Smart buoys improve environmental monitoring in Spain's Mar Menor lagoon

The Regional Government of Murcia, Spain, has invested in a network of smart buoys developed by the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT) to strengthen environmental monitoring.

Recently, Regional Minister Juan María Vázquez visited the Mar Menor to see the latest environmental monitoring technologies developed by the UPCT's PRISMA research group.

First, the smart buoy and its newly integrated automatic sampler collect water samples at scheduled intervals for subsequent laboratory analysis. The data collected helps scientists monitor the ecosystem and supports informed environmental management.

In addition, the sensors are designed to measure dissolved oxygen, CDOM, chlorophyll, salinity, temperature, and phycoerythrin—key parameters for monitoring the lagoon's physical, chemical, and biological conditions.

"The Mar Menor now has an unprecedented network for environmental knowledge, research and monitoring, thanks to the cooperation between the regional government, public universities, scientific institutions and organizations working to protect the lagoon," Vázquez highlighted.

The delegation visited one of the environmental monitoring platforms in the lagoon aboard the new research vessel UPCT Ocean Mind. This vessel is part of the ThinkInAzul initiative, co-funded by the Regional Government of Murcia through the Fundación Séneca (40%) and the European Union's Next Generation funds (60%).

Ocean Mind will also be available through the ICTS (Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructure) node, allowing researchers from around the world to use it for scientific research.

"The Mar Menor is also a natural laboratory for innovation, where university research provides technology, continuous data, and solutions to support environmental management," the regional minister assured.