Mambo1 buoy data system: past, present and future of the Gulf of Trieste observatory

In oceanography—whether physical, biochemical, or modelling—the availability of high-quality data is essential for studying the complex dynamics of marine systems. Today, a wide range of observational platforms is available to meet the growing demand for oceanographic data, including floats, drifters, gliders, moorings, buoys, and other monitoring systems. One of the key challenges lies in the development, deployment, and long-term maintenance of these infrastructures to ensure continuous data availability, as well as in the establishment of efficient data pipelines that allow experts to access information in a unified and straightforward manner.

This work presents the past, present, and future of the buoy infrastructure known as Mambo1, selected as one of the main data acquisition systems operating in the Gulf of Trieste. In particular, the main components of the buoy and its data chain are described. The Gulf of Trieste, located in the northern Adriatic Sea, represents a key site for oceanographic research, as the knowledge gained there forms the basis for understanding the complex regional sea dynamics. Furthermore, the infrastructures deployed in this area are part of the National Civil Protection meteo-marine monitoring network.

The Mambo1 buoy is owned by the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), based in Trieste. It was developed and deployed in 2000 off Miramare Castle (45°41′54″ N, 13°42′24″ E) and is part of the JERICO R I, as well as the ICOS and DANUBIUS projects. The buoy currently consists of a floating structure housing: (1) the hardware control interface, (2) the photovoltaic power supply, (3) a meteorological station, and (4) the data transmission system. The underwater section hosts several instruments, including: (5) three CTDs positioned at different depths from the surface to the seabed, along with sensors for pCO₂, pH, dissolved oxygen, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and turbidity, all acquiring data at hourly intervals.

The core of the data chain is the hardware control interface, which governs the entire system. Fully developed in-house at OGS, both in hardware and software, it acts as the central controller by managing instrument configuration and data acquisition through serial I/O ports, regulating the power supply, and processing and transmitting data in near real time via LTE broadband network. The data are sent to a dedicated cloud environment and subsequently processed and archived by the National Oceanographic Data Centre (NODC) at OGS headquarters. Starting from the raw data, the NODC performs additional steps, including acquisition management, integration with metadata, quality control assessment, and final storage in a database made accessible through the ERDDAP data server.

Planned future developments include the installation of an electronically automated winch to enable water-column profiling, as well as the integration of an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler and a nutrient sensor.

Thanks to the complete Mambo1 data system and pipeline—from its initial deployment to the present day and with future expansions—a wide range of oceanographic data is freely available through the NODC database. While instrumentation and technology may evolve over time, the underlying concept and structure of the data chain remain consistent.