HERMES ‘oceanographic Station in Bulgaria (BG1) was deployed at the entrance of varna bay

At the initiative of the Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities (UBBSLA) and following a number of procedures and coordination with the responsible institutions, the HERMES BG1 oceanographic station was deployed and put into operation at the beginning of this week. The oceanographic station will provide important real-time information on the status of the Black Sea. The HERMES BG1 Oceanographic Station located at the entrance of Varna Bay sufficiently far offshore will provide essential information about the sea state to meet the demand already expressed by the key stakeholders such as fishermen, boat operators, and marine research/scientific community. It is expected the HERMES BG1 to become a reliable source of information for the dedicated users. After 10 months of data collection the modelling of coast erosion will be designed.

     

The following equipment comprises the oceanographic station:

• WaveDroid®: directional wave buoy, real-time wave data (GPRS, satellite), GPS-fence, full spectral data directly from the buoy or from the server;
• TideDroid®- real-time sea level data (GPRS)
• CamDroid®- time-laps imagining
• ADCP– velocity profiling (stand-alone): The ADCP provides velocity profiles which are useful for calibration of hydrodynamical models. Indirectly, by analyzing the back scatter, one can get information about the turbidity (total suspension solids, respectively).
• Wind and wave forecast– to schedule servicing operations

With the achievement of its objectives, the HERMES project will contribute to building resilient coastal communities by providing observations and data about the sea. These information and data will be accessible via a web-based portal and will serve the general public, the marine sector, and the scientists and researchers dealing with coastal and nearshore studies and solving practical problems.