FORCOAST

The EU-funded project FORCOAST is developing, testing and demonstrating, in operational mode, novel Copernicus-based downstream information services that will incorporate Copernicus Marine, Land and Climate Services Products, local monitoring data and advanced modelling in the service. The services will integrate Copernicus Earth Observation Products with local models and other diverse data sources (local, regional or global) with ICT (enhancing new frontiers opened by web, and use of cloud) across the different market segments. FORCOAST will provide consistent coastal data products, based on a standardized data processing scheme.

FORCOAST is supporting the concept of developing an advanced platform and cloud computing for Copernicus-based downstream services utilizing one of the DIAS systems. The availability and accessibility of data and derived products generated will stimulate their exploitation by a wide range of user communities in the targeted sectors. FORCOAST will provide those services in eight pilot service uptake sites covering five different regional waters (North Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and the coastal Atlantic Ocean).

AZTI participates in several work packages of the projects, leads WP2 on user engagement and the Pilot 2- Spain, whose objective is to improve the efficiency in the fishing operations, while decreasing the pressures on the marine and coastal environment, through the use of Operational Ocean Observations (www.euskoos.eus) in the Bay of Biscay.

Objectives

FORCOAST aims to offer information services co-designed with stakeholders, which provide high-resolution data of water quality andmet-ocean variables at coastal zone and nearshore that are used to give focused answers to specific questions from the targeted wild fisheries, bivalve mariculture, and oysterground restoration sectors. FORCOAST is developing, testing and demonstrating, in operational mode, novel Copernicus-based downstream information services that will incorporate Copernicus Marine, Land and Climate Services Products, local monitoring data and advanced modelling in the service.