ESONET - European Sea Floor Observatory Network

Abstract

ESONET is a proposed sub sea component of the European GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) to provide strategic long term monitoring capability in geophysics, geotechnics, chemistry, biochemistry, oceanography, biology and fisheries. To provide representative sampling around Europe 10 nodes are proposed in contrasting oceanographic regions: 1-Arctic, 2-Norwegian margin, 3-Nordic Seas, 4-Porcupine/Celtic, 5-Azores, 6-Iberian, 7-Ligurian, 8-East Sicily, 9-Hellenic, 10-Black Sea. In addition, a mobile response observatory will be available for rapid deployment in areas of anthropogenic or natural disasters to provide data for environment management and government agencies