Design of the monitoring system. Environmental Management through Monitoring and Modelling of Anoxia. Task 2, second deliverable

The overall objective of EMMA project is the exploitation of scientific results and translation into a local integrated strategy (Environmental Management through Monitoring and modelling of Anoxia), in order to improve the management of the coastal marine areas by reducing the impact of hypoxic and anoxic events on the environment and anthropogenic activities. This aim will be achieved planning and building an integrated monitoring and early warning system, able to provide information on the evolution of hypoxic and/or anoxic conditions in bottom waters and in the sea floor of the area of interest, and to give indications for the reduction of the impact of these environmental crisis. The integrated system will be built as follows. o A set of environmental parameters in the water column and sediments will be acquired in the coastal area of the Emilia Romagna Region by an automated remote monitoring station, equipped with a data transmission system, and by repetitive manual sampling in fixed oceanographic stations. Further information will be obtained by the fishery activities, satellite imaginary and other monitoring networks operating at local scale. o The oceanographic and meteorological real-time data will be used to implement a numerical model, able to predict the evolution trends of the marine environment within 72 hours. This model will be tailored, a much as possible, on the needs of local operators. o All information available (model results, data obtained from manual sampling and reports) will be assimilated to a Decision Support System (DSS), which will provide a guide for local authorities and decision makers for the reduction the negative effects in the area of hypoxia and anoxia events. The planning of the integrated monitoring and early warning system has included two phases, which have corresponded to the publication of the First and Second Deliverables of the Task 2 of the EMMA project. In the First Deliverable Manual for best monitoring practice have been described the scientific knowledge available on the phenomenon of hypoxia and anoxia, with particular attention to the specific characteristics of the area of interest. Moreover, the local constrains, the needs of the decision makers and socio-economic operators, and the existing monitoring networks and their eventual integration in the EMMA project have been analysed. In the present Second Deliverable Design of the monitoring system the structure and characteristics of the monitoring system is exploited more in details, as well as its connection to the forecasting model and to the DSS. The following topics are included this document: o an analysis of the environmental features of the area where the automated remote station will be deployed; as concerned its hydrological characteristics, sediment morphology, river loads and urban sewage, fish and mussels farming, etc. o the main characteristics of the forecasting model that will assimilate the data acquired by the automated station and the connection with the DSS; o an analysis of other indices, imaginary and ancillary parameters that will be acquired to complete the information on the hypoxia/anoxia events; o an analysis of the automated instrumentation and sensors that will equip the fixed buoy, for the measure of meteorological and oceanographic parameters, and of the data transmission system; o the definition of the monitoring activity on the field, of the calibration protocols and of the quality data analysis.