• Energy Research

The European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water column Observatory (EMSO-ERIC, https://emso.eu/) is a research infrastructure distributed throughout Europe for seabed and water column observatories. It aims to further explore the oceans, better understand the phenomena that occur on the seabed, and elucidate the critical role that these phenomena play in global Earth systems. This observatory is based on observation sites (or nodes) that have been deployed in strategic locations in European seas, from the Arctic to the Atlantic, from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. There are currently eleven deepwater nodes plus four shallow water test nodes. EMSO-Western Ligurian Sea Node (https://www.emso-fr.org/fr) is a second generation permanent submarine observatory deployed offshore of Toulon, France, as a follow up of the pioneering ANTARES neutrino telescope. This submarine network, deployed at a depth of 2450m, is part of KM3NeT (https://www.km3net.org/) which has a modular topology designed to connect up to 120 neutrino detection units, i.e. ten times more than ANTARES. The Earth and Sea Science (ESS) instrumentation connected to KM3NeT is based on two complementary components: an Instrumented Interface Module (MII) and an autonomous mooring line (ALBATROSS). The ALBATROSS line is an inductive instrumented mooring line (2000 m) composed of an acoustic communication system, two inductive cables equipped with CTD-O2 sensors, current meters and two instrumented buoys. The MII and the ALMBATROSS mooring line communicate through an acoustic link. The MII is connected to an electro-optical cable via the KM3NeT node allowing the data transfer from and to the land based controlled room.

The European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water column Observatory (EMSO-ERIC, https://emso.eu/) is a research infrastructure distributed throughout Europe for seabed and water column observatories. It aims to further explore the oceans, better understand the phenomena that occur on the seabed, and elucidate the critical role that these phenomena play in global Earth systems. This observatory is based on observation sites (or nodes) that have been deployed in strategic locations in European seas, from the Arctic to the Atlantic, from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. There are currently eleven deepwater nodes plus four shallow water test nodes. EMSO-Western Ligurian Sea Node (https://www.emso-fr.org/fr) is a second generation permanent submarine observatory deployed offshore of Toulon, France, as a follow up of the pioneering ANTARES neutrino telescope. This submarine network, deployed at a depth of 2450m, is part of KM3NeT (https://www.km3net.org/) which has a modular topology designed to connect up to 120 neutrino detection units, i.e. ten times more than ANTARES. The Earth and Sea Science (ESS) instrumentation connected to KM3NeT is based on two complementary components: an Instrumented Interface Module (MII) and an autonomous mooring line (ALBATROSS). The ALBATROSS line is an inductive instrumented mooring line (2000 m) composed of an acoustic communication system, two inductive cables equipped with CTD-O2 sensors, current meters and two instrumented buoys. The MII and the ALMBATROSS mooring line communicate through an acoustic link. The MII is connected to an electro-optical cable via the KM3NeT node allowing the data transfer from and to the land based controlled room.

EMSO-Western Ligurian Site (European Multidisciplinary See floor Observatory and water column, Western Ligurian Site) is a second generation permanent submarine observatory deployed offshore of Toulon, France, as a follow up of the pioneering ANTARES neutrino telescope located nearby. This submarine network is part of KM3NeT (https://www.km3net.org/) which has a modular topology designed to connect up to 120 neutrino detection units, i.e. ten times more than ANTARES. The Earth and Sea Science (ESS) instrumentation connected to KM3NeT is based on two complementary components: an Instrumented Interface Module (MII) and an autonomous mooring line (ALBATROSS). The Module Interface Instrumented "MII" was deployed in May 2019 and cabled to the MEUST Node#1. Node#1 is cabled to the shore via the KM3NeT cable. The MII provides data for temperature, conductivity/salinity, pressure, particles proxy (deduced from beam attenuation measured with a CSTAR transmissiometer). The MII collects data through an acoustic link from the instrumented mooring line ALBATROSS (https://doi.org/10.17882/74513) deployed at a distance of 2-3 kilometers. These data are being transferred daily for near real time visualisation.

EMSO-Western Ligurian Site (European Multidisciplinary See floor Observatory and water column, Western Ligurian Site) is a second generation permanent submarine observatory deployed offshore of Toulon, France, as a follow up of the pioneering ANTARES neutrino telescope located nearby. This submarine network is part of KM3NeT (https://www.km3net.org/) which has a modular topology designed to connect up to 120 neutrino detection units, i.e. ten times more than ANTARES. The Earth and Sea Science (ESS) instrumentation connected to KM3NeT is based on two complementary components: an Instrumented Interface Module (MII) and an autonomous mooring line (ALBATROSS). The Module Interface Instrumented "MII" was deployed in May 2019 and cabled to the MEUST Node#1. Node#1 is cabled to the shore via the KM3NeT cable. The MII provides data for temperature, conductivity/salinity, pressure, particles proxy (deduced from beam attenuation measured with a CSTAR transmissiometer). The MII collects data through an acoustic link from the instrumented mooring line ALBATROSS (https://doi.org/10.17882/74513) deployed at a distance of 2-3 kilometers. These data are being transferred daily for near real time visualisation.

The European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water column Observatory (EMSO-ERIC, https://emso.eu/) is a research infrastructure distributed throughout Europe for seabed and water column observatories. It aims to further explore the oceans, better understand the phenomena that occur on the seabed, and elucidate the critical role that these phenomena play in global Earth systems. This observatory is based on observation sites (or nodes) that have been deployed in strategic locations in European seas, from the Arctic to the Atlantic, from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. There are currently eleven deepwater nodes plus four shallow water test nodes. EMSO-Western Ligurian Sea Node (https://www.emso-fr.org/fr) is a second generation permanent submarine observatory deployed offshore of Toulon, France, as a follow up of the pioneering ANTARES neutrino telescope. This submarine network, deployed at a depth of 2450m, is part of KM3NeT (https://www.km3net.org/) which has a modular topology designed to connect up to 120 neutrino detection units, i.e. ten times more than ANTARES. The Earth and Sea Science (ESS) instrumentation connected to KM3NeT is based on two complementary components: an Instrumented Interface Module (MII) and an autonomous mooring line (ALBATROSS). The ALBATROSS line is an inductive instrumented mooring line (2000 m) composed of an acoustic communication system, two inductive cables equipped with CTD-O2 sensors, current meters and two instrumented buoys. The MII and the ALMBATROSS mooring line communicate through an acoustic link. The MII is connected to an electro-optical cable via the KM3NeT node allowing the data transfer from and to the land based controlled room.

The European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water column Observatory (EMSO-ERIC, https://emso.eu/) is a research infrastructure distributed throughout Europe for seabed and water column observatories. It aims to further explore the oceans, better understand the phenomena that occur on the seabed, and elucidate the critical role that these phenomena play in global Earth systems. This observatory is based on observation sites (or nodes) that have been deployed in strategic locations in European seas, from the Arctic to the Atlantic, from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. There are currently eleven deepwater nodes plus four shallow water test nodes. EMSO-Western Ligurian Sea Node (https://www.emso-fr.org/fr) is a second generation permanent submarine observatory deployed offshore of Toulon, France, as a follow up of the pioneering ANTARES neutrino telescope. This submarine network, deployed at a depth of 2450m, is part of KM3NeT (https://www.km3net.org/) which has a modular topology designed to connect up to 120 neutrino detection units, i.e. ten times more than ANTARES. The Earth and Sea Science (ESS) instrumentation connected to KM3NeT is based on two complementary components: an Instrumented Interface Module (MII) and an autonomous mooring line (ALBATROSS). The ALBATROSS line is an inductive instrumented mooring line (2000 m) composed of an acoustic communication system, two inductive cables equipped with CTD-O2 sensors, current meters and two instrumented buoys. The MII and the ALMBATROSS mooring line communicate through an acoustic link. The MII is connected to an electro-optical cable via the KM3NeT node allowing the data transfer from and to the land based controlled room.

Echosounders are widely used to quantify fish behavior, fish stocks, and zooplankton biomass. Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers have also been used to accurately measure currents in all of the world’s major water bodies over the last 30 years. The present work evaluates the performance of a combined echosounder/ADCP system, the Nortek Signature100, for simultaneous biomass assessment and current profile data analysis. Due to its combined current profiling and scientific echosounding capabilities, the system is seeing increased usage in biomass flux applications, particularly in Antarctic krill research. However, capabilities of the system are still being studied and the present work aims to expand characterization of its performance. To that effect, a four month deployment was carried out by the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in the Mediterranean Sea with an up-looking Signature100 mounted atop the ALBATROSS mooring line. The line was at a total water depth of 2420 m and its top was approximately 370 m below the surface. Data show significant variations in scattering conditions between daytime and nighttime due to diel vertical migration (DVM), often unrelated to horizontal velocity fluctuations, highlighting not only the multiple frequency band capabilities of the system (up to 7 bands), but also the strength of the combined echosounder and current profiling functions. Echoview, a commercial software package for hydroacoustic data processing, was used to further explore the spatial and temporal patterns of the organisms observed in the echosounder data. A semi-automated technique was implemented to efficiently and objectively clean (e.g. remove interference generated by passing ship traffic), classify (e.g. based on relative frequency response or morphology), and characterize the narrow bandwidth and pulse compressed echosounder data by generating outputs that can contribute to the management and monitoring of aquatic resources.

Echosounders are widely used to quantify fish behavior, fish stocks, and zooplankton biomass. Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers have also been used to accurately measure currents in all of the world’s major water bodies over the last 30 years. The present work evaluates the performance of a combined echosounder/ADCP system, the Nortek Signature100, for simultaneous biomass assessment and current profile data analysis. Due to its combined current profiling and scientific echosounding capabilities, the system is seeing increased usage in biomass flux applications, particularly in Antarctic krill research. However, capabilities of the system are still being studied and the present work aims to expand characterization of its performance. To that effect, a four month deployment was carried out by the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in the Mediterranean Sea with an up-looking Signature100 mounted atop the ALBATROSS mooring line. The line was at a total water depth of 2420 m and its top was approximately 370 m below the surface. Data show significant variations in scattering conditions between daytime and nighttime due to diel vertical migration (DVM), often unrelated to horizontal velocity fluctuations, highlighting not only the multiple frequency band capabilities of the system (up to 7 bands), but also the strength of the combined echosounder and current profiling functions. Echoview, a commercial software package for hydroacoustic data processing, was used to further explore the spatial and temporal patterns of the organisms observed in the echosounder data. A semi-automated technique was implemented to efficiently and objectively clean (e.g. remove interference generated by passing ship traffic), classify (e.g. based on relative frequency response or morphology), and characterize the narrow bandwidth and pulse compressed echosounder data by generating outputs that can contribute to the management and monitoring of aquatic resources.