination activities of ocean
observatory nodes in Europe, to enable scientists and other stakeholders to make efficient use of a
distributed ocean observatory research infrastructure around Europe. EMSO ERIC will consist of
contributing member states and observer member states and shall ensure maximum benefit by
coordinating and focusing the use of the commonly available infrastructure resources.
3
http://www.coopeus.eu/
12
Technical and Scientific Description of the EMSO ERIC
EMSO ERIC will integrate the existing open ocean fixed point ocean observatory nodes around
Europe, coordinate their extension, and coordinate the planning and deployment of new nodes. The
mission is also to facilitate the operation of the nodes, ensure the continuity and quality of time
series measurement acquisition, and provide a reliable and user-oriented data management.
EMSO will act as an advocate for its stakeholders, which include the scientific community and other
users in the public, private, and policy sectors.
EMSO ERIC will sustain connections with international initiatives relevant to open ocean observation
and will represent Europe in other parts of the world to promote cooperation.
Organisation
The EMSO ERIC will be established to coordinate the activities of the EMSO observatory distributed
infrastructure. The main components of the EMSO ERIC organisational structure shall be:
-
Assembly of Members (AoM)
Scientific Technical and Ethical Advisory Committee (STEAC)
Executive Board (EB)
Director General (DG)
EMSO Regional Team and Service Groups
The governing bodies will be supported by a Central Management Office (CMO) that will collaborate
with the Director General to ensure the day-to-day management of the ERIC.
11. Perspectives
The founding of the EMSO ERIC is timely, coincident with the start of Horizon 2020, the European
programme for funding research and innovation from 2014 until 2020. Research Infrastructures are
an important pillar of the programme, which will put emphasis on activities which are also among
the statutory tasks of EMSO ERIC, such as: training of highly qualified staff for managing and
operating RIs; exchange of staff and best practices (including standards) between facilities;
fostering of the innovation potential, which will be stimulated by the technical challenges connected
to ocean observation in extreme environments; promoting international cooperation with parent
initiatives outside Europe.
In November 2013 the science community of EMSO gathered during a science conference (EMSO
Ocean Observatories Challenges and Progress, Rome 13-15 November) to review scientific ideas,
early results and infrastructure development. One of the main outputs of the conference was a final
statement4 jointly issued by the community, expressing a set of priorities and advocating for longterm, sustained support by the funding agencies.
4
http://www.emso-eu.org/management/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=34&Itemid=148
13
Technical and Scientific Description of the EMSO ERIC
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