Hacia un monitoreo continuo de variables oceanográficas en el Parque Nacional Isla de Flores, Uruguay

Abstract

Continuous measurements of environmental conditions in coastal zones are key to understanding oceanographic and atmospheric processes, as well as improving our understanding of the marine environment for operational and conservation purposes that can be integrated into a marine spatial planning process. Several efforts have been made in Uruguay in order to achieve these goals, but they have not sustained over time due to high operative and maintenance costs of specific sensors. This work presents the first results of more than a year of continuous measurements of temperature and salinity in the Río de la Plata obtained using a low cost solution and through a high-commitment multi-institutional teamwork between the academy and state agencies. Measurements were obtained with a DST-CTD sensor installed in Flores Island National Park, a key sampling point for the external zone of Río de la Plata. The relevance of having this type of information is presented and the need for the implementation of a continuous long-term monitoring system is discussed.