FOCCUS: Advances in Open-to-Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Forecasting

The FOCCUS project (Forecasting and Observing the Open-to-Coastal Ocean for Copernicus Users) aims to advance seamless open-to-coastal ocean monitoring and forecasting within the Copernicus framework. FOCCUS focuses on strengthening the integration of multi-platform observations, including satellite, in situ, and land-based remote sensing data, with high-resolution coastal and shelf-sea models and Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled methodologies to improve the consistency, accuracy, and usability of coastal information.

Building and improving existing coastal monitoring capabilities and developing innovative coastal products is vital for coastal protection in the face of climate change. The integration of coastal observations with advanced hydrodynamic and coastal models and unified coastal management systems is essential to enhance monitoring and forecasting across the open ocean–coastal continuum. Recent technological advances further enable the implementation of novel numerical modelling approaches and AI-based methods, allowing seamless solutions across spatial scales and supporting pan-European applications. Within FOCCUS, recent developments address key challenges related to open-to-coastal interactions, the generation of enhanced coastal products, and the application of AI-supported approaches for data fusion, downscaling, and gap filling. These developments contribute to improved representation of coastal processes and increased robustness of coastal forecasting systems.

FOCCUS outcomes support a wide range of coastal applications, including pollution hazard and risk mapping, coastal erosion assessment, sustainable resource management, harmful algal bloom monitoring, ecosystem protection, support to Marine Protected Areas, and the assessment of natural hazards and extreme events under climate change. By reinforcing the connection between Copernicus marine core services and coastal user needs, FOCCUS contributes to the development of scalable, pan-European coastal products and decision-support tools, enhancing Europe’s capacity to monitor, forecast, and adapt to increasing coastal risks.