MINKE

Project to federate knowledge and resources in the field of metrology applied to the marine environment, and to optimise data quality in terms of accuracy and completeness.

MINKE is an INFRAIA project that brings together 16 key European marine metrology research infrastructures to coordinate their use and development and propose an innovative framework of ‘quality of oceanographic data’ for the different European actors in charge of monitoring and managing the EOVs (Essential Ocean Variables) and marine ecosystems.

Data quality is the key element in Ocean & Coastal Observing Systems to provide reliable measurements for developing evidence-based environmental policies. MINKE doesn’t just address data quality but also focuses on all data quality dimensions, with a special emphasis on those related to metrological factors. The project proposes a new vision in the design of marine monitoring networks, integrating two dimensions of data quality, namely accuracy and completeness, as the driving components of quality in data acquisition.

In fact, this new vision will create an optimal metrological framework: a combined system integrating the information provided from:

1. The selection of few ‘key’ points for regular monitoring, prioritising the use of top-level instrumentation to maximise the measurements’ accuracy.
2. The attempt to cover all the potential points of measurement, with the implicit use of low-cost observational systems, maximising the completeness of the dataset.

Shom contribution:

The Shom contributes its expertise in improving measurements of salinity, marine currents, chlorophyll and underwater acoustics. It participates in the improvement of the definition of certain quantities and opens its metrology and chemistry laboratories for the needs of foreign laboratories.

Duration :

48 months - 01/04/2021 to 31/03/2025

Funding Program:

Project funded by the European Commission within the Horizon 2020 Programme (2014-2020). Grant Agreement No. 101008724

Partnership :

MINKE is coordinated by CSIC or AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS, M.P (Spain). The consortium involves 22 partners from 9 countries: España, Italy, France, Germany, Finland, Greece, Great Britain, Norway, Chili. Among the 22 partners there are the JPI Ocean and the ERIC EMSO.

Contact :

MINKE correspondent at Shom : Marc Le Menn.