MALTA-02 sea level station in Marsaxlokk (Malta)

The PORTO network of meteo and sea level stations is made up a total of 15 stations in Malta and Sicily. One of the sea level stations in Malta is situated within Marsaxlokk Bay on the sheltered side of the breakwater outside the Freeport Terminal (Figure 1). Figure 2 shows the exact location at 35.8181°N and 14.5494°E.

The sea level monitoring device installed at Marsaxlokk, is a RADAC WaveGuide 5 Height and Tide monitor. Mounted high above the water and without any moving parts it does not need preventive maintenance or cleaning. Calibration is never required due to long term stable zero reference and constant sensitivity. The system is compact, robust and easy to install. It is equipped to measure wave heights and tides accurately, even in the most extreme conditions. The station has been included in the Tsunami Hazard monitoring in the Mediterranean Sea and in the North Atlantic area (NEAMTWS area of UNESCO).

The station registers the instantaneous level of the sea surface from which it then calculates the one-minute average height. This data is transmitted over UDP (User Datagram Protocol) to a central server at the University of Malta. Here the data is written to the PORTO meteo and marine stations database as soon as it is received. Data from the database is used to provide realtime data on the PORTO online interface (Figure 3).

The PO-Res Grp, led by Prof. Aldo Drago, is the lead partner in CALYPSO South. The Group undertakes oceanographic research, in a holistic perspective, including operational observations and forecasts, specialised data management analysis and participation in international cooperative ventures. The overarching research themes of the PO-Res.Grp cover coastal meteorology, hydrography and physical oceanography with a main emphasis on the experimental study of the hydrodynamics of the sea in the vicinity of the Maltese Islands. The Group has mainly endeavoured to promote activities in operational oceanography by the installation and maintenance of permanent sea monitoring systems, and the provision of meteo/marine forecasts. In fact, the PO-Res Grp is responsible for management and custody of the data collected by the whole PORTO network, as well as the development and maintenance of the various interfaces that make this data available to stake holders and the public in general.