New 35 km electro-optical cable connects Catania to the Western Ionian Sea (Wis): the deep sea observed in real time

The installation operations of a new submarine electro-optical cable off the coast of Catania have been successfully completed, carried out by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) thanks to funding from the Pnrr Itineris project, dedicated to enhancing and integrating Italian research infrastructures into European networks of excellence. This intervention represents an important advancement in the capabilities of observation and monitoring of the deep sea in the Mediterranean.

The new cable, approximately 35 km long, connects the land station located in the port of Catania to the Western Ionian Sea (Wis) site, located at a depth of about 2000 meters in the western Ionian Sea.

The WIS site, composed of several interconnected observational systems, constitutes a European-level research infrastructure capable of performing multiparametric and real-time monitoring of the deep marine environment. The infrastructure is jointly managed by Ingv and Infn (National Institute of Nuclear Physics) and is part of the European consortium EMSO ERIC (European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water column Observatory European Research Infrastructure Consortium).

Equipped with 24 optical fibers, the new system — produced for Ingv by a partnership consisting of Elettra Tlc and MacArtney Italy — allows for the real-time transmission of large amounts of data from the observatories installed on the seabed while simultaneously ensuring their power supply. The submarine termination of the cable has been designed to accommodate new observation systems, while a dedicated data management and distribution system will enable real-time access to the entire infrastructure.

The enhancement of connectivity will allow for an expanded observed area and will promote the development of innovative and interdisciplinary experiments, offering hosting services for various scientific communities — from geophysics to oceanography to marine biology — and ensuring accessibility both on-site and remotely, with a significant improvement in the continuous monitoring of the deep marine environment.

“Thanks to this intervention, the operational life of the infrastructure, developed since the early 2000s, will be extended by at least another 20 years, ensuring continuity and stability for long-term research activities,” says Davide Embriaco, head of the Ingv Wis activity of the Pnrr Itineris project.

“This infrastructure significantly strengthens deep-sea observation capabilities and opens new opportunities for increasingly integrated interdisciplinary studies, which will contribute to understanding the processes that govern environments still largely unexplored,” explains the Director of the Environment Department of Ingv, Fabrizia Buongiorno.

“Investing in these infrastructures means enhancing the country's ability to understand and monitor natural processes, contributing to support integrated research at the international level aimed at knowledge and protection of the marine environment,” concludes the President of Ingv, Fabio Florindo. “The project represents a concrete example of integration between technological innovation and scientific research of excellence.