New Approaches for the Observation of Transient Phenomena in Critical Marine Environment

Abstract

This paper focuses on the development of new approaches to observe transient phenomena in critical marine environments using autonomous marine vehicles (AMVs) for the acquisition of physical and biogeochemical parameters of water and seabed characterization. The connection with metrological principles, together with the adoption of observing methodologies adjustable according to the specific marine environment being studied, allows researchers to obtain results that are reliable, reproducible, and comparable with those obtained through the classic monitoring methodologies. Tests were executed in dramatically dynamic, sensitive, and fragile areas, where the study and application of new methodologies is required to observe phenomena strongly localized in space and requiring very high resolutions, in time. Moreover, the harsh environmental conditions may present risks not only for the quality and quantity of the acquired data but also for the instrumentation and the operators. This is the case, for instance, in polar marine environments in proximity of tidal glaciers and in the Mediterranean Sea in areas characterized by seabed degassing activities, where AMV-supported monitoring procedures can allow for the safe observation of not repeatable and not completely predictable events.