Water temperature and wave sensors to be installed on five Costa del Sol beaches

A network of water temperature and wave sensors that will be integrated into the Andalusian coastal oceanographic stations network (REOLA) are to be installed on five beaches along the western Costa del Sol.

Sabinillas (Manilva), Rada (Estepona), Guadalmina (Marbella), Calahonda (Mijas Costa), and Arroyo de la Miel (Benalmádena) are the beaches that form part of the project being developed by the Junta de Andalucía. "This project aims to implement a network of marine sensors along the coastline to collect coastal temperature and wave data, which will be integrated into the environmental information base generated by the rest of the remote sensing systems developed in the project,” a statement said.

The information will “contribute to the development of operational hydrodynamic models for the simulation of pollutants in mollusc harvesting areas and their impact on diversity and ecosystem services, as well as the development of artificial intelligence systems for decision-making on ecosystem management and prediction of toxins in mollusc production areas", according to the president of the Costa del Sol Mancomunidad association of town halls Manuel Cardeña.

Installation will begin after the contract is signed in May 2024, and should be fully installed by 1 June, with removal beginning in October, according to Cardeña.

The investment this year will be 1.1 million euros and the budget includes buoys to mark the areas as well as 20 areas for motor boats, seven for non-motorised boats and two marked channels for swimming in Marbella. Also reflected in the plan are the floating platforms, jet ski circuits and water parks in Benalmádena, Mijas Estepona, Fuengirola, Marbella and Manilva.