ICON ("Integrated Coastal Observatory North Sea")
General Idea of a "Coastal Observation Network"
Step 1 of the COSYNA-Project: ICON
The GKSS Research Centre is in the process of setting up an automated observing network in the southern German Bight (2008-2010): ICON (=integrated coastal observational network) as a first step of the COSYNA-Project.
The main objective of ICON is to consolidate, to expand and to integrate network components developed at GKSS in order to set up a system for documentation and description of the environmental state and changes of
• Water quality and phytoplankton dynamics on different regular ship routes (FerryBox) and on Wadden Sea piles,
• Morphology in coastal location by radar remote sensing and
• Parameters controlling the North Sea ecosystem, e.g., algal blooms, distribution of suspended matter and primary production, by means of satellite remote sensing.
• A stationary FerryBox system on the test platform FINO 1,
• A stationary FerryBox system at the mouth of the Elbe Estuary (on shore),
• X-band wave radar systems for the determination of bathymetry,
• HF radar (WERA) for the observation of wave and current fields in the German Bight,
• Several poles with automated equipment in the Wadden Sea, complemented by sub-surface bottom systems in winter and
• Wave rider buoys.
In addition, these stations will be complemented by a measuring system for atmospheric correction and in situ “ground truth” correction of bio-optical remote sensing, tests of AUVs for charting and detection of special phenomena and the set up of an efficient data management system.
One innovative technical component within the concept will be the development of new robust sensor systems which will be operated in the FerryBox systems (pCO2/alkalinity, optical absorption spectra of algal pigments, algal activity (FRRF), and gene-probes for algal species detection (with AWI).
