Major Field Monitoring Campaign and Instrument Deployment in Vinh Chau (June 2026)
June 22, 2026
Vinh Chau Town, Soc Trang Province, Vietnam
From 22–30 June 2026, researchers from the Mekong Delta Living Lab project, in collaboration with Thuy Loi University, conducted a major field monitoring campaign in Vinh Chau, Soc Trang Province. The team deployed Wave Buoy, WaveGauge, Mini Buoy, and Diver instruments to collect hydrodynamic observations, including waves, water levels, and currents, providing essential datasets for coastal process studies, sediment transport analyses, and mangrove ecosystem research.
As part of the 2026 research program, the Mekong Delta Living Lab research team, in collaboration with Thuy Loi University, carried out the project's largest field monitoring campaign during the first half of the year in Vinh Chau, Soc Trang Province.
Between 22 and 30 June 2026, researchers deployed and operated multiple monitoring systems, including Wave Buoy, WaveGauge, Mini Buoy, and Diver instruments. The monitoring network was established at representative locations within the study area to continuously measure waves, water levels, and currents under varying coastal hydrodynamic conditions.
Preparation and deployment of the WaveBuoy to the measurement site by the ICOE and Thuyloi University team.
Field activities included preparing and deploying the offshore Wave Buoy, installing the WaveGauge system near the mangrove forest edge, and maintaining the Mini Buoy and Diver instruments that had been operating since May. All installations followed standardized field procedures to ensure instrument stability, operational safety, and high-quality observations throughout the monitoring period.
Equipment installation by the ICOE and Thuyloi University team at the research site.
During the campaign, researchers continuously inspected the monitoring systems, verified instrument performance, and monitored data transmission between field instruments and the Living Lab database platform. The collected datasets will support analyses of wave dynamics, water levels, and coastal currents while providing valuable observations for calibrating and validating numerical models of hydrodynamics and sediment transport.
The successful completion of this large-scale monitoring campaign represents an important milestone for the Mekong Delta Living Lab project. The observations collected during the campaign provide a valuable scientific foundation for future studies on mangrove restoration, coastal resilience, and nature-based solutions for climate adaptation in the Mekong Delta.