Physical and biogeochemical marine data of the Smart Bay S. Teresa underwater observatory (Eastern Ligurian Sea, Italy), 2024-2025

In July 2024, a preliminary real-time monitoring and transmission system based on wireless underwater networking (IoUT) was implemented in the harbour of La Spezia (Eastern Ligurian Sea) to create an early warning system for temperature increase and to monitor oxygen and pH levels. Currently, the "Smart Bay Santa Teresa Underwater Observatory" is equipped with a system of transmission nodes connected to advanced probes, distributed across 12 stations throughout the Gulf.
This development, achieved through collaboration with NRPP RAISE and EMBRC-UP projects, aims to detect changes in ocean conditions and marine ecosystems in real time, while also providing comprehensive marine data in support of shellfish farming activities located in this highly impacted coastal area.
Physical-chemical data (temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, current, turbidity, chlorophyll) are acquired hourly and transmitted in real time, validated by ENEA with analytical approaches through weekly and monthly measurement campaigns. Biogeochemical parameters are measured analytically (total alkalinity, pH) and derived (pCO2, saturation state, dissolved inorganic carbon) on a weekly and monthly basis, together with high-precision vertical profiles (measured by means of a CTD probe).
Data have been measured at five coastal stations:
Santa Teresa Bay pier (BayP, 44.081855°N, 9.881658°E) (depth: 1 m) – leisure marina inside the dam Shellfish farming East (ShellFishE, 44.079517°N, 9.873986°E) (depths: 2, 5 and 8 m) – inside the harbour Shellfish farming West (ShellFishW, 44.072206°N, 9.855306°E) (depths: 2, 5 and 8 m) – inside the harbour Portovenere pier (PortovenereP, 44.053812°N, 9.838510°E) (depths: 1 and 2 m) – in the Regional Park and inside the Gulf Portovenere South (PortovenereS, 44.049858°N, 9.840694°E) (depth: 2 m) – in the Regional Park and inside the Gulf
This monitoring is conducted within the context of the Smart Bay Santa Teresa collaboration platform. For comprehensive information about the infrastructure, data visualization capabilities, and utilization of observatory-derived data, a dedicated project section has been created on the Smart Bay Santa Teresa website: https://smartbaysteresa.com/en/. This platform serves as a central hub for stakeholder engagement and knowledge dissemination.