Smart Monitoring of Marine Ecosystems

Project reference: PID2024-155344OB-C32
Start date: 01/09/2025
End date: 31/08/2029
Coordinated by: Universitat de Girona

Consortium

The SMART-ME (Smart Monitoring of Marine Ecosystems) project is a pioneering initiative funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science that aims to establish a permanent, intelligent system for real-time ecological and technological monitoring in the deep Mediterranean Sea. Coordinated by the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), the project brings together leading research institutions to address one of the major challenges in marine science: understanding and monitoring deep-sea ecosystem recovery processes with high temporal and spatial resolution. The Universitat de Girona (UdG) plays a central role in SMART-ME, leading the technological development of autonomous systems that are essential for the success of this new generation of observatories.

The need for a permanently instrumented marine area in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea is increasingly clear due to the region’s unique ecological and environmental challenges. Warming waters in the northwestern Mediterranean have impacted the entire water column over the continental shelf and upper slope, resulting in shifts in the distribution of commercial species such as white shrimp and Norway lobster. These changes in distribution and abundance of fishery resources are also affecting the local economy.

Currently, ecological monitoring relies on vessel-assisted platforms such as ROVs, AUVs and landers, usually suited for short-term deployments. These platforms have limited operational autonomy in terms of data collection and processing, with the capability to recover gathered data only upon retrieval. SMART-ME addresses these challenges through a permanently instrumented marine area designed for long-term data acquisition and monitoring.

SMART-ME-TECH

Smart robotics for ecosystem monitoring

This subproject develops the robotic technologies required to extend ecological monitoring capabilities.

SMART-ME-NET

Advanced network of autonomous nodes for marine ecosystem monitoring

This subproject develops the technological infrastructure required to establish a cooperative network of autonomous underwater observation platforms.

SMART-ME-ECOFISH

Smart robotics for ecosystem monitoring

This subproject develops the robotic technologies required to extend ecological monitoring capabilities.

Technology

Autonomous Robotic Systems

side-scan sonar for seabed mapping;
high-resolution cameras with laser measurement systems;
CTD sensors for environmental monitoring;
optical modems for contactless underwater data transfer;
intervention capabilities allowing autonomous data retrieval and relocation of underwater stations

Artificial Intelligence

in situ edge processing of underwater imagery;
automatic identification and classification of benthic species;
integration of biological, oceanographic, and geochemical datasets;
generation of ecological indicators to assess habitat restoration and support ecosystem-based fisheries management.

Intelligent Underwater Stations

variable buoyancy systems;
optical cameras;
acoustic monitoring devices;
environmental sensors measuring temperature, salinity, pressure, oxygen, pH, and chlorophyll;
optical and acoustic communication systems;
docking interfaces allowing autonomous interaction with underwater vehicles.

Underwater Communication Network

acoustic communications;
optical communications;
pop-up buoys capable of surfacing periodically to transmit data via satellite;
communication with vessels of opportunity and surface platforms for data relay.

Example Use Case

One envisioned application of LEMURS is the autonomous deployment of underwater sensor networks. An intervention AUV can detect, grasp, transport, and precisely place hydrophones on the seabed, forming optimal monitoring grids without the need for human intervention or large vessels.

Communication & Impact

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