Orateur
Paolo FAVALI
(INGV Rome)
Description
EMSO is a Research Infrastructure listed within ESFRI, and will be based on a European-scale network of multidisciplinary seafloor observatories from the Arctic to the Black Sea with the scientific objective of long-term real-time monitoring of processes related to geosphere/biosphere/hydrosphere interactions. GMES has identified a need for a seafloor segment complementary to land and space borne systems. EMSO will enhance our understanding of processes through long time series appropriate to the scale of the phenomena, constituting the new frontier of studying Earth interior, deep-sea biology and chemistry and ocean processes. The EMSO development is based on the synergy between the scientific community and the industry to improve the European competitiveness with respect to countries like USA, Canada and Japan. The development of an underwater network is based on previous EU-funded projects and is being supported by several EU initiatives, as the on-going ESONET-NoE, coordinated by IFREMER, and aims at gathering together the Community interested in ocean observatories. The FP7 Capacities Programme launched in 2006 a call for Preparatory Phase (PP) projects, that will provide the support to create the legal and organisational entities in charge of managing the infrastructures, and coordinating the financial effort among the countries. EMSO-PP project, approved in 2007, has just started in April 2008 (4 years, coordinated by INGV with other 11 Institutions of 11 countries)
