A multidisciplinary team coordinated by the Institute of Marine Engineering of the National Research Council of Genoa (CNR-INM), with participation of the CNR Institute for Bioeconomy in Florence (CNR-IBE) and the CNR Institute of Polar Science in Messina (CNR-ISP), in collaboration with the University of Turin, University of Udine and University of Tuscia, has successfully completed the preliminary activities of the “Modular Alpine Robotic MOnitoring Tools” (MARMOT) project.
MARMOT is funded under the 2022 call of the PRIN project. The preliminary campaign aims at carrying out bathymetric, bio-physical and chemical sampling of two remote lakes in the Alps. The two sites selected were: the lake located near the Indren Glacier (Monte Rosa massif, Valle D’Aosta) and the proglacial lake near Fellaria Glacier (Valtellina, Sondrio province). The sampling was carried out by using an innovative robotic device, “a back-pack” easy to carry on mountain paths thus minimizing the impact of scientific research on these rapidly-changing fragile ecosystems.
The developed prototype enabled the first parameters for bathymetric mapping of lakes, analysis of surface water and air, and the study of trace elements and microbiology. The data collected revealed an astonishing maximum depth of about 45 meters along transects performed in Fellaria Glacier Lake.
Besides field research activities, the MARMOT project also includes an analysis and sharing strategy based on the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles. Moreover, the initiative aims at involving the community in Citizen Science projects, by making the data collected public and accessible on online platforms that will allow to remotely monitor all parameters in real time.
