Matching monitoring and modelling in the framework of an operational marine system: the case of the Gulf of Trieste (Italia)

The Gulf of Trieste is located at the northernmost end of the Adriatic Sea, is about 29 km long, and its width at the opening is 21 km. Its depth does not exceed 25 meters and it is subject to marked sea-level excursions, strong meteorological forcing, relevant heat fluxes associated with dense water formation, and river runoff. These aspects make the Gulf a very interesting natural laboratory for marine investigations. On the other hand, the presence of two coastal cities (Trieste in Italy and Koper in Slovenia) with intense maritime traffic, fishery and seasonal tourist assiduity generates a noticeable anthropic pressure on this area. The above described situation points out the need of a monitoring system capable to match the high variability of the system under investigation with the acquisition of key parameters of the whole system. In this framework, the most recent initiative is represented by the articulated mast PALOMA which will be moored in the centre of the Gulf to detect a suitable set of meteo-marine parameters. These parameters, together with those taken in two coastal stations, will be used in a 3-D ocean numerical model (POM - Princeton Ocean Model) to forecast the spatial and temporal evolution of the marine fields. Moreover, a module for simulating the fate of pollutants will be introduced. Recent hydrological surveys around the sea end of the main waste collector of the city of Trieste, will supply a set of hydrological (temperature and salinity) and chemical data (dissolved oxygen, dissolved inorganic and organic nutrients, heavy metals) fit for the initialization of the model and the validation of its output, with the perspective of setting up an operational system for Gulf of Trieste.