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.
