The thin layer at the boundary between the sea and the atmosphere, covering approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface, is defined as the Sea Surface Microlayer (SML). With a typical thickness ranging between 1 and 1000 µm of the ocean surface, it constitutes a unique physicochemical and biological environment, with physical, chemical and biological properties significantly differing from those of the subsurface water (SSW) column. Representing the physical link between the sea surface and the lower atmosphere, the SML maintains a dynamic role, participating in all processes comprising exchange of materials between these two substrates, potentially contributing to climate change. It has also been demonstrated that SML differs significantly from subsurface water in terms of biology and organic matter composition, being generally enriched in several elements and substances, toxic chemical constituents among others. Despite its significance, SML remains understudied, due to sampling difficulties. The techniques applied so far for collecting samples of the aquatic surface microlayer are labor demanding and time consuming, hence inappropriate for routine measurements or acute pollution events, hindering research on pollutants occurrence in the SML of impacted areas worldwide.
Hydrocarbons are among the most toxic contaminants found in aquatic systems, attracting the attention of the scientific community and policy makers in recent decades, also due to their persistence and capacity to bioaccumulate in the food chain. In the marine environment, they are of natural (pyrolysis, diagenesis, biosynthesis, natural seepage) or anthropogenic (industrial and urban waste, maritime transport, oil plants and refineries) origin, whereas in coastal marine waters they are introduced mainly through dry (aerosols) and wet (intense rain) atmospheric depositions, rivers, municipal/industrial effluents and surface runoff.
The INTERSEA project (financed by the Hellenic Foundation for Research & Innovation, H.F.R.I.) aims at the development of sampling equipment for the assessment of oil pollution levels in coastal zone areas, characterized by intense anthropogenic activities including ports, refineries, shipyards, metal processing industries. Competent bodies involved in coastal waters monitoring will be assisted to comply with EU marine related legislation requirements, in the perspective of achieving Good Environmental Status, as defined by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC) and of implementing the Zero Pollution Action Plan in the framework of the EU Green Deal.
- Development of an innovative automated SML sampler operating on an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), easily applicable, to be used in the monitoring of the sea – air interface, represented by the marine surface microlayer. Collection of adequate amounts of samples within a small time scale and with a less straining process than those applied so far, as well as facilitation of samplings at a higher number of sites and during seasonal campaigns.
- – Establishing the basis for future application of autonomous remotely operated vessels to collect high quality data for marine environment assessments. Examination of both inorganic and organic parameters in SML samples.
- Assistance of researchers of various disciplines e.g. chemical oceanographers, marine biologists etc in their research, on the basis of the biological and chemical composition of the sea surface layer as well as of its physical properties denoting water circulation patterns.
- Assistance of competent bodies involved in coastal waters monitoring, requiring high quality data in order to provide reliable assessments on the status of the marine environment. Contribution to the effort of Competent Authorities to comply with EU marine related legislation requirements, such as the Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC) and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC).
- Development of a methodological tool for the assessment of oil pollution levels in coastal zone areas characterized by intense anthropogenic activities including ports, refineries, shipyards, metal processing industries.
- Enabling pollution sources tracing and pollutants influx reduction, on the basis of Good Environmental Status, defined by the MSFD, also contributing to the Zero Pollution Action Plan in the framework of the EU Green Deal, since reducing pollution levels and protecting biodiversity and ecosystems across EU marine waters are among the European Green Deal priorities.
Duration: 02/10/2023 – 01/10/2025 (24 months)
Budget : 163.185 €
Financing: Hellenic Foundation for Research & Innovation (H.F.R.I.), Basic Research Financing (Horizontal support for all Sciences), National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Greece 2.0)
Host Institution: Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Scientific responsible: Ass. Prof. Sotirios Karavoltsos