News from the Seine Estuary and Bay LandSeaLot Integration Lab: First Tests of Cost-Effective Sensors Complete!
From April 25-30, 2025, researchers at the Seine Estuary and Bay LandSeaLot Integration Lab performed their first tests of cost-effective technology aboard the RV Côtes de la Manche. The experiment took place as part of the PHRESQUES field campaign, a 10-year series of research cruises dedicated to maintaining coastal observatory stations around the Seine Estuary and Bay and observing hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics in the land-sea continuum.
As one of the nine LandSeaLot Integration Labs (LILs) across Europe, researchers at the Seine Estuary and Bay are testing new technologies and methods for improving observation of the land-sea interface. This includes testing cost-effective technology: small sensors and other measurement devices that are more affordable and accessible than traditional observation technology, and can therefore help scientists fill important observation gaps.
Under clear skies and calm conditions, the team tested several sensors: Secchi disks, Envloggers, Wavelets and Fishing PROBES. These small, smart devices gather data on water turbidity, conductivity, temperature, and depth — all important parameters for understanding the land-sea interface and how the local ecosystem is responding to pressures like industrial activity and climate change.
Testing these sensors is a significant step for the team at the LIL and for LandSeaLot at large, paving the way for the adoption of emerging technology that can fill observation gaps and empower more people to join the observing community. Because they are relatively affordable and easy to use, cost-effective technologies can be used by local communities as well as researchers. In future collaborations with local groups like marinas and the Phenomer citizen science initiative, the Seine Estuary and Bay LIL hopes to capacitate more people to observe the land-sea interface and grow shared knowledge about local environments.
The measurements collected will be now compared with reference measurements, evaluating measurement uncertainty and reliability, as well as their potential for citizen science activities. A new field campaign is already scheduled by the end of June 2025, as a second round for confirming sensor potential. Watch this space for updates!
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