COASTMON: MetOcean and Coastal Zone Monitoring in Harbour Regions Using Satellite Radar

THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT COASTMON project:

Port authorities are especially keen to improve navigational safety in coastal regions near ports, harbours and other marine terminals that experience heavy traffic by large crude-oil carriers, towed barges, and other vessels of deep draught or restricted manoeuvrability. Satellite-based SAR can monitor various parameters relevant to coastal zone monitoring over a relatively wide area (100 km for ERS, 500km from Radarsat). The value of SAR data can be improved by incorporating information from other remote sensing sensors and in-situ observations. COASTMON will demonstrate the potential of EO data for monitoring coastal zones close to busy industrial harbours. COASTMON will use data from satellite sensors with high revisit cycles and all-weather capability to to observe features such as wind, waves, current fronts, eddies and oil spills, and to monitor shallow water bathymetry.

COASTMON will integrate Earth observation information with data from other sources in a specialised geographical information system (GIS), to provide a Vessel Traffic Service (VTS). To do this COASTMON will identify gaps between current monitoring technology and user requirements, improve available EO products, implement and demonstrate prototype coastal zone monitoring systems to the users and validate the products. Finally, COASTMON will support, promote and diffuse its findings to:

• residents and visitors to coastal areas near ports who will enjoy greater protection from the results of environmental mishaps;
  
• port authorities who will be able to focus their conventional monititoring efforts effectively and react more swiftly, thus limiting damage
  

Overall objective of COASTMON project:

1. To explore and test methods for use of synthetic aperture radar (SAR)and other new satellite data, and their integration with geographical information systems (GIS), in monitoring environmental/metocean conditions in regions close to harbours trafficked by very large vessels,to improve navigational safety
2. to aid coastal zone management (CZM), and to improve utilization of satellite observations in the user community
   

Specific objectives are:

1. To identify gaps between current environmental monitoring products and user requirements, in port and harbour areas
2. To evaluate the use of satellite data to improve MetOcean monitoring around ports and harbours, with emphasis on satellite radars and their synergetic use with other data and numerical models, and their integration with GIS for coastal zone management (CZM)
3. To demonstrate new satellite data products,their integration with GIS and CEO's enabling services, to involve a wider user group for the products
4. To assess and recommend new satellite products for use in MetOcean monitoring and CZM for harbour regions