Real time marine data acquisition: a proposal for a new joint coastal oceanographic observatory network of ISMAR in Adriatic Sea.

Currently, several operational marine centres issue routine seasonal forecasts produced with coupled oceanatmosphere models. For good result they require also real-time knowledge of the state of marine area as regard as oceanographic and atmospheric parameters. Effectiveness of marine climate knowledge and predictability resides in fast, reliable, scattered and numerous information on the initial marine and atmospheric conditions. The aim of this work is to present a review of the existing real time stations in the Adriatic sea and a critic state of the arte with the aim to propose a new single and standardized coastal oceanographic observatory network based on previous existing oceanographic buoys set up by different projects and institutions and with various features. The network ISMAR could be based on various oceanographic buoys located along the Adriatic Sea coastal waters transmitting real time data, accessible, after a data quality control and sensor/instrument field calibration validation, on internet by a web site. In this way it will possible to have a single system of real time oceanographic and meteorological standardized data available for regional stakeholders, policy makers, economic operators, environmental safety and tourists. Data will also useful to improve forecast systems active for the Adriatic Sea; finally it will greatly improve the knowledge of the main hydrological and meteorological forcing factors in a Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) study area where decadal time series on ecological studies are collected in a collaborative joint effort to depict trends in the trophic status and biogeochemical proprieties of the basin. 1. INTRODUCTION