MIND: an affordable modular buoy system for coastal monitoring and drifting oceanographic deployment

Ensuring the sustainability of ocean observing systems has become a central challenge in contemporary marine science, as long-term environmental monitoring increasingly requires instruments that are not only reliable and accurate but also energetically self-sufficient, economically accessible, and easily deployable. In this context, the development of affordable observational technologies is essential to expand measurement coverage and support research, management, and conservation efforts across diverse marine environments.

This work presents MIND (Modular Intelligent Node or Drifter) an affordable and modular oceanographic buoy designed for both drifting and coastal monitoring applications. The system provides high-resolution environmental observations while maintaining low production and operational costs through the use of commercially available components. Its spherical hull integrates a solar-powered energy system that ensures extended autonomous operation, supporting continuous data acquisition over long deployments.

The platform incorporates water temperature and turbidity sensors managed by an ARM® Cortex®-M0+ microcontroller, which handles data acquisition, processing, and power optimization. Accurate geolocation is ensured by an integrated GNSS module, enabling precise spatial tracking throughout the buoy’s trajectory.

To guarantee robust and uninterrupted data transmission, the buoy employs a dual communication architecture: LoRa technology for nearshore communication via land-based gateways and Globalstar satellite connectivity for offshore deployments. The modular hardware design facilitates the integration of additional sensors, making the platform adaptable to a wide range of environmental monitoring requirements.

All collected data are transmitted to a remote server and made openly accessible through the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). These observations will support environmental assessment activities and enhance the validation of numerical models used to investigate coastal physical and biological processes at fine temporal and spatial scales.

By combining affordability, modularity, renewable power supply, and redundant communication pathways, this buoy offers a sustainable, versatile, and scalable solution for expanding ocean observation capabilities in both research and operational contexts.