Abstract
There is an increasing need for environmental measurement systems to further science and thereby lead to improved policies for sustainable management. Marine environments are particularly hostile and extremely difficult for deploying sensitive measurement systems. As a consequence the need for data is greatest in marine environments, particularly in the developing economies/regions. Expense is typically the most significant limiting factor in the number of measurement systems that can be deployed, although technical complexity and the consequent high level of technical skill required for deployment and servicing runs a close second. This paper describes the Smart Environmental Monitoring and Analysis Technologies (SEMAT) project and the present development of the SEMAT technology. SEMAT is a “smart” wireless sensor network that uses a commodity-based approach for selecting technologies most appropriate to the scientifically driven marine research and monitoring domain/field. This approach allows for significantly cheaper environmental observation systems that cover a larger geographical area and can therefore collect more representative data. We describe SEMAT's goals, which include: (1) The ability to adapt and evolve; (2) Underwater wireless communications; (3) Short-range wireless power transmission; (4) Plug and play components; (5) Minimal deployment expertise; (6) Near real-time analysis tools; and (7) Intelligent sensors. This paper illustrates how the capacity of the system has been improved over three iterations towards realising these goals. The result is an inexpensive and flexible system that is ideal for short-term deployments in shallow coastal and other aquatic environments.
Highlights
The marine environment is under ever increasing pressures from human activity, accidents and natural disasters
One result is that it is common place for instruments to be deployed in a number of regions in the world and the data sent by mobile phone networks to Europe, the US, Australia or elsewhere, post processed and the results accessed through the Web
This paper described how the SEMAT system has evolved over three years as a proof-of-concept towards creating cost effective marine and coastal environmental monitoring systems
Summary
The marine environment is under ever increasing pressures from human activity, accidents and natural disasters. WSNs deployed at sea face multiple challenges such as salt water ingress, bio-fouling of equipment, damage from wave/tidal action, limited power supply, communications range constraints, and difficulties with maintenance (to name just a few!) All of these factors considerably add to the expense of maritime environmental measurement systems, which often makes them unviable as long-term environmental monitoring tools for non-industry sector applications such as environmental research and government-based monitoring and management, in developing countries. The Smart Environmental Monitoring and Analysis Technologies (SEMAT) project is largely driven by the need to create a low-cost intelligent sensor network system for monitoring aquatic and coastal environments, and importantly the analysis of the data resulting in information which can be used for management and planning [3,4].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
