Section outline

  • Introduction

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    RV Gaia Blu

    From 8 July 2025 to 24 July 2025

    11 in person

     Emanuele Organelli (CNR-ISMAR), Elisa Camatti (CNR-ISMAR), Carolina Cantoni (CNR-ISMAR), Gianluca Volpe (CNR-ISMAR), Simone Colella (CNR-ISMAR).

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    This training course offers advanced theoretical and practical knowledge in the use and integration of marine Research Infrastructures for observing and understanding the ocean, with a focus on its physical and chemical properties, biodiversity, and ecology. Conducted during the ITINERIS’ EYES expedition aboard the R/V Gaia Blu (CNR), the course provides a unique hands-on experience at sea. Participants will develop skills in operating autonomous platforms (Argo Floats, drifters), ship-based (rosette CTD, radiometry, plankton net, ferry box) and lab-based sampling techniques (carbonate system, phytoplankton pigments, optical properties, genetics), and fixed marine observatories. The training promotes a multidisciplinary approach and emphasizes interoperability across different observation systems and methodologies used in ocean science.

    The course will provide background and practical experience in using and integrating marine Research Infrastructure’s facilities and methodological approaches to observe and measure the ocean (seawater physical and chemical properties, biodiversity and ecology) during the field activities of the ITINERIS’ EYES oceanic cruise on board the R/V Gaia Blu of CNR.

  • VIDEORECORDING

  • 1 - Autonomous Platforms

    This module introduces the theoretical basis of marine optics and explains its relevance for the study of the ocean, particularly marine ecology and biogeochemistry. The module focuses on autonomous platforms currently used for ocean ecosystem studies, such as Biogeochemical-Argo profiling floats and Biogeochemical-SVP Lagrangian drifters. The module will explore the platform’s technical and scientific characteristics, providing knowledge about synergies and complementarities between autonomous platforms, ship-based measurements and observations from space. An overview of possible applications based on autonomous platform data will be provided (ocean processes, biodiversity, extreme climate events, validation of satellite parameters, 4D reconstruction etc).

  • 2 - Ship-based sampling approaches

    This module introduces the main ship-based sampling approaches that are implemented to measure and understand ocean biogeochemistry and ecology.
    The first module will be dedicated to the carbonate system and introduces the fundamental concepts of inorganic carbon chemistry in marine environments, along with the biogeochemical and physical factors that regulate air–sea CO₂ fluxes. It highlights the role of the ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System) research infrastructure and the importance of high-quality sea surface pCO₂ measurements in constraining the ocean carbon budget. The course also covers the principles of operation of instruments used for autonomous measurements of carbonate system parameters on board Ships of Opportunity, with a focus on the systems installed on the research vessel Gaia Blu, which measure pH, using a spectrophotometric system, pCO₂ and total alkalinity.
    The second module focuses on plankton net sampling. The WP2 closing net represents a targeted, ship-based sampling method designed to collect meso-zooplankton and other marine particles at specific depths. Unlike open nets, the closing mechanism allows for discrete sampling at predefined vertical intervals, minimizing contamination between water layers. This approach is essential for studying the vertical distribution, diel migration, and biodiversity of zooplankton communities. Deployed from research vessels during oceanographic cruises, the closing net enables high-resolution, depth-stratified biological data collection, supporting ecosystem assessments and long-term monitoring strategies. This module is going to present also the Underwater Vision Profiler 6 (UVP6) that is an advanced optical instrument deployed from research vessels to capture high-resolution images of particles and plankton in the water column. Integrated into CTD rosettes or deployed autonomously, the UVP6 collects quantitative data on particle size spectra, marine snow, and mesozooplankton without the need for net sampling. It enables real-time profiling of vertical distributions from the surface to deep waters, supporting ecological studies and biogeochemical assessments. Within ship-based sampling strategies, the UVP6 provides a non-invasive, complementary tool to traditional nets, enhancing the spatial and temporal resolution of marine biodiversity observations.
    The third module is dedicated to the water sampling from the rosette, measurements of the underwater light field and its optical constituents. The rosette/CTD system will be presented and strategies to follow to optimize the water sampling of marine planktonic ecosystems will be described. Ship-based profiling techniques and instruments to measure undewater optics are also described. Focus is given on radiometers, absorption and scattering meters, and Secchi disk.

  • 3 - Lab-based sampling techniques

    This module introduces the main lab-based sampling techinques that are performed on board to measure and understand ocean biogeochemistry and ecology. Lab-based analysis still represents the reference techniques for acquiring high-quality datasets to validate instrument measurements and investigate changes in the carbonate system within the ocean interior. This module illustrates sampling and preservation techniques for samples used in carbonate system analysis, as well as the laboratory analysis of pH using the spectrophotometric method, with hands-on training included.
    Lab-based sampling techniques are essential for the accurate taxonomic identification and classification of phytoplankton and zooplankton collected during oceanographic surveys. Following field collection, samples are preserved (typically in formalin or ethanol) and analyzed under stereomicroscopes and compound microscopes by trained taxonomists. These methods enable the detailed identification of plankton to the lowest possible taxonomic level, often down to species. Laboratory analyses provide critical data on biodiversity, community composition, and population structure, serving as a reference for validating automated or image-based classification systems. Despite being time-consuming, taxonomic expertise remains fundamental to understanding ecosystem dynamics and supporting long-term biodiversity monitoring.
    Finally, lab-based sampling techniques applied to acquire information about phytoplankton pigments and optical properties; nutrient concentrations and dissolved organic matter are also presented and described.

  • 4 - Fixed observatories

    This module introduces the structural components and classifications of fixed-point marine observatories. It will explore the different platforms used for long-term observation in the marine environment, including moored buoys, coastal pylons, offshore platforms, and seabed stations. Emphasis is placed on the vertical and horizontal arrangement of sensors and sampling systems. The module also covers ecological observatories, which focus on monitoring biological communities and ecosystem parameters, and how these systems can be complemented by ship-based surveys or autonomous platforms.