CoBIOS

Period:	01/2011-12/2013
Client:	EU-FP7 cooperation space

assignment/short description

Coastal Biomass Observatory Services
The CoBiOS project aims to integrate satellite products and ecological models into a really operational and user-relevant information service on high biomass blooms in Europe’s coastal waters. To this end CoBiOS will produce a harmonized and validated water transparency product based on satellite images for a large variety of coastal water types which will be used to force ecological models.

While earth observation can provide information on the state of superficial algal blooms, the improved CoBiOS ecological models will make predictions on the fate of blooms, thus allowing assessment of e.g. the risks on hypoxia and dead zones. CoBiOS operates in overlapping model domains in the Northern part of Europe in order to derive uncertainty information from ensemble runs. During two extended trial runs and one operational demonstration phase the combined service will be demonstrated to groups of users and validated by a panel of key users. All facets of post-project sustainable commercial continuation of the services will be analysed in concert with the end-users.

The CoBiOS project is a part of the GMES initiative (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) and establishes a service network to monitor high biomass events in the coastal marine environment. As such, it contributes to the formulation, implementation and verification of the Community environmental policies, national regulations and international conventions, with specific focus on the WFD, MSFD, Bathing water directive, OSPAR and HELCOM. The project critically reviews and implements the so-called INSPIRE guidelines for data storage and exchange within the project. CoBiOS delivers easily understandable, timely, reliable and relevant information on the state of the environment to all stakeholders, by making information on high biomass development in coastal waters available through an easily accessible Google Ocean Portal. CobiOS intends to reach self-sustainability by providing innovative services, which contributes to improved European competitiveness and sustainable development. As such, it intends to be a showcase example of an operational and autonomous European capability. Deltares provides relevant tools and technologies as well as its knowledge of relevant bio-chemical phenomena in the Dutch coastal waters.