Founded in 1984, the University of the Aegean aims to promote regional development and to introduce new approaches in higher education in Greece and worldwide. Member of the European Universities Association (EUA), member of the EMUNI Senate and partner in many academics and research networks, the University of the Aegean has become a dynamic and competitive institution at national and international level and a strong social and economic stakeholder in the region.

The challenge

Fish stock monitoring is an integral part of fisheries research and management. It is vital for assessing the state of the ecosystem, and if there are changes to the suitable habitat of the species.

Traditional methods of small pelagic fish monitoring is done through catch assessment onboard fishing vessels, fishing logbooks, and echo surveys. All these methods are time-consuming and require a lot of resources, either financial or manpower.

The satellite solution

The University of the Aegean developed remote sensing models using Copernicus Sentinel-3 data (OLCI and SLSTR sensors) to monitor environmental conditions such as chlorophyll-a and sea surface temperature. These variables act as proxies for identifying suitable habitats and feeding grounds for small pelagic fish.

The results

The project led to the development of an operational workflow that produces:

• Spatial distribution models (1 km) for both anchovy and sardine populations, enabling precise mapping of potential habitats.
• Daily presence/absence prediction maps, where each pixel represents the likelihood of observing a given species at that location, based on the most recent satellite data.
• A pilot geospatial service, offering an interactive platform for fisheries managers to explore and access updated habitat information.
• Ancillary products, such as thermal front maps, which highlight biologically productive zones where different water masses meet—often hotspots for fish activity.

The post Using Satellite Data to Monitor Fish Stocks in the Aegean appeared first on Eurisy.

Space applications can transform the maritime domains, by providing data and information that will foster a sustainable blue economy, and help protecting the ocean and preserving its resources. CNES wants to be at the forefront of the creation of a global “Sea & Space” strategy that federates public and private stakeholders to put science at the service of society.

The 4^th episode of the Eurisy Members’ Corner series was animated by Ariel Fucks, heading the maritime strategy of the Connect by CNES programme.

Mr Fucks virtually participated from Lisbon, on the last day of the UN Ocean Conference, this year dedicated to the theme “Scaling up ocean action based on science and innovation for the implementation of Goal 14: stocktaking, partnerships and solutions.”

Following the directions of the French government, CNES works with public and private actors to implement innovation strategies in some key sectors of the national economy. These include the monitoring and protection of the environment, the promotion of smart mobility and of a sustainable agriculture, and the strengthening of maritime activities that preserve the natural environment, among others.

To reach out to organisations outside the space sector, CNES has launched the Connect-by-CNES programme, which aims to open up the potential of space technologies and solutions to the entire national economy.

Targeted stakeholders represent a varied ecosystem, including ministries, public administrations at the national, regional and local levels, start-ups and SMEs, large industrial groups, research centres, innovation hubs, and civil society organisations.

At the international level, CNES collaborates on programmes aimed at enhancing the use of space applications with a number of organisations, including European institutions, other national governments (such as the USA, Singapore, India, and Australia), and international organisations.

The Space Climate Observatory is an international initiative proposed by France in 2019 to support the emergence of operational tools for climate monitoring, mitigation and adaptation, addressed to decision-makers and the wide public. CNES is the entity in charge of implementing the SCO in France and of inspiring the implementation of similar models in other countries.

The SCO France is managed by a committee made up of 22 French public entities operating in the field of climate action, including the Ministry of Higher Education and Research and the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Solidarity.

To use scientific advancements to monitor and protect the seas and the ocean, CNES has a strategy based on four pillars: smart routing, maritime surveillance, port management, and ecosystem surveillance.

Smart routing is today flourishing, with a lot of efforts being put into the development of next generation automated navigation systems. These not only rely on satellite navigation for positioning, but also on satellite remote sensing for data on sea currents, weather, and winds, to allow sailors to choose the routes that will require the least amount of energy.

Watch the video by Eurisy and CNES on the use of Copernicus data made by a French SME to reduce the carbon footprint of ships:

Maritime surveillance is profiting from scientific advancements to better monitor protected areas and fight illegal fishing, which represents a major threat to biodiversity and to the economic sustainability of fishery. Images from satellites and data collected through in-situ observations (geolocated thanks to satellite navigation) provide a big amount of reliable information on the status of our seas and environments. Coastal authorities rely on satellite navigation to monitor illegal fishery, while new apps are being created that use data from satellite imagery to know where to fish and satellite navigation signals to track the position of fishermen at sea.

Port management concerns the monitoring of vessels’ movements, for which satellite navigation systems are already widely used, and the monitoring of pollution.

Interactions between the environment and human activities can also be assessed and monitored by using satellite data. As an example, satellites provide data useful to capture and monitor environmental parameters within and around ports, which can be particularly useful during port infrastructure works.

Watch the video realised by Eurisy and CNES on the use of Copernicus data during the enlargement works in the harbour of Port-la-Nouvelle, in southern France:

CNES has a continuous dialogue with public and private organisations in the maritime domains on ways to foster the development and use of services based on satellite data and signals.

Collaboration with external entities is key for CNES to decide on its strategic orientations, to understand the needs of public and private organisations operating in the maritime sector that could benefit from satellite-based data and signals, and to create common endeavours for the development of services more and more adapted to the operational needs of those working in sectors linked to the seas and the oceans.

The Copernicus Earth observation programme plays a major role in enabling such collaborations, providing a huge amount of free and open data that we can use to monitor the oceans.

Mercator Ocean, the entity currently in charge of implementing the Copernicus Marine Monitoring Service has recently become international, to better serve the needs of the EC for data providing and data processing, also in view of the implementation of the digital twin of the ocean, a scientific tool that is really meant to meet concrete needs of actors operating in the maritime domains.

In this context, Eurisy participates to the consortium implementing the Iliad project (Integrated digital framework for comprehensive maritime data and information services), that aims to establish an interoperable, data-intensive, and cost-effective Digital Twin of the Ocean (DTO).

Freshly returned from the Euromaritime congress held in Marseille on 28-30 June, where Eurisy and CNES coorganised a roundtable on space solutions for a sustainable Blue Economy, Alessandra Vernile, from the Eurisy secretariat, confirmed the clear interest of the French space community to activate scientific discoveries to the profit of the maritime sector, and of the great interest of the maritime community towards satellite applications tracking ships and containers.

Several examples of how satellite data can sustain the blue economy while contributing to safeguarding the oceans can be found in the new edition of the Eurisy periodical publication Satellites Going Local dedicated to the maritime domains.

If you are in Paris, you might be interested in attending the 1ʳᵉ edition of the “Assises du NewSpace”, taking place on July 7 and 8 at Station F. The event has the dual objective of establishing a state of the art of the NewSpace market in France, and of drawing together growth prospects to structure and consolidate a French NewSpace, in view of promoting it internationally within five years.

To know more about the activities of CNES visit: https://cnes.fr/en

The presentation of the webinar is available here: Presentation-ConnectbyCNES eurisy

Stay tuned for the next webinar of the Eurisy Members’ Corner that will be hosted by the Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST) on the 16th of September 2022 between 11:00 AM and 12:00 AM CET.

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It’s again that time of the year: it’s the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) time, the biggest space forum where global actors come together to learn about the most recent trends and developments in the space sector. Organised since the 1950s by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) jointly with local partners, IAC takes place in a different country every year with a different theme to learn more about space and to allow the regional space sector to become part of the global one.

The 72^nd International Astronautical Congress took place, for the first time in its history, in the Arab region, in the setting of Dubai. During the 5-day conference, 5000 delegates from 110 countries gathered under the theme “Inspire, Innovate and Discover for the Benefit of Humankind”. On the occasion of the Public Day, an open day event for space enthusiasts and the general audience, around 1500 visitors among which students and professional from other sectors, visited the IAC exhibition.

Climate Change and space sustainability were key topics of the many sessions and papers presented during the congress. Young professionals and students from all over the world presented their ideas to space professionals demonstrating the interest and commitment of the next generation on this hot topic and how space technology can be the enabler for a change to a cleaner and resilient society.

IAC also brings inspiration and a glimpse into future endeavours. For the first time, nine crew members of the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 60/61 gathered to share their experience and knowledge with a wider audience. The panel saw the contribution of NASA astronauts and ROSCOSMOS cosmonauts, together with the UAE astronaut Hazzaa Al Mansoori, the first UAE astronaut to the ISS. Also, Chris Boshuizen, illustrated his experience of training and flying on the Blue Origin’s New Shepard’s second human flight.

IAC2021 was a record event, also for Eurisy, because for the first time it was one of the exhibiting organisations of the event.

The Eurisy booth was the gateway to learn more about the mission and objectives of the organisation and to talk about the relevance of satellite-based solutions for those economic sectors that are not traditionally related to space. What’s more, at the booth Eurisy unveiled the Space Service Hub (SSH). The project, sponsored by ESA and IAF led to the development of a 3D permanent platform embedded in the Eurisy website as well as a virtual reality software showcasing how satellite-based solutions are currently tackling big societal challenges. It aims at engaging potential partners, customers, investors in a friendly way, overcoming the technical barriers that limit the uptake of the satellite applications and that shadow the benefits related to their use. The booth was a gateway for stakeholders to discuss and exchange with the team on future cooperation and joint initiatives. Throughout the week around 50+ visitors had the opportunity to experience the VR tool and to share with us their reactions.

The SSH represents an innovative outreach tool that addresses some among the major setbacks identified by end users by relying on an immersive virtual reality experience and a 3D web platform. The user can discover different areas of our planet, moving with one single touch from a coastal area to a rural, or in an urban environment to discover peculiar challenges and how satellite data are powering solutions to overcome them.

In Dubai, Eurisy also participated to the awarding ceremony of the Global Space Market Challenge (GSMC), a new competition launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) with Eurisy’s operational and technical support held between May 2021 and October 2021. The Challenge’s objective was to give visibility to SMEs with internationalisation ambitions, developing products and/or services for the upstream or downstream space sector showing potential for extra-European and ESA markets. During the 72^nd International Astronautical Congress, the winners of the GSMC had the chance to showcase their products and services and to connect with investors. Discover here the Global Space Market Challenge winners. The ceremony took place on October 26^th with the presence of ESA Director General, Joseph Aschbacher, and the newly appointed ESA Director of Commercialisation, Industry and Procurement, Geraldine Naja.

Among the 3370 abstract submissions, three Eurisy papers got selected to be presented in three technical sessions. The GIS4Schools project has been introduced to an international audience thanks to the paper “Improving STEAM Education in Secondary Schools through the co-creation of new methodologies for teaching GIS products related to climate impact on local communities”. Co-written with Euronike and the Politecnico di Milano, it illustrates the genesis of the project, and the process leading to the development of training packages for secondary schools’ teachers and pupils. It also focuses on the adoption of new methodology and pedagogic approach to enable the transfer of new knowledge from teachers to pupils. The paper is available for download here.

The paper “Messages to the Above: Looking at Art from the Sky” presented Space4Art, a new initiative that Eurisy is exploring to implement with the support of potential new partners. The paper provides an introduction on how aerial photography and satellite imagery have changed our way of looking at Earth, inspiring art movements and allowing for the discovery and appreciation of ancient and more recent artworks. With the presentation at IAC, Eurisy wants to extend its partner research outside the European borders, after all art and sky have no boundaries. The paper is available here. A full report on Space4Art is available on the Eurisy website.

Eventually, the last paper presented was dedicated to the Space4Maritime initiative. The paper, “Space4Maritime: diving into space-based solutions for the maritime domain” mainly addresses service providers and public authorities, providing them with a set of recommendations on how to foster cooperation with maritime operators. But it also targets potential new end users interested in adopting satellite solutions in their workflow. Three case studies were described to complement and explain further the needs of European maritime end-user communities, facilitating the dialogue with the space industry and the uptake of satellite services. Read the paper here.

The 72nd IAC 2021 has been an exciting opportunity to meet our members and exchange with space professionals from around the globe in person. New initiatives will follow, waiting for IAC 2022 in Paris.

The post Looking beyond boundaries: Inspire, Innovate and Discover for the benefit of the Humankind appeared first on Eurisy.

The Sociedad de Salvamento y Seguridad Maritima- SASEMAR

The Sociedad de Salvamento y Seguridad Marítima- SASEMAR (the Maritime Safety and Rescue Agency) is a Spanish public authority working under the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda through the Directorate of Merchant Marine. Created in 1992 by the Law of State Ports and the Merchant Marine, SASEMAR became operative in 1993.

Its mission is to ensure the protection of human life at sea, as well as the pollution prevention and response, being also in charge of maritime traffic control and training.

The challenge

Spain has about 8,000 kilometres coastline and a rescue area that extends up to three times the size of its national territory. It is divided into four zones: Atlantic, Strait, Mediterranean and Canary Islands.

One of the major threats for coastal regions is represented by oil spills and illegal discharges from ships. The consequences of these incidents on marine environment could be catastrophic, endangering aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity for long periods. In fact, due to the composition of most oil pollutants, oil spills tend to remain on water surface while spreading in large areas carried by currents reaching, sometimes, coasts with significant impacts on economic sectors such as fishery and tourism.

The Prestige oil spill incident occurred in November 2002 off Galicia’s coasts, underlined the importance of a fast response to a pollution-related incident to contain the contamination and the potential damages both at environmental and economic level.

Figure 1. Prestige Oil Spill Incident. Source: European Space Agency (ESA)

The satellite solution

SASEMAR developed a preparedness and response system that combines marine, and air unites to map the incident’s area. SAR operators run trajectory models to predict the drift induced by the effect of ocean currents, waves, and winds and to define the search area. The accuracy of a drift prediction is highly dependent on met-ocean forecast’s data used to predict the trajectory model. Therefore, SAR operators need reliable methods to assess, within the shortest possible time, which model is likely to provide the most accurate prediction.

The IBISAR service simulates the trajectories using available forecast models in a specific time and location. The simulated trajectories are then compared with the real drifters and the ocean models are scored based on their performance.

Figure 2. Snapshot of the IBISAR service – How it works? Source: IBISAR. IBISAR service is generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information

IBISAR relies on multiple datasets including satellite-tracked surface drifters, high-frequency radar data combined with ocean models from the Copernicus Marine Service and complementary databases, that provide information on the surface currents at high spatial-temporal resolution in coastal areas. In addition to real-time satellite tracking for the surface drifters, satellite technology is used to assess and improve the ocean models integrated in the service. IBISAR consists of a web-based platform composed of a database; the OceansMap Viewer, a customisable GIS-based graphical user interface; and the Skills Assessment functionality that helps the user in verifying the models’ accuracy.

The IBISAR Skill Assessment service allows the visualization, comparison, and evaluation of model performance in the Iberia-Biscay-Ireland (IBI) regional seas. It is a science and satellite-based downstream service launched in 2019 coordinated by the Balearic Island Coastal Observing and Forecasting System (SOCIB) in partnership with AZTI and RPS Ocean Science and with the collaboration of the Spanish Port System. IBISAR provides user-oriented skill metrics to evaluate the accuracy of Search and Rescue models, helping coastal authorities, to identify the most accurate ocean current dataset in a specific area and period of interest improving search and rescue and pollution control operations.

The results

SASEMAR though the introduction of IBISAR achieved its goal to increase the preparedness and reaction in case of an emergency at sea of its operators. By selecting the most accurate data, SASEMAR optimises its response’s time to maritime emergencies, benefiting from a single access point to multiple datasets served in a user-friendly platform.

IBISAR supports SASEMAR and emergency responders to improve SAR and pollution control operations, by minimizing its response time, optimizing the search area planning, while contributing to a cleaner and safer seas and coasts.

The post Supporting emergency response on the Spanish Coasts: the IBISAR service appeared first on Eurisy.

BIVI Srl

BIVI Srl is an Italian micro-enterprise active in the aquaculture sector and mainly responsible for molluscs offshore farming. The company counts five employees and is based on the Adriatic coast, in Civitanova Marche.

BIVI Srl focuses its production mainly on mussel farming and partially on oyster farming. Every year, the company produces an average of 4-6 tons of cupped oysters and 150 tons of mussels. BIVI Srl operates mainly in Italy, specifically in the Marche region, and its customers are both local wholesalers and companies from the Ho.Re.Ca. (Hôtellerie-Restaurant-Café) supply chain.

The objective of BIVI Srl is to fully standardise and increase the production of cupped oysters (Crassostrea gigas). In addition to this, the company aims at implementing a full farming and production cycle of edulis oysters (also known as flat oyster), an indigenous oyster species of the Adriatic basin.

The challenge

Aquaculture represents a source of sustainable and high-quality sea food products. As for the agriculture sector, aquafarming companies are looking for detailed and precise information to plan the optimal time to harvest and sell their products. Besides this, climate change effects are impacting the production and seasonal trends related to the harvesting of molluscs. Companies working in aquaculture are now searching for innovative solutions to collect information to monitor environmental parameters (water temperature, sea-level rise, water eutrophication, etc.), and associated risks, in order to optimise the management of the production sites.

In the specific case of BIVI Srl, the company is facing a series of challenges related to the frequent droughts that cause a depletion of nutrients and phytoplankton, with negative impacts on product quality (low meat products). The risk is a reduction of the production impacting the profit margins. In particular, the company needs to assess chlorophyll levels, which reflect phytoplankton density and composition, and compare them with those of the previous years.

The Satellite Solution

Satellite imagery proves to be a useful tool to collect timely information on a specific maritime area and to develop cost-effective solutions for aquafarmers.

Back in 2019, BIVI Srl — as a member of the Italian Association of Mediterranean Aquafarmers (AMA) — participated in a project funded by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies (MIPAAF), which aimed at fostering the adoption of new technologies in the aquaculture sector.

Within this framework, the Italian SME Planetek, in collaboration with Blue Farm, a spin-off of the Ca’ Foscari University, , developed a service platform for fish farmers called Rheticus Aquaculture, mainly oriented towards molluscs harvesting.

Rheticus Aquaculture is a subscription and cloud-based service that provides geospatial information data and forecasting models and statistics based on information derived from satellites and in situ observations.

The service provides weekly information on parameters, such as chlorophyll concentration and temperature trends, mussels’ weight and growth prediction: information needed for predicting the economic value of the harvest according to the variation of the listed parameters.

The information included in the Rheticus service is a combination of satellite images, cartographic and environmental information available online as open data. Great support to the service comes from the software MITILAB, which provides in one single platform all the information on the work done and stocks on the harvesting area, such as maps and harvesting techniques.

The service is composed of two parts: a weekly bulletin sent by mail by MITILAB. The bulletin can be also consulted on a tablet that can be carried around by the aquafarmers. The other part consists of in situ observations, initially used to assess the growth prediction models.

After that, on the basis of satellite data and production batches, the service elaborates the weekly bulletin where chlorophyll and temperature data are expressed graphically comparing the data of the current year with previous years data as benchmark. The MITILAB software, based on a layout of the production units, can be updated daily, including all the needed information on the stocks (quantities, estimated growth, position, last grading/division, etc.).

Satellite data represent the main component of Rheticus Aquaculture. Sentinel-3 images and Copernicus CMEMS data are integrated into the platform. In addition, Blue Farm developed an algorithm based on Earth Observation data enabling the assessment of mussel’s growth rate.

The purpose of the system is to provide mussels farmers with data and forecasts that can be downloaded from the platform and easily understood even without a technical background.

The results

Rheticus Aquaculture was used by BIVI Srl and other aquafarms along the Adriatic coast between 2019 and 2020, only for mussels farming.

The solution provided the company with clear and periodical information on chlorophyll levels in the Adriatic Sea and a forecast of the expected growth of mussels.

The service helped BIVI Srl to optimise time and to better plan the harvesting season. In particular, BIVI relied on the information related to the weekly mussels’ growth, including seeding data, stocking dates, 7-day forecast of mussel growth, and the comparative analysis between the current growth rate and the previous growing season.

Moreover, BIVI Srl retrieved historical data on chlorophyll concentrations over the last 10 years, which were very useful to better understand the on-going climate change effects on the harvesting.

This first version of Rheticus Aquaculture will be further improved to better respond to the needs of fish farmers like BIVI Srl who are looking for updated information on molluscs. Planetek is currently upgrading the service, co-designing a new customised service that will include weather conditions and forecasts for aquafarmers. To make the platform as user-friendly as possible, Planetek is planning to make the service available as a mobile app.

The post BIVI Srl: Precision Aquafarming using Earth Observation appeared first on Eurisy.

Floating plastic debris represents today the most abundant marine litter. The consequences deriving from the high concentration of disposable plastic in the ocean are heavily affecting multiple subsectors of the blue economy, such as aquaculture, fisheries, tourism, navigation, etc.

Turtle eating a plastic bag. Plastic Bags are often confused with jelly fishes. Credits: Canva

UNESCO estimates that by 2050 there will be more plastics than fishes in the oceans. Each year, more than eight million tons of plastic trash are poured into the oceans, which means that 253 kilos of plastics are discharged every second in the oceans. [2]

Plastics have been detected on shorelines, in particular nearby touristic or densely populated areas. Most marine plastic originates from the land- and is caused by human activities (industries, illegal dumping, tourism, etc.). Other plastics originate from the sea itself, e.g. from fishing industries, aquaculture and nautical activities. [3]

Impacts of plastic pollution at sea are visible on the marine ecosystem, threatening marine species. Indeed, plastic debris is often swallowed by marine species causing severe injuries and deaths, also putting human health and food safety and quality at risk. Many species die or have chronic injuries, especially marine birds, turtles and whales. In particular, most sea species often confuse small plastic debris for food, ingesting them and enabling the proliferation of harmful toxic substances. In addition to this, floating plastic debris carries bacteria or other invasive marine organisms that can damage ecosystems, altering the marine food equilibrium. [4]

Coastal areas represent one of the main sources of plastic pollution at sea, especially river mouths where about 75% of plastic trash tends to accumulate. Indeed, where fresh and saltwater meet, waste accumulation lines tend to create naturally. Detecting and removing such debris is of paramount importance to reduce the negative impacts of plastics on the marine ecosystem.

Space technology and data to tackle plastic pollution at sea

Satellite technology and solutions, combined with in-situ measurements and ocean models, can play a role in monitoring plastic litter, providing information on its abundance, concentration and movements at sea.[1]

Space technology to monitor plastic marine litter. Credits: European Space Agency

The I Clean My Sea App: Technology and collective efforts to protect our seas and oceans

I Clean My Sea is a French start-up based in Nouvelle Aquitaine. It has been founded in 2019 by Aymeric Jouon, oceanographer and founder of the company Hydro-cote.

Building on the experience of its founder, I Clean My Sea develop debris collection services that support decision-makers in the fight against marine pollution. At the same time, the company aimed at building an engaged user community active in the fight against marine plastic pollution, a global challenge that asks for the involvement of citizens, professionals in the marine and maritime domains, as well as local administrations.

I Clean My Sea provides services to detect, collect and recycle floating plastics in coastal areas. The start-up has benefitted from an incubation grant from the Communauté d’agglomération du Pays Basque, and currently is a laureate of the European Space Agency (ESA) Business Incubation Centre (BIC) Sud France programme to encourage satellite technology transfer in the maritime domain.

To boost citizens’ involvement in the identification and removal of plastic debris, in July 2020 I Clean My Sea launched a crowdsourcing namesake app. The app allows people around the globe to detect floating marine debris and to photograph and geolocate them. The aim is to facilitate the collection of waste at sea using crowdsourcing information and new technologies.

The app is downloadable on every mobile and portable device, available on the Apple and Android app stores, and free to use. Once identified a plasticdump, the user can take a picture and geo-localise it thanks to the satellite navigation system embedded in the mobile and portable devices.

To collect the dump, the company, with the support of the Region Nouvelle Aquitaine, deployed a collector boat in 2020. Collector boats are conceived by the Race for Water Foundation, and specifically designed to collect floating waste in river estuaries, shorelines, and marine waters.

The sailors involved in the collection process also have access to the drift forecast derived from the physical model elaborated  by the Copernicus Marine and Analysis and Forecast Service, which provides a weekly 3D hydrodynamic forecast of the ocean  currents combining satellite data and in-situ observations.Once a picture is taken by the app user, the sailors aboard the  Collectors receive the location of the dump and the forecast of its trajectory in real time. The initial prototype of the app included a drift trajectory map built by Hydro-Cote. To implement the hydrodynamic process, I Clean My Sea started to rely on Copernicus services and products.

Thanks to this information, sailors get access to dump trajectories and collect the debris.

The collected plastics are then recycled by specialised firms to produce an I Clean My Sea branded product “100% marine sourced” for sustainable usage.

The app, as a participative tool, aims at helping sea actors and local coastal authorities in being more effective in collecting plastic debris. It can also help to identify the most polluted areas to support decision-making processes aimed at protecting the marine environment.

By the end of 2020, the app has been downloaded by 500 users and about 3.5 tons of floating debris have been collected. Currently, the I Clean My Sea App waste collection ship is mainly active on the Basque Coastline and the Adar estuary, but in the near future it will operate on a broader geographic area.

The Collector boat. Credits: ICleanMySea

Furthermore, in the next two years, I Clean My Sea will develop an algorithm in collaboration with ESA.  Relying on satellite imagery, the algorithm will allow for the identification of the accumulation of floating debris at seas. At the same time, starting from 2022, the company intends to look for more solutions to valorise floating debris and support the financial effort needed to collect plastics at sea.

For more information please visit the I Clean My Sea site.

Help us keep our oceans clean, download the app and stay connected!

[1] Tuba Guven, Leveraging space technologies to monitor plastic pollution in oceans, UNOOSA Space4Water Portal, March 12^th 2019. https://www.space4water.org/news/leveraging-space-technologies-monitor-plastic-pollution-oceans

[1] International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Marine Plastics. https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/marine-plastics

[2] UNESCO/IOC, Marine Pollution. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/ioc-oceans/focus-areas/rio-20-ocean/blueprint-for-the-future-we-want/marine-pollution/

[3] International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in ibid.

[4] Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS), Copernicus Marine and Plastic Pollution. https://marine.copernicus.eu/services/plastic-pollution/impacts-marine-plastic-pollution

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Around 75% of the European external trade transits through European ports. According to the EU Blue Economy Report 2020, in 2018 the established sectors of the EU Blue Economy[1] directly employed about 5 million people and generated around €750 billion in turnover and €218 billion in gross value added.

The cooperation between the space and maritime sector dates back to more than 30 years ago. Satellite data historically provided relevant near-real-time information on weather conditions to improve maritime safety or facilitated communication at sea. Today, thanks to the most recent technological developments, a wide range of activities are starting to rely more on satellite data and services: from meteorology and communications to aquaculture, fisheries, disaster management, and safety and security.

The Blue World Task Force

Over the years, ESA has enlarged its portfolio of collaborative programmes. A holistic approach has been implemented through its Regional Initiatives where relevant space systems and data are bundled together to provide the best possible service or to tackle challenges either at regional level or for a specific community or topic.

The Blue World Task Force (BWTF) covers the principal maritime geographic areas in Europe, from the Mediterranean to the Baltic, passing through the North Sea, the High North and the Black Sea and it has been officially kicked-off in October 2019 as part of this initiatives. A brief concept note providing additional details on the BTWF is available here.

The objective of the newly established task force is to support the definition of future ESA programmes addressing the interests of the Member States. To map how space is used today, to identify existing technological gaps and to collect needs, challenges and opportunities of maritime users’ communities the BWTF launched at the beginning of February a stakeholders’ available online for a month.

A large number of maritime operators from fishing communities to ship owners, port authorities, coastguards, insurance companies, economic and research centres dealing with the blue economy, or involved in studies on the preservation and exploitation of ocean biodiversity, are invited to take this questionnaire available here:

“The challenges of the Blue World” webinar series

To complement the consultation online and to stimulate the dialogue between the space and maritime communities, ESA joined forces with Eurisy to organise “The challenges of the blue world” webinar series.

The series will discuss the existing challenges maritime stakeholders face and how satellite-based solutions respond to their emerging needs. Each webinar will gather around a virtual table local authority, NGOs, research centres, and industrial clusters from space and maritime domains.

Three webinars will be organised during the month of February 2021 addressing three main topics:

• Marine Resources Exploitation. The first webinar will take place Thursday February 18th and will focus on three identified subsectors: aquaculture, fishery and illegal fishing;

Marine resources are threatened by a series of stressors, among which climate change, overexploitation of the natural resources and illegal fishing. Such effects can negatively impact on the sustainable exploitation of the marine living and non-living resources. An example is the over and aggressing fishing. The FAO recently warned that more than a third of the fish stocks are being overfished. The overfishing phenomena reduces fish stocks at a rate that the species cannot replenish leading to lower fish populations and reduced future production.

The first webinar of the series will focus on relevant challenges such as how to ensure a sustainable marine food production and aquaculture, and how prevent the illegal fishing in European waters with the contribution of space technology. The technology perspective and solutions will be provided by a selected European cluster that will provide the participants with up-to-date solutions for the challenges identified.

• Secure Transports and Communication. The second webinar is scheduled for Monday, February 22nd and will highlight the main challenges and issues faced by stakeholders in the field of marine communications, autonomous shipping, and logistics, with insights from shipowners;

Maritime transport and logistics constitute a large component of the blue economy. Shipping, maritime safety and security, as well as the broad range of maritime logistic services, are embracing innovative solutions to optimise their work and to collect reliable and timely information of what happens at sea. Technology is accelerating the process of modernisation of the whole sector, but still a series of challenges will be faced in the upcoming years by maritime operators: improved marine communications, logistics, autonomous shipping are under the lens to understand how to optimise their work them without impacting on the environment and marine world.

The second webinar of the series move the focus on three of the main issues faced by the maritime end- users’ communities: the optimisation of the vessels’ communication among them and with other means of transports, and how to ensure the safety of autonomous vessels. In addition to this, this second webinar will bring the audience the experience of shipowners’ confederation and their needs. As in the first webinar, a European cluster will provide the participants with the existing solutions to respond to their everyday challenges.

• Maritime Spatial Planning. The last webinar of the series will be on Thursday 25th February. It will present the experience of end-users involved in the Maritime Spatial Planning process, such as coastal protection, renewable energy, and port development.

Maritime Spatial Planning is necessary to ensure a sustainable management of oceans and seas. In the era of blue growth multiple users need to take informed decision on how to use sustainably marine resources. Multiple actors are involved in the Maritime Spatial Planning process, from energy actors, to environmental entities, development agencies, but also regional policy and decision makers, are called to consider how to minimize the impacts of their activities on the same sea area. The opportunities that technology offers today can help sea and ocean users to define a coordinated and sustainable approach towards the use of marine resources, preserving the marine ecosystems and biodiversity.

The last webinar of the series will present the needs of three of the main industries involved in Maritime Spatial Planning process, to provide the participants with the experience of policy actors involved in the definition of coastal protection policies; how renewable energy relies on satellite data to manage sea resources; and finally, how the port systems are improving and what challenges exist for the operators. Another European technology cluster will provide the stakeholders and the audience with the useful information to consider the adoption of satellite-based solutions for their needs.

The results of the ESA stakeholder consultation will be available in the second quarter of 2021. The outcomes of the webinar series will, instead, be available on the Eurisy website and social media channels. 

[1] Marine Living and Non-Living Resources, Marine Renewable Energy, Port Activities, Shipbuilding and Repair, Marine Transport, and Coastal Tourism.

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