Geostar: Geophysical and oceanographic station for abyssal research

This chapter describes the different aspects of GEophysical and Oceanographic STation for Abyssal Research (GEOSTAR), which is aimed at the realization of an observatory able to perform a long-term scientific mission in deep waters down to 4000 meters. GEOSTAR represents the first European reply to the challenges launched by the international scientific and technological community addressed to the realization of a worldwide network of benthic multidisciplinary permanent observatories. The Long-term Ocean Monitoring Station (LOMOS) concept for deployment and recovery, defined in a MAST 2 project, DESIBEL, and the feasibility study for Abyssal BEnthic Laboratory (ABEL), promoted by E.U., formed the basis of the design of GEOSTAR. The general architecture of GEOSTAR demonstrated its validity during the Adriatic Sea mission and consequently no substantial modification to the concept is foreseen. Improvements on some parts of the two main systems—the bottom station (BS) and mobile docker (MD)— are, however, projected in a view of the deep sea mission requirements.