Periodic Reporting for period 3 - MELOA (Multi-purpose/Multi-sensor Extra Light Oceanography Apparatus)
Reporting period: 2020-03-01 to 2022-02-28
The MELOA project proposed to develop a low-cost, easy-to-handle, wave resilient, multi-purpose, multi-sensor, extra light ocean surface drifter for use in all water environments, ranging from deep-sea to inland waters, including coastal areas, river plumes and surf zones. The device was developed as an upgrade to the WAVY drifter conceived by the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, Portugal, which was used to measure the surface circulation forced by wave breaking, including detailed structure of rip and littoral drift currents. A family of drifters resulted from the project: the WAVY family of drifters, each optimised for a particular environment or application.
The overall objective of MELOA was to innovate in the current market of measurement systems for marine environments, by providing a low-cost and easy-to-handle solution for in-situ data acquisition on the water, in the form of the WAVY drifters. In fact, most ocean drifters developed to date have focused on either the characterization of sub-surface currents, or on superficial currents, but with a strong influence from the wind on the drifter itself. MELOA solved the problem of minimizing exposure to wind (the so called "sail-effect") in order to get a more accurate description of the movement of the water, while maintaining good power and communications capabilities (either via mobile networks or via satellite) for the transmission of data to shore.
On another note, drifters are usually not designed to withstand the very harsh conditions of nearshore and littoral ocean circulation (i.e. the movement of ocean waters at the coast, including the breaking of waves and the motions that occur in the surf zone). MELOA developed products that can sustain high accelerations and impacts, and are thus ideal to measure and quantify properties of motion in these extreme locations. This is a tremendous achievement and will have several important applications, such as (just to name one) an accurate description and visualization of water movement in beaches, which in many cases constitute hazards to unaware beach goers.
The WAVY drifters were subjected to many tests at sea and in the laboratory; a comparison of the data produced by the WAVYs against the data from other instruments or sources helped validate the WAVYs as a good tool for ocean observation. A set of use cases was also implemented in the project, with the participation of different user communities (project team, scientists, citizens) to promote the drifters, assemble feed-back from users and facilitate a future entry in the market.
The overall objective of MELOA was to innovate in the current market of measurement systems for marine environments, by providing a low-cost and easy-to-handle solution for in-situ data acquisition on the water, in the form of the WAVY drifters. In fact, most ocean drifters developed to date have focused on either the characterization of sub-surface currents, or on superficial currents, but with a strong influence from the wind on the drifter itself. MELOA solved the problem of minimizing exposure to wind (the so called "sail-effect") in order to get a more accurate description of the movement of the water, while maintaining good power and communications capabilities (either via mobile networks or via satellite) for the transmission of data to shore.
On another note, drifters are usually not designed to withstand the very harsh conditions of nearshore and littoral ocean circulation (i.e. the movement of ocean waters at the coast, including the breaking of waves and the motions that occur in the surf zone). MELOA developed products that can sustain high accelerations and impacts, and are thus ideal to measure and quantify properties of motion in these extreme locations. This is a tremendous achievement and will have several important applications, such as (just to name one) an accurate description and visualization of water movement in beaches, which in many cases constitute hazards to unaware beach goers.
The WAVY drifters were subjected to many tests at sea and in the laboratory; a comparison of the data produced by the WAVYs against the data from other instruments or sources helped validate the WAVYs as a good tool for ocean observation. A set of use cases was also implemented in the project, with the participation of different user communities (project team, scientists, citizens) to promote the drifters, assemble feed-back from users and facilitate a future entry in the market.
Running from December 2017 to February 2022 (after a 12-month extension granted), MELOA had 13 project milestones planned. The MELOA consortium has successfully passed the expected milestones: the Kick-Off meeting, a Design Review Meeting, four Advisory Board meetings, two Test Plan Review meetings, one Operational Review meeting, two Reporting Period meetings, an Interim Review meeting and a Final Review meeting.
At the end of the project the following major results have been achieved: all Use Cases consolidated; technology evolution achieved (design of WAVY Ocean and WAVY Basic, improvement of the WAVY Littoral); manufactured most of the planned WAVY units (activity impacted by the COVID19 pandemic and subsequent global crisis on availability of electronic components); the Data Support Services are operational with links to major European data distributors; and Added-value Services have been developed. In addition, more than 40 field test campaigns with WAVY Littoral and WAVY Ocean have been performed, for drifter performance and data validations, as well as a relevant amount of Outreach and Promotion activities. The datasets from the field test campaigns can be openly accesible from both the MELOA catalogue (http://catalogue.ec-meloa.eu/) and geoportal (https://geoportal.ec-meloa.eu/).
An Exploitation Plan has been developed that foreseens the continuation of relevant MELOA activities in the post-project phase, namely the support required to maintain the data services online and operational, including communications to shore, and the support to new users of the drifters in their proposed research projects (in this case seen as leads to a future commercial opportunity). These supports will be put in place by all partners at their own expense. Opportunities to obtain revenues to cover some or all of the costs incurred while providing these supports will be followed closely through dedicated Business Development actions. New developments or improvements in the drifters will require further funding, and the partners are committed to explore funding opportunities that will bring the drifters to a future commercial exploitation; this includes a follow-on project proposal to an approapriate EU-funded call, or other supports to entrepreneurship.
At the end of the project the following major results have been achieved: all Use Cases consolidated; technology evolution achieved (design of WAVY Ocean and WAVY Basic, improvement of the WAVY Littoral); manufactured most of the planned WAVY units (activity impacted by the COVID19 pandemic and subsequent global crisis on availability of electronic components); the Data Support Services are operational with links to major European data distributors; and Added-value Services have been developed. In addition, more than 40 field test campaigns with WAVY Littoral and WAVY Ocean have been performed, for drifter performance and data validations, as well as a relevant amount of Outreach and Promotion activities. The datasets from the field test campaigns can be openly accesible from both the MELOA catalogue (http://catalogue.ec-meloa.eu/) and geoportal (https://geoportal.ec-meloa.eu/).
An Exploitation Plan has been developed that foreseens the continuation of relevant MELOA activities in the post-project phase, namely the support required to maintain the data services online and operational, including communications to shore, and the support to new users of the drifters in their proposed research projects (in this case seen as leads to a future commercial opportunity). These supports will be put in place by all partners at their own expense. Opportunities to obtain revenues to cover some or all of the costs incurred while providing these supports will be followed closely through dedicated Business Development actions. New developments or improvements in the drifters will require further funding, and the partners are committed to explore funding opportunities that will bring the drifters to a future commercial exploitation; this includes a follow-on project proposal to an approapriate EU-funded call, or other supports to entrepreneurship.
Given the low influence of wind upon the drifters’ displacements, MELOA provides a relatively cheap and effective way to monitor surface currents and surface dynamic features anywhere in the World Ocean. Through equipping the drifters with thermistors at two different levels, the possibility is open for monitoring “near-skin temperature” and near-surface vertical temperature gradients, which will be invaluable for calibration/validation of satellite derived SST fields. These two features have the potential to provide more accurate data on ocean features, which can have a substantial impact on current and future knowledge of the ocean and the climate.
At smaller scales, the drifters have already caused enthusiasm in local or specific communities, such as surfers, beach authorities and even the common citizen. Outreach activities, along with dissemination events and with the help of the Advisory Board, have made a wide range of potential users aware of what MELOA and the WAVY drifters are about; their interest has been evidenced in the many requests for more information, and the leads for future collaboration that have been received by the project. In the post-project phase, the partnership is committed to continue this dissemination effort, supporting future users to the extent possible and to continue making available a family of products that will meet the user expectations.
At smaller scales, the drifters have already caused enthusiasm in local or specific communities, such as surfers, beach authorities and even the common citizen. Outreach activities, along with dissemination events and with the help of the Advisory Board, have made a wide range of potential users aware of what MELOA and the WAVY drifters are about; their interest has been evidenced in the many requests for more information, and the leads for future collaboration that have been received by the project. In the post-project phase, the partnership is committed to continue this dissemination effort, supporting future users to the extent possible and to continue making available a family of products that will meet the user expectations.