ESONET - European Seas Observatory NETwork. Network of Excellence (NoE). Periodic activity report : version #1 30 June 2009

During the first year, the main ESONET working groups were constituted at WP level and the core groups of each ESONET node were initiated with varying progress. The related activities were starting in WPs and in some regions but not all.\nConsequently the main general objectives of this 2nd reported period were: \n-\tto increase the level of integration on regional nodes by encouraging the involvement of the partners associated with nodes to participate in ESONET activities, for instance by encouraging the submission of proposals for the 2nd call for demo missions.\n-\tto encourage the level of integration across ESONET nodes, for instance by preparing a more formal call for exchange of personnel. WP leaders also made efforts to increase participation in their WP activities. \n-\tto stabilise the constituted groups by starting the preparation of a permanent structure (VISO) and involving core services, stakeholders and private companies…\n-\tto develop long-term strategy on standards implementation. \n-\tto update recent advances in marine research, to garner individual inputs from subject experts with ESONET NoE and elsewhere, as well as to investigate science priorities of various organizations from regional to international levels.\n\nESONET activities were amplified during these second year. Preliminary results from different working groups were presented during the second General Assembly in FARO (Oct 2008).\n\n\tMain achievement regarding integration on ESONET regions (nodes):\nJointly WP1 and WP5 created a questionnaire to gather information on existing site survey data, on infrastructure requirements, and on the names of persons in charge of various aspects of planning observatory experiments at each observatory node. Then the compilation of answers and already existing scattered information were used to nominate people into each regional implementation committee, in addition to the two node coordinators, which were nominated at an earlier stage. This summarises the second step towards core group constitution for the ESONET nodes. This stage was successful if we consider that 9 nodes react and that other nodes will be further encouraged to react before the Second All Regions workshop (Oct 2009).\nThis reporting period has seen particular progress regarding the Arctic and Ligurian nodes, and the Call for Demonstration Missions (WP4) has provided an efficient tool for this progress. For the Arctic node, two separate teams had submitted independent Demo-Missions proposals (ARCOONE and MASOX). The ESONET Steering Committee recommended that these two proposals be merged and the resulting project resubmitted to the second call for demonstration Mission (see WP4 report). Following submission and selection of this unified Demo-Mission project, an Arctic workshop was been organised by NIOZ in Texel (Netherlands) the 18-19 Feb. 2009. This workshop involved more than 50 participants and was supported by ESONET. More information can be found on www.nioz.nl/arctic\n\nSix demonstrations missions were selected through 2 internal calls (WP4, 2007-2009):\n\tLOOME is monitoring the Hakon Mosby mud volcano; \n\tLIDO demonstrates the interest of acoustic monitoring for geophysical and biological issues on Iberian and East Sicily sites; \n\tMOMAR-DM will implement an autonomous acoustically linked observatory with 2 nodes on active hydrothermal site; \n\tMARMARA-DM will prepare the implementation of an multidisciplinary observatory in the MARMARA Sea; \n\tMODOO in conjunction with EuroSITES, will implemented a pseudo real time monitoring of the water column and of the seabed at the PAP site; \n\tMASOX and ARCOONE were merged and will enhance current monitoring and prepare for the implementation of an Arctic multidisciplinary observatory, which includes the Hausgarten site.\n\nThe selection of those 6 demonstrations mission is directly enhancing the integration at seven ESONET nodes. \n\nFor the Ligurian site, the calls for Demo-Mission projects also played a positive role for building the community. The project proposed for this node (MOTTO, 2nd Call of WP4) was not selected for ESONET funding, but the community involved at this node is now clear.\n\nConsequently, the regional implementation groups are now defined for each ESONET site and will contribute to the constitution of the Regional Legal Entities planned in EMSO-PP.\n\n\tMain achievement regarding integration across ESONET regions:\nA formal call for exchange of personnel between the ESONET members involved in various nodes was launched in September 2008 for a deadline in November 2008. Sixteen proposals were collected. These proposals involve 17 partners altogether, for visits of 2 days to 10 months. Seven projects have a strong methodology and/or technical component. The other projects are focused on observatory science.\nThe selected demonstration missions also participate to across nodes integration: for instance LIDO is acting on Iberian, Sicilian nodes but also on Ligurian one.\nMost of the partners involved in one node for a demonstration mission are also involved in another. In this way, as well as through the relevant WP leaders, communication and standardization issues will be reinforced.\n\n\tStabilisation of the constituted groups: preparation of a permanent structure (VISO)\nThe necessity to establish a permanent structure to sustain ESONET NoE is now well understood by the ESONET community and the preparation of a Virtual Institute (VISO) is on the way. Indeed a workshop is organised in June 2009 in Tromsø (Norway). The VISO Steering Committee is formed, the meeting facilities are booked, and the draft agenda is approved. An invitation to the hydrocarbon industry is pending for participation. Norwegian regional observatory initiatives were linked and a national strategy for observatory sites was implemented including a website.\n\n\tDevelopment of long-term strategy on standards implementation\n\nA preliminary structure of the ESONET data management plan is available. The data management group consisting of representatives from ESONET demonstration sites, Ifremer, WDC-MARE, EuroSITES and SeaDataNet continues to refine it. The ESONET data and information portal is opened and will be extended by information inventories from further tasks. The ESONET Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI), based on OGC standards has an initial design in place and continues to be developed. (WP1b)\nThe contribution to sensor interoperability (WP2) and to the sensor registry is focussing on electrical interface issues as described in standards like IEEE 1451, CanOpen or other field bus systems. Typically weekly telephone conferences with partners from ESONET and interested institutions in Europe (IFREMER, University of Barcelona, Kiel University, University of Aberdeen, Bremen University) and from international institutions (MBARI, NIST, OGC, NEPTUNE Canada) are held to discuss and promote developed concepts.\n- Specification reports for demonstration actions have been issued concerning sensor interoperability, quality assurance, underwater intervention procedures (WP2).\n- Two reports on sharing testing facilities were prepared. \n- Some partners of ESONET are participating to GEOSS activities. Use of deep-sea observatories for specific thematic areas will be add to the GEO roadmap.\nMany reports were produced (sounds a little vague) and their recommendations will be applied to the six demonstration missions, which are running. \n\n\tUpdate of recent advances in marine research\nIn the framework of the WP3 scientific objectives were updated taking in account all major science areas and recent scientific issues in marine science associated to time-series and observatory research. This was performed, in part, in the framework of the scientific objectives workshop held in Faro in October 2008 attended by a prominent group of expert scientists from different EU projects, reporting to the Scientific Council and to the Strategic Committee.\nTo ascribe the development of generic technology to the scientific requirements ESONET is working to design the science modules: a generic one for commonly used instruments in marine science, like a CTD, and the specific ones that are specific to a research field to be added as needed to meet the science objectives. This year a provisional generic science module was specified so that the specifications could be available to other work packages for data management (WP1), interoperability (WP2) and implementation strategy (WP5) concerns. The availability of rather specialised sensors, sensor systems, and platforms have been investigated and documented, but because there are now many systems being used in deep-sea international research, regular updates will be done.\n\n\tImplementation strategies\nImplementation strategies are now well advanced (WP5). Implementation is considered for 2 kinds of observatories/sites, corresponding to the two WP5 working groups – Generic Cable site and Standalone site. An initial report to EMSO on implementation strategies has been submitted and the first meeting of ESONET NoE and EMSO took place. Other reports are available contributing to the various aspects of the implementation strategies: cooperation between research organizations, cooperation between organizations involved in developing technologies, and links with commercial companies.\nA Legal, Ethical & Environmental (LEE) database has been set up to assemble the relevant legal and best practice documents (International, EU, national, local). It also provides a homogeneous atlas describing the ESONET sites and all parameters needed for environmental assessment and permits (WP1 & WP5).\nA meeting with the oil industry was held in Brussels on November 26th 2008. The agenda of the meeting was to identify common areas of interests (geographical, scientific or technical domains). Twenty-six participants attended the meeting, including represen

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