The COMON (Coastal MONitoring) project aims to apply innovative solutions for the continuous monitoring of transitional and coastal waters, serving as a foundation for the integrated management of coastal ecosystems. Funded by the European Union with a total value of 6,889,375.34 kn (with 5,537,725.34 kn from EU grants), the project spans from December 21, 2020, to December 21, 2023.
A key challenge in water quality monitoring is the updating of diverse measurements across different scales, from satellite data to in-situ measurements. COMON addresses this by integrating innovative methods for measuring and modeling water quality parameters at various scales. The project develops a methodology to connect:
- Data from satellite imagery of the entire coastal area.
- Measurements from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
- In-situ georeferenced data from newly developed drifters.
- Numerical modeling of these parameters for short-term forecasting.
This innovative approach, combining drifter data with UAV and satellite imagery, has patent potential. The in-situ measurements from drifters provide specific data points, which are then generalized to spatial distributions using UAV and satellite imagery. Models, calibrated with measured data, forecast water conditions and simulate scenarios for optimal water quality management.
The project includes the development of a data web portal (https://map.comon.gradst.hr/) as a monitoring system component, along with GIS consulting services and software infrastructure to support a web mapping interface for displaying water quality elements.