POSEIDON System is an observatory research infrastructure of the Eastern Mediterranean basin, for the monitoring and forecasting of the marine environment, supporting the efforts of the international and local community and replying to the needs and gaps of science, technology and society. It is composed by the following components a) the observing, b) forecasting, c) data and d) technology.

 

POSEIDON Surface Buoys: The Poseidon system operates a network of fixed measuring floats, which are moored at various locations in the Aegean and Ionian sea to monitor atmospheric variables as well as seawater physical and biochemical variables. The data, are collected in near real time at the POSEIDON operational center where they are automatically processed, quality controlled, stored to the system’s database and then released to the European Marine Databanks (CMEMS, EMODnet).

 

POSEIDON Alseamar SeaExplorer Glider. An endurance line has been established in the Cretan Sea, in order to monitor the physical and biochemical parameters of the seawater (e.g. temperature, salinity, oxygen concentration), study the seasonal variability of the flow field, and collect evidence for the intermediate or deep water formation events that are known to occur in the area. Usually a trajectory parallel to the island of Crete, (length approximately 220 km) is repeated 2 to 3 times during a mission fo a duration of 30 to 45 days duration.

 

POSEIDON FerryBox system onboard a ferry on the line Heraklion to Piraeus operates at daily frequency . As the boat travels, the FerryBox monitors sea water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen concentration, turbidity, chlorophyll concentration and sea water CO2. The data are transmitted in near real-time.