ASSEM: a new concept of regional observatory

Recent oceanographic research has demonstrated that long-term time series of critical oceanographic parameters are needed to understand the various ocean systems. ASSEM is the first application of a new concept of sea bed observatory dedicated to the long-term monitoring of a limited area (some km/sup 2/), based on a network of interconnected measurement nodes. The ASSEM project enhances some marine technologies allowing real time monitoring of the sea bed. The main component of the system is the communication and storage front end, COSTOF which is an electronic unit providing a set of sensors with the means to communicate with the external world through an underwater network, and to locally store the produced data. The evaluation of this new concept will be done through two experiments addressing two specific seabed problems: slope instability risks and seismic risks. This concept can be extended to large areas using wired links.