NODO 1c - CIEM/UPC - Observational Network - XIOM
This network for shelf observations includes the XIOM network and the OBSEA station. The XIOM consists of a set of buoys, tide gauges and meteorological stations deployed along the Catalan coast to monitor the most significate shelf and coastal variables. It provides information on wave characteristics using four buoys extending from the north down to the south (Roses, Tordera, Llobregat and Cap Tortosa), meteorological parameters by means of six measuring stations (two on-land and four mounted on buoys), water temperature and currents at two depths using four buoys, and water level at selected points of the Catalan littoral using tidal gauges. This network was setup by the Generalitat de Catalunya. The OBSEA is a submatine measurements laboratory, located 4km off the coast (in front of Vilanova i la Geltrú), at 20 meter depth. The OBSEA offers services related to experimentation in different areas such as marine technologies, biology and marine ecology including the possibility of deploying new sensors to carry out experiments or validation of the same sensor in a real environment. Due to permanent instrumentation in the OBSEA, acoustic monitoring and geolocation services are offered or through videoimage techniques useful in biological and ecological studies.
