HiSea launches prototype data platform on sea water quality

The EU-funded HiSea Project will reveal the first prototype of its platform providing high resolution data of sea water quality, at the project’s General Assembly in Nice in  France on November 25-26 in 2019. The prototype platform will be presented to end-users from the ports and aquaculture sectors.

The project develops innovative services that will provide information and alerts to ports and aquaculture sectors to enable real time crisis management and improve future operations. These services will incorporate and process data obtained through different Copernicus services (the EU’s Earth Observation and Monitoring service), such as the marine, land and climate services, local monitoring data, and advanced modelling.

Monitoring water environment

The platform aims at improving operation, planning and management of different marine activities, with a focus on the port and aquaculture sectors. During its final stage, the innovative HiSea platform will provide data on physical parameters (meteorology, waves, currents) and water quality parameters (chlorophyll, marine pollution), based on the accumulated knowledge and experience of existing partners’ proven platforms such as FEWS or AQUASAFE.

Made by and for end-users

The platform is built on an end-user centred approach, involving various end-users and stakeholders from the port and aquaculture industries. They have been directly involved in the service’s design, development and operation. The HiSea system is aimed at improving the operation, planning and management of a variety of marine activities, focusing on the port and aquaculture sectors.

Feedback

“The meeting in Nice will enable us to receive direct feedback from end-users in the aquaculture and ports sectors,” states HiSea project coordinator Ghada El Serafy from Deltares. “The HiSea system will provide information and alerts to enable real-time crisis management and improve operations.” 

Fish farm

HiSea is already collecting remote sensing data that have been processed from fish farms operated by project partner Selonda Aquaculture and for the port zone around Valencia by the Valencia Port Foundation. The variables collected include chlorophyll-a levels, sea surface temperature, turbidity, transparency, harmful algal bloom, salinity and dissolved oxygen.

Consortium

The European Union (Horizon2020) awarded the HiSea consortium in 2018 with 2 million euro to develop, test and demonstrate information services that provide high resolution data of sea water quality. The consortium is comprised of seven partners from The Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, Spain, France, Greece and Israel.

More information: HiSea