The Iosmos Project: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach For Ionian Sea Water Quality Monitoring

Coastal zones are for their intrinsic properties very dynamic and complex ecosystems which deserve multi-scale and multi-disciplinary monitoring system. South-eastern Basilicata region (Italy) coastal areas, in the gulf of Taranto (Ionian sea) show typical features of costal ecosystems: a wide range of different habits, an increasing level of anthropization, different potential sources of pollution, etc... IOnian Sea water quality MOnitoring by Satellite data (IOSMOS) is a European Transnational Cooperation co-financed by the Operational Program ERDF Basilicata 2007-2013, with the main aim of supporting Basilicata Region in monitoring Ionian sea water quality status by developing and implementing advanced satellite data products. By performing a long term investigation (up to 15 years), based on a general methodology for multi-temporal satellite data analysis, the Robust Satellite techniques (RST) approach, the project aims at providing a description of the sea water status in terms of standard bio-optical parameters, such as Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and Coloured Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM). IOSMOS will study also the suspended sediment material (SSM) phenomena occurring in the area and the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) variations. The main objective is to provide information about the area with the highest level of degradation and the areas at highest potential risk. In addition, by performing specific in situ and airborne measurement calibration campaigns, the opportunity to develop original satellite products will be investigated. In this paper, first activities and preliminary results of IOSMOS project will be presented and discussed.