Development And Validation of an Automated Marine Sampler for Environmental Monitoring in Shallow Coastal Ecosystems
Ana Abenza Alonso*, Isabel P Morales-Aragón, Roque Torres Sánchez, Fulgencio Soto-Vallés and Óscar de Francisco Ortiz
ABSTRACT
This study presents the design, development, and experimental validation of a compact automated water sampler intended for marine environmental monitoring, representing the continuation and expansion of previous work presented at the Marine Technology Workshop (Martech 2025) [1]. The project focuses on fragile coastal ecosystems such as the Mar Menor (Murcia, Spain), a Mediterranean lagoon that has suffered severe eutrophication and biodiversity loss due to decades of nutrient accumulation from agricultural and urban runoff [2].
The progressive and continuous degradation of this ecosystem highlights the urgent need for autonomous, affordable, and high-frequency monitoring technologies. Such systems must be robust enough to operate in shallow, highly dynamic, and vulnerable marine areas. The proposed device addresses these environmental and technical challenges by integrating mechanical, electronic, and software subsystems into a single, modular structure optimized for precision, autonomy, and reproducibility. The developed system allows the automated and sequential collection of discrete water samples at predefined depths without the need for human intervention during field operations.
The sampler is designed as a complementary subsystem to the µ-Nautilus profiler previously developed at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT) [3]. Its integration enables simultaneous measurement and physical sampling, thereby improving spatial and temporal resolution of monitoring campaigns. This synergy provides a more comprehensive understanding of water-column dynamics and nutrient distribution environmental management.
From both a technical and environmental perspective, this sampler represents a significant advancement in the development of effective solutions for the ecological challenges facing the Mar Menor. By enabling the acquisition of high-resolution, depth-specific data, the system ensures precise, real-time monitoring of the lagoon's water column dynamics.
