The temperature monitoring activities of the waters of the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas are restarting along the Genoa-Palermo route after almost three years of interruption. From 20 September 2021, researchers from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology () and of the, the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, will resume activities in the Mediterranean Sea also thanks to the collaboration agreement for scientific purposes with the shipping company eloci, which operates 26 lines in 7 countries and connects 18 ports in the Mediterranean.
This route is part of the Joint WMO-IOC Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology SOOP (Ship Of Opportunity Program) program () which allows researchers to take advantage of ferries and commercial ships, so-called ships of opportunity, for monitoring the marine environment.
Thanks to the Institutional Research Project of INGV, the scientists will resume an activity that has allowed the creation of a twenty-year series of data on the temperature of the Mediterranean Sea, unique in terms of duration and accuracy.
With the launch of probes that can reach depths of up to 1800 meters, new observations relating to the temperature of the water column will be acquired and analysed, thus making available new data useful for evaluating the variation of heat in the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian seas.
This type of monitoring, which will take place on a seasonal basis, is of strategic importance in scientific research and in its applications for sea temperature monitoring, providing valuable information for climate study, for the development and maintenance of weather services. marine operations and for the protection of our precious marine ecosystem.
Photo 1 - GNV Supreme Ship.
Photo - Launch of the probe into the sea.