ISECA aims to improve the quality of coastal waters through the development of tools and actions of potential interest for policy makers and institutes that are responsible for environmental protection of the coastal zone.
The general objective of ISECA is to develop and promote two web-based tools to improve the evaluation of the coastal water quality and analyze eutrophication in the 2Seas areas.
The WIS will educate the general public, familiarize them with the subject of coastal eutrophication, its causes and potential solutions, and demonstrate how science and in particular Earth Observation (EO) can help monitor, analyze and combat coastal eutrophication. Outreach activities will inform and mobilise the public as info days and conference will mobilise professionals and stakeholders. The WIS also will be a repository where the public, the information multipliers and the stakeholders will find information, facts and tools that will help their understanding of eutrophication. In line with the project objectives a monitoring tool and a model library will be developed and demonstrated to make the models and data related to eutrophication available to stakeholders and scientists who take an interest in the topic.
The other ISECA objective was to develop a monitoring and modeling system: the WAS uses a combination of in-situ measurements, satellite images, and a model base for simulating and analyzing eutrophication at a strategic level. The aims are to: (i) monitor coastal eutrophication in the 2Seas area at a lower cost and more accessible and efficiently; (ii) to predict causes and effects; (iii) to also take into account the effect of atmospheric pollutants (integrated models improve understanding and relationship of eutrophication with the different coastal and land-based activities); (iv) to propose effective mitigation strategies; (v) to collect feedback from end users to develop specific products or the indicators and models.

In action 1, we firstly identified the key actors in water quality management (A1-1) and secondly collated their requirements (A1-2).

A 3-language questionnaire was elaborated and used in a face to face survey.

For A1-4, we used the above questionnaire with additional questions focusing on the social economical aspects.

A1-0 and A1-5 were dedicated to Indo Days and Final Event.

A2 was devoted to the observation of eutrophication starting with A2-1 and in-situ measurements selected after a user consultation.

A database of parameters routinely measured at the 2Seas sites was collated. Additional data were collected during ISECA at the PML station to continue the long term time series and to add to a growing in-situ database.

A2-2 was a quality check on in-situ data realized after review and publication of new measurement protocol. A cross-border satellite data base of “ocean colour” was produced.

In A2-4, we defined regional ocean colour algorithms both new water and atmospheric products, including the correction of the adjacency effects.

In A2-5, we performed an inter-comparison and validation of EO products in order to select the most appropriate products to detect eutrophication.

The first activity with the WAS was in A3-1 the Architecture design/Implementation.

A3-2 was the system test of the EO web server based on test cases and the verification that it meets the functionalities as defined by the stakeholders in A1.

For the modelling, A3-3, we made an inventory of eutrophication models available for the 2Seas.

A3-4 involved the identification of the coastal functions affected by eutrophication. The development of ‘generic model components’ resulted in a set of reusable model-building components for the integrated analysis of coastal eutrophication at a strategic level.

A3-6 was the development of example applications to demonstrate the potential for simulation eutrophication at a scale level and with options that are compliant with the stakeholder requirements.

Each action and sub-action had a deliverable associated with a report and sometimes, with additional technical notes. All of this is available at http://www.iseca.eu/en/results/deliverables. The main results from the project, are documented as the WIS which is available at http://www.iseca.eu/ and the WAS which is available at http://www.iseca.eu/en/results/web-based-application-server-was.
Action 1 led to the delivery of
- A database of the actors and institutions concerned with coastal eutrophication available online.
- A report describing the end users requirements.
- An analysis on the perception of eutrophication by different target groups.
- A report on the social-economic cost of eutrophication.

Action 2 is a regional expertise on remote sensing of eutrophication. The remote sensing allows mapping the eutrophication through ecological indicators. The production of regional indicators was greatly improved by sharing the scientific expertise of the R&D consortium involved in ISECA. The outputs delivered are:
- An inventory of all the existing databases existing over the 2Seas area.
- Combination of existing and new in-situ measurements and existing and new EO products.
- Sharing of existing information by harmonizing the data and the metrology protocols.
- Improvement and validation at a regional scale of Earth Observation (EO) products.

Action 3 main output is a web platform which combined remote sensing and modelling. It is a demonstration platform accessible by any interested stakeholders aiming to promote the use of remote sensing for the modellisation of eutrophication. It is a free access platform to be used by any concerned organisation in a given territory to evaluate the impact of a remediation initiative. A multi module of models allows simulating scenarios of remediation

The major benefit for the partners resulted from their collaboration through the sharing of their specific and complementary skills. Within the framework of INTERREG, it is important to build regional networks in different domains and countries. We achieved this goal through cross-disciplinary collaboration and thus forged stronger links between Northern France, Southern England, Belgium and the Netherlands. This trans-border expertise can be a support for any regional organisation in charge of the maritime domain in it environmental issue when a specific environment occurs (i.e. toxic algae blooms). WAS is a free access platform to be used by any concerned organisation in a given territory to evaluate the impact of a remediation initiative. The socio economical ISECA expertise can be solicited to evaluate the coast benefit of any remediation. The key actor’s data base in the WIS is maintained as an open source for anyone willing to contact the right person or organisation.

Complementary to the scientific expertise, ISECA had strong communication activities which two key partners in France (Nausicaà) and Belgium (VLIZ) with PML (UK) willing to participate to this activity. All the ISECA communication material can be re-used in order to feed future events dealing with coastal water quality. As mentioned above, the WIS will be maintained ant it contains all the possible information on eutrophication as well as all the ISECA deliverables.

The nature of ISECA is trans-border, which benefitted from 2Seas cross territory development both through regional expertise and through the communication institutes. ISECA reached different publics: the public at large mostly through the communication activities; the policy makers and their technical supports through the A1 and A2 deliverables; the scientific community through the ISECA scientific reports and publications and the possible use of the WAS.

Both the WIS and the WAS, the satellite products developed and the modelling studies conducted will ultimately benefit all the cross-border territories. To be more specific: (i) In France, Nausicaà realized thanks to ISECA many communication material and Eutrophication is now a strong ingredient of the Nausicaà communication strategy for public at large; the strong participation of IFREMER in Boulogne sur Mer is also a plus for the R&D skill; (ii) In Belgium, VLIZ in Oostende offered the same services than Nausicaà. VITO was deeply involved in the R&D activities but also in a socio economical study which covers the Belgium Coast. VLIZ and VITO are Flemish official organizations and therefore they impact all the Flemish territory.

For the UK, PLM is widely solicited for it well recognized expertise in Marine Science by different UK institutions. PML organized an info day and was deeply involved in communication activities. University of Plymouth conducted a socio economical study in the Solent area. The expertise of the University of Greenwich helps to introduce a quite innovative input through the evaluation of the nutrient atmospheric deposit.

It can be relevant for some territories to evaluate the impact on the eutrophication of the strong urban emission in South West of England and by the Flemish agriculture.

ISECA offered and still offer through the present availability of the WIS and the WAS (i) a better knowledge of the eutrophication both for citizens and for experts; (ii) the basements to conduct socio economical analysis; (iii) better tools to characterize the level of eutrophication using remote sensing techniques; (iv) a web platform for modelling the eutrophication and evaluate the impact of remediation measures.

Cross-border collaboration as in ISECA has several advantages. The problem of coastal and offshore eutrophication and Harmful Algal Blooms should be considered in an international context for multiple reasons. First, the transport of nutrients is not limited to international boundaries and pollution originating from one country can easily increase the potential for eutrophication hundreds of kilometers away. A similar situation exists for the deposition of atmospheric inputs resulting from, e.g., industry and shipping. Second, there is a need for exchanging Earth observations and in-situ data, in order to improve the level of information, and calibrate models. Third, both the scientific community and public benefit from cross-border collaboration supporting scientific exchanges and information on the European context of environmental problems. Web-based information platforms such as the WIS and the WAS can only add to this.

A clear correspondence and complementarities exist with the InterReg DYMPAHY (www.dymaphy.eu) (2010- 2013) which examined the quality of marine waters using phytoplankton as an indicator. The focus was on databases. Several exchanges with ISECA partners took place. In addition there were several exchanges with the MUMM modelling institute in Belgium and the department of Ecology of Aquatic Systems (ESA) at ULB to discuss the modelling of eutrophication and potential use and application of the WAS. The ISECA project builds on the work done in the EU-FP6 project SPICOSA (www.spicosa.eu) on generic libraries of model components, which can facilitate the modelling process. This work is being continued in the EU-FP7 project OCEAN-CERTAIN (www.oceancertain.eu) which examines the role of the ocean food web on the global carbon cycle. There have also been exchanges with partners involved in the Era-Net project EMOSEM.

It is very positive to encourage the realization of programs and the networking of experts at a regional scale. In the domain of the Environment, the regional organizations in charge of the environmental policy should be more involved in the realization of an INTERREG project. It cannot stop after the evaluation of the proposal but instead the public organizations in charge of the maritime environment should be the evaluators of the realization of the project objectives. The introduction of an external first level control allows to promptly receive the money you claim but this first level control has a substantial cost and does not contribute to the technical realization of the project. Therefore, it should be fully support by the INTERREG funds.

The two major outputs are the WIS for communication and the WAS for demonstration of advance tools to monitor and model eutrophication. Those two web based platforms will be maintained respectively by VLIZ and VITO.

IIn ISECA, we have two main networks. On R&D, we have several research institutes that collaborated in three domains: (i) the observation of eutrophication from in situ measurements and satellite observations was principally between PML and VITO. ADRINORD as an institutional regional entity made the link with French Universities (ULCO, Lille 1,…); (ii) VITO, PML, NIOZ and the University of Greenwich collaborated in the modeling; (iii) the socio-economic impact of the eutrophication was different between the UK and the European Continent (since the UK does not suffer from eutrophication, whereas central Europe does), the collaboration between CEMARE and VITO provided an opportunity to compare regional perception on this problem. Clearly, we have developed a network of experts in the environmental domain of coastal water quality. The second network was on communication for which ISECA has two “professionals”: Nausicaà and VLIZ but also PML who was very active in this domain.

By nature, R&D activities need to be on-going. The WAS is just a demonstration tool of how eutrophication can be monitored which was developed at the end of the project. The need to have feedback from end users and to update this demonstration tool to make it operational is a strong objective. At the European level, there are different initiatives to achieve this: Global Monitoring Environment and Security (GMES)/Copernicus is one such opportunity with a collaboration between the EU and the European Space Agency for both satellite data and also the modeling products. MyOcean (www.myocean.eu) is one of the Copernicus core services in which the WAS can be potentially included (or possibly even the Land Core service should it have a coastal element). The monitoring of water quality in our coastal waters requires a transborder cooperation which is the role of INTERREG.