Enclosed hydrographic systems: A study for aquaculture

The choice of aquaculture sites requires a deep knowledge of the hydrography of the areas and a careful study of its main drivers. This is even more important in marginal seas and in semi enclosed systems characterised by low water renewal capacity, such as the Gulf of Oristano, Sardinia, Western Mediterranean Sea. The study brings together heterogeneous datasets, which include altimetry and reanalysis products from well established platforms such as Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMESM), as well as locally deployed tide gauges, current meters and an Acoustic Wave and Current Profiler (AWAC). Comparisons between the tide gauges show that the sea level in Carloforte, described by a long and continuous time series, managed by Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), can be used as a proxy for the sea level in the Gulf of Oristano. Moreover, the study of the wind field of the area indicates that an important driver for the sea level variability in the Gulf of Oristano is the wind. In fact, extreme wind events correspond with consequent extreme currents measured by the AWAC. The importance of this study is twofold: it can aid to rapidly assess the location of aquaculture sites in marginal areas and semi enclosed areas such as the Gulf of Oristano, which yet have an important impact on the local economies, secondly it can help to disseminate to the wider community such peculiar and diverse dataset.