Background
Marine environments are highly vulnerable and influenced by a wide diversity of anthropogenic and natural substances and organisms that may have adverse effects on the ecosystem equilibrium, on living resources and, ultimately, on human health. Identification of relevant types of hazards at the appropriate temporal and spatial scale is crucial to detect their sources and origin, to understand the processes governing their magnitude and distribution, and to ultimately evaluate and manage their risks and consequences preventing economic losses.
SCHeMA vision
SCHeMA aims at providing an open and modular sensing solution for in situ high resolution mapping of a range of anthropogenic and natural chemical compounds that may have feedback (synergic) interaction: toxic and/or essential Hg, Cd, Pb, As and Cu trace metal species; nitrate, nitrite, and phosphate nutrients; species relevant to the carbon cycle; volatile organic compounds; potentially toxic algae species and toxins.
The SCHeMA system will consist of a plug-and-play adaptive wired/wireless chemical sensor probe network serving as a front-end for gathering detailed spatial and temporal information on water quality and status based on a range of hazardous compounds.
An ad-hoc ICT wireless networking solution and web-data information system will allow system localization and reconfiguration; data transfer, logging, storage, standardization, evaluation, modelling, and user-friendly accessibility.
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