Meteorological and hydrodynamic data in the Mar Grande and Mar Piccolo, Italy, of the Coastal Engineering Laboratory (LIC) Survey, winter and summer 2015

The Coastal Engineering Laboratory (LIC) of DICATECh of the Polytechnic University of Bari (Italy) maintains a place-based research programme in the Mar Grande and Mar Piccolo of Taranto (a coastal system in southern Italy), providing records of hydrodynamic and water-quality measurements. This site is one of the most complex marine ecosystem models in terms of ecological, social and economic activities. It is considered highly vulnerable because of the presence of a naval base, the biggest steel mill of Europe and an oil refinery. Two fixed stations have been installed, one in the Mar Grande (MG station) and another in Mar Piccolo (MP station). In the MG station constituents include wind speed and direction, air temperature and humidity, barometric pressure, net solar radiation, water salinity, water temperature, water pressure, dissolved oxygen, fluorescence, turbidity, CDOM, crude oil and refined fuels, sea currents, and waves. In the MP station constituents include water temperature, sea currents and waves. We provide a summary of how these data have been collected by the research group and how they can be used to deepen understanding of the hydrodynamic structures and characteristics of the basin.

Automated summary

The Coastal Engineering Laboratory of DICATECh at the Polytechnic University of Bari in Italy conducts place-based research in the Mar Grande and Mar Piccolo of Taranto, providing data on hydrodynamics and water quality measurements in a complex marine ecosystem. The presence of a naval base, the largest steel mill in Europe, and an oil refinery makes this coastal system highly vulnerable. Two fixed stations have been installed to collect data on various parameters such as wind speed, temperature, salinity, currents, and waves, which are used to deepen understanding of the basin's hydrodynamic structures and characteristics.