Across Europe, from the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea to the Adriatic Sea, the bathing water quality in most areas is considered to be high for swimming. This assessment is based on two key indicators, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and intestinal enterococci, as mandated by the Bathing Water Directive (EU, 2006).
Yet, in the long-term management of coastal areas, potential problems are lurking in the near future. With the ongoing effects of climate change taking hold, along with the accelerated urbanization of coastal areas and the increase in tourism activities, additional pressures on the environment are emerging. Particularly important are dynamic sources of pollution, such as those originating from maritime transport activities.
Conceptual model of the relationship between climate warming and the occurrence of E. coli, intestinal enterococci and cyanobacteria (Source: EEA):
Besides the ongoing impacts of climate and human-induced changes on the quality of bathing sites, a question arises as to whether the usual classification of ‘bathing’ sites is sufficient to ensure public health, given that citizens and tourists swim in various undesignated locations.
Utilizing an advanced technological system based on artificial intelligence, satellite monitoring, and systematic, and strategic sampling, the partners aim to enable more accurate identification of pollution risks caused by human activities in coastal areas, contributing to the preservation of our coasts and seas. More than 700 locations along the Adriatic coastline are already included, with the aim of expanding to more than 1500 within the next three years.
This represents an unprecedented geographical and hydromorphological diversity in training sets for artificial intelligence, ensuring that the model can be adapted to various future trends.
The key advantages of this project include:
broader geographical coverage
more frequent and precise monitoring
dynamic pollution tracking
development of predictive capabilities
quick integration of newly identified pollutants
enhanced resilience to climate change
expansion of technology to monitor air and land
support for tourism and the blue economy as a whole
With the help of SeaCras satellite technology, HZJZ and other national and regional institutions will now be able to collect data more efficiently and frequently, even from remote or hard-to-reach areas such as islands. This will help ensure the protection of the health of residents and visitors, allowing for quicker responses in case of pollution detection, such as the presence of harmful bacteria like E. coli or intestinal enterococci (e.g., E. faecalis).
We are extremely proud of this national-level project, which marks a new chapter in monitoring bathing sites water quality, on top of the traditional sampling-based monitoring. The goal is to establish the new standard for large-scale monitoring and the adoption of climate security principles to ensure public health in the long term to citizens, tourists, and other guests across Croatia.
Severe river pollution has been detected around the Neretva delta, caused by the recent flooding in Jablanica region in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As the floodwaters entered the Neretva, they carried pollution downstream into the coastal waters.
This image shows debris and waste, floating down the river after the devastating floods in our neighbouring country.
It shows an enormous amount of mixed waste in the upstream section of the river, including construction materials, trees, landslide debris, etc. Water quality analysis is almost impossible for the river (and not even necessary in this case), as the contamination levels are off the charts.
This is a tragedy for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and for the multiple ecosystems that have been damaged by the event. It also serves as an example of how the river pollution and environment in general affect the security of multiple neighbouring countries.
We deeply regret the tragedy that has struck BiH and extend our heartfelt condolences to our dear neighbours, and wish them a fast recovery from this natural disaster!
The World Economic Forum included SeaCras among the top global innovators in the field of blue economy sustainability as part of the Regenerative Blue Economy Challenge initiative!
In competition with 200 shortlisted companies, and after multiple rounds of evaluation, our ‘Coastal Intelligence’ project was recognized as one of the most comprehensive and innovative solutions intended for users in coastal tourism, aquaculture, maritime transport and the energy sector.
The participating companies were supposed to offer solutions to problems such as pollution of coastal waters, harm to marine habitats, lack of data on the state of the marine ecosystem, the impact of climate change, uncontrolled maritime traffic, overfishing and restoration of coral reefs.
Overview of the top 5 companies in the Regenerative Blue Economy Challenge by UpLink – WEF
Coastal Intelligence, as an award-winning project, includes integrated monitoring and surveillance of the state of the coastal waters, a sustainability demonstration application, and the measurement of the performance and recovery goals of the marine environment for ESG reporting purposes.
The Regenerative Blue Economy Challenge by UpLink– World Economic Forum is funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Economy and Planning, led by WAVE and Friends of Ocean Action, with contributions by ecosystem partners: Builders Vision, Fauna & Flora, G20 CORDAP (Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform), Global Fund for Coral Reefs, NCECKSA, Red Sea Global, SVCL, OceanX, AVEVA.
The World Economic Forum presented the winning cohort at the Climate Week NYC 2024 in New York.
Needless to say, we’re extremely proud of this recognition and it drives us forward to continue working on integrated development and monitoring of the state of the sea, and ultimately, more effective environmental protection.
The algal bloom — this whole summer, reports from swimmers and local fishermen about the ‘sludge’ along the northern Adriatic coastline have been making headlines in Croatian media — and both visitors and locals alike are displeased and eager for the waters to return to normal.
SeaCras brings a series of high-resolution images of the Poreč area, clearly showing the scope of the issue. Red indicates extreme conditions, yellow points to significant issues, and blue represents normal sea conditions.
But ‘mare sporco’, or extreme algal blooms, have been around for a while. For science enthusiasts, here’s a Nature article dating all the way back to 1932.
It’s imperative that we expand the network for monitoring certain sea biochemical parameters at the level of territorial waters and fill the gaps in continuous and reliable data delivery suitable for addressing abrupt weather changes and man-made influences — and with that, allow the local community and tourists who visit these destinations to have easy-to-use resources that help them avoid the ’blooming’ areas.
Only by combining data on the multitude of environmental and anthropogenic factors can we be able to forecast future events such as this one, the algal bloom of summer 2024.
SeaCras was highlighted as a leading provider in sustainability and ESG data sectors for marine resources monitoring in EU Space for Green Transformation 2023 Report, issued by EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)!
The core mission of EUSPA is to carry out the EU Space Programme, delivering dependable, safe, and secure space-related services while maximizing their socio-economic advantages for European society and businesses.
To support a more sustainable society and improve ESG scores, companies are establishing green transformation goals aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing the environmental impact of their operations, while also promoting these initiatives to attract customers and expand their market presence — many companies are pushing in this direction developing products specifically targeted to the ESG parameters assessment, with SeaCras being among them.
A growing social awareness focused on “saving the planet” has driven efforts toward a more sustainable society and economy. Companies viewed as environmentally responsible are more likely to attract new customers, investors, and employees. Also, potential investors may shy away from companies associated with poor environmental practices, avoiding any negative brand association.
A valuable tool for assessing a company’s performance in environmental impact and broader social efforts beyond its core business is ESG scoring. ESG, which stands for environmental, social, and corporate governance, evaluates a company’s commitment to these goals in three key areas:
Environmental criteria consider factors like a company’s energy consumption and waste, resource management, carbon emissions, and contributions to addressing climate change.
Social criteria focus on the company’s relationships and reputation within its communities, including fair treatment of employees, and its commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Governance criteria involve the internal practices, controls, and procedures that guide a company’s management and accountability.
Driven by evolving regulations in non-financial reporting, environmental monitoring for ESG scoring is a promising and emerging field still in its early stages, making it well-positioned to adopt innovative methods and fresh approaches. In this context, space data can offer valuable benefits, and Copernicus data, in particular, has the potential to become a future standard for tracking and assessing environmental indicators. SeaCras leverages Copernicus, among other data sources to evaluate environmental impacts and risks and climate security measures, according to GRI and ESRS standards. Furthermore, the Copernicus data, once processed by SeaCras’ robust algorithm, becomes a “plug-and-play” integral part of every sustainability report, fully compliant with, by no means a simple methodology, prescribed by the ESRS standard.
Issues like global climate change, environmental preservation, and sustainability have recently become increasingly significant. Companies are showing growing sensitivity to these areas, placing high emphasis on processes to monitor and, when feasible, reduce emissions and the environmental impact of their operations.
We’re proud that our solutions have been highlighted as a sustainable sea monitoring use case by Copernicus Marine Service!
As a company, we’re dedicated to monitoring coastal waters in a sustainable way by utilizing satellite imagery. Alongside collaborating with commercial satellite data providers, SeaCras significantly benefits from the European Copernicus program, especially through the Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 missions. The company’s primary focus is on creating solutions for tracking clear and shallow coastal waters, which are common geomorphological features in the Mediterranean region.
With sustainable sea monitoring, the aim of SeaCras is to introduce new value-added services that can support various sectors, such as maritime spatial planning, the management of marine protected areas, sustainable tourism, renewable energy, and maritime transport. These solutions are vital in promoting the sustainable use of coastal and marine environments.
Several national and nature parks in Croatia, which are actively working to protect marine ecosystems, are already making use of SeaCras’s services. Among them are Brijuni National Park, Mljet National Park, and Telašćica Nature Park. SeaCras delivers monthly reports and annual assessments of water quality and eutrophication to these parks. This data enables park authorities to make well-informed, data-driven decisions aimed at safeguarding the sea, their most valuable asset.
By leveraging satellite technology to monitor the health of coastal waters, SeaCras plays a key role in the conservation efforts of these protected areas. The company’s services also help ensure that activities related to tourism, energy, and transport remain aligned with long-term sustainability objectives, contributing to both environmental preservation and economic growth.
