Many thanks to the referee for the feedback and questions about the paper. Subject to the reviewers' findings, we reply as follows.



1. Has the article fully considered all factors that may affect the measurement results, such as water temperature and weather changes? In data analysis, have environmental factors such as water temperature and weather changes been controlled or corrected to ensure the accuracy of the measurement results?



In addition to the sensors of the navigation unit (GNSS, IMU, compass), the robot itself comprises the sensor systems listed in Table 1. Measurement parameters such as water temperature, humidity, wind direction and wind speed are continuously recorded with the respective accuracies given in Table 1. An influence of the parameters could not be shown in the experiments. No deviations beyond the measurement errors documented in the data sheets occurred during the testing of the sensors under laboratory conditions.



2. Has the platform undergone long-term deployment testing to assess its stability under environmental changes over an extended period (longer than one year)?



The concrete platform itself was developed as of 2019 with intensive consecutive testing of the platform (still without robotic capabilities) on water bodies in Germany. We then successfully applied it in 5 campaigns (2021–2023) in the Amazon region. Improvements were made continuously within and following each campaign, so that a long-term test of the current setup has not yet been carried out. In parallel, a twin platform was used on Central European water bodies; results have been published already (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/ full/10.1080/20442041.2024.2388339?src= <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/ full/10.1080/20442041.2024.2388339?src=>)



3. Has the platform been tested under extreme environmental conditions (such as storms, floods, extreme temperatures, etc.) to evaluate its stability?



Yes, extreme weather conditions – maximum humidity (>90%), high temperatures (>40 degrees Celsius) and intense rainfall (>50 mm per hour), and complete darkness – were encountered during the measurement campaigns in the Amazon. To meet these challenges, the team implemented various improvements. For example, sun protection covers for electronic boxes were tested, as were cooling systems for the integrated computers. The team integrated a flap system to calm the water between the floats in the measuring area. This allows the waves in the gas bell to be reduced. The article manuscript points this out.



4. Has testing been conducted in more situations, such as high-altitude or high-latitude regions?



No, we have not tested the platform in high-elevation (e.g., high mountain lakes) or high-latitude (e.g., polar environments) yet. However, we are confident that neither boundary conditions pose serious challenges to the current setup. The platform was successfully tested in Central European winter with below freezing temperatures.



5. Any measurement may have an impact on the object being measured. Although the article emphasizes that the equipment used has minimized the impact, is there a quantitative method to test the impact of the equipment on the environment measured? If possible, add a control group experiment to compare the effects of traditional monitoring methods with MARP-FG.



Since this is not feasible for the gas exchange setup, we restricted related testing to hydrographical profile acquisition. Here, we made parallel determination from the platform and manually from a boat nearby – yet not on Amazon lakes. These tests showed higher accuracy and precision for the platform- derived data.



6. Has the applicability of MARP-FG in different types of water bodies (such as freshwater lakes, saltwater lakes, etc.) been considered? Is the platform's performance in saltwater bodies comparable to that in freshwater bodies? Will the salinity of saltwater affect the accuracy and lifespan of the sensors? Are there any sensors or protective measures specially designed for saltwater environments?



In saltwater scenarios, components are always subject to greater wear. The larger version of the MARP-FG system was used in Croatia in the Mediterranean in 2023 to support the tracking of divers. After the 10-day campaign, the entire platform had to be dismantled and thoroughly cleaned. No damage was detected at any sensor.