The PLOME project was prominently featured at the 12th edition of the Marine Technology Workshop (MARTECH 2025), held in Pasaia (Gipuzkoa) on May 28–29, and co-organized by AZTI and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). This year’s edition gathered over 130 participants from academic institutions, research centres, and marine technology companies to discuss emerging trends in ocean observation, including underwater robotics, artificial intelligence, smart sensing systems, and coastal monitoring in the context of climate change.
Among the many valuable contributions, PLOME Project was presented on MARTECH, focusing on the data transmisión challenges and the pop-up buoys development. Such specific contribution was awarded with special recognition as one of the finalist for the Best Paper Award.
Carlos de la Vega, from UPC, presented the work titled: “Implementation of a Simulation Tool for Argos-Based Satellite Image Transmission for Seafloor Ecosystem Monitoring Using Pop-Up Buoys.”
The paper introduces a simulation tool designed to explore the use of pop-up buoys for autonomous satellite communication from oceanographic platforms placed on the seafloor. The solution includes Software-Defined Radio (SDR) techniques to simulate GPS message transmission, enabling tracking of the buoys during their drift phase. The work also proposes the future deployment of unmanned vehicles for in situ retrieval of the complete dataset, offering a more efficient alternative to relying solely on satellite overpasses.
This contribution reflects PLOME’s strong commitment to training, innovation, and outreach, providing young researchers with the tools and context to develop novel solutions for sustainable ocean monitoring.
MARTECH 2025 reaffirmed its role as a reference event in the marine technology field, offering a dynamic forum for scientific exchange, showcasing innovative tools and methods, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across Europe.
