Based on Remote Sensing technologies, integrated with a WebGIS system, MARCOAST is a service designed to realize a distribution via internet of Coastal and Marine monitoring services. All the data provided are obtained by integrating satellite data and other information. All ther data are provided as a product that users can view and download by using a navigation interface showing cartographic maps of the desired areas.

MARCOAST project (Marine and Coastal Environment Information Services) has been realized under the ESA's (European Space Agency) GMES Service Elements program and points at establishing a durable network of marine and coastal information services tailored on European users. Planetek Italia operates as coordinator of Water Quality services for Mediterranean sea (French and Italian coasts), Nordic sea, Baltic sea and English Channel, and as a Service provider for Adriatic and Tyrrhenian seas. End user for the test services realized over Adriatic sea is APAT, Italian Agency for the Protection of the Environment.

The services provided.

The system includes coastal and marine information services such as:

• Water quality monitoring and alert;
• Oil spill drift forecast;
• Harmful Algae Bloom monitoring and forecasting.

MarCoast is currently carried out by an international consortium including 32 partners and provides periodically a large variety of products to support the management and monitoring activities towards European coastal zone, in term of water quality, Algae Bloom accumulation and Oil spill.

Planetek Italia provides also a service designed to collect and grant a daily monitoring activity, in Near Real Time, of all water quality indexes.

The areas towards this service is provided are Adriatic and Tyrrhenian seas, where periodically are made Clorophyl Maps, Surface Temperature Maps and Water Transparency Maps. The Governmental end user in Italy is the Italian Agency for the Protection of the Environment (ISPRA).