They also fail to provide proper tools to detect the onset and monitoring of episodic events (e.g. eruptions, earthquakes and tsunami). To address the scientific issues listed above, long time-series measurements of critical biological, geological, chemical and physical parameters are needed. This calls for the deployment of networks of seabed, moored and mobile sensor suites, as well as access to equipment and facilities for scientific data processing and analysis. This can only be addressed by establishing continuous long-term observing capabilities with the capacity for bidirectional telemetry.
The maintenance of a realtime data stream from the observatory to shore, and the ability to control instruments within the observatory from shore, will have a revolutionary impact on our understanding of steady-state, periodic and transient events.
Long-term operations require in situ power sources, through e.g. diesel or fuel cell generators moored for long periods at the sea surface, deployed on the sea bottom or provided by cable from shore. There are other technological challenges, requiring the use and further development of acoustic tracking and data communication systems, fixed seabed stations with high precision and reliable scientific instrumentation, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and autonomous marine vehicles (AMVs) equipped with dedicated scientific sensor suites.A generation of sensors must be developed capable of sustained operations in deep sea conditions.