Earth Observation for Maritime Spatial Planning: Measuring, Observing and Modeling Marine Environment to Assess Potential Aquaculture Sites

Physical, chemical and biological characteristics of seawaters are primary descriptors for understanding environmental patterns and improving maritime spatial planning for potential aquaculture uses. By analyzing these descriptors in spatial and temporal dimensions, it is possible to characterize the potential productivity performances of different locations for specific aquaculture species. We developed a toolbox that, starting from the actual competing uses of the maritime space, aims at: (a) identifying sites with conditions feasible for aquaculture fish growth (feasibility scenario); and (b) assessing their different productivity performances in terms of potential fish harvest (suitability scenario). The toolbox is being designed in the Mediterranean, northern Adriatic Sea, but because of its modularity/multi-stage process, it can be easily adapted to other areas, or scaled to larger areas. The toolbox, representing a pre-operational Copernicus downstreaming service that integrates data and products from different sources (in situ, Earth Observation and modeling), is innovative because it is based more on parameters relevant for fish vitality than on those oriented to farm functioning. Stakeholders and farmers involved in the maritime spatial planning can use resulting scenarios for decision-making and market-trading processes.