FOCCUS Newsletter ISSUE 02

In this edition:

The Horizon Europe project FOCCUS aims to enhance Copernicus Marine Service's coastal dimension by developing innovative products and integrating Copernicus with Member States services. It facilitates seamless ocean monitoring and forecasting across global, regional, and coastal scales, reinforcing Copernicus research for challenges like coastal protection and sustainable blue economy development.

A Strong and Strategic Start to 2025

The FOCCUS project has entered 2025 with momentum, purpose, and visible results. Now six months into its implementation, FOCCUS is already delivering on its ambition to reshape how Europe observes, models, and manages its coastal and nearshore ocean spaces.

At the heart of FOCCUS lies a bold mission: to reinforce the coastal dimension of the Copernicus Marine Service by building a seamless operational bridge from pan-European models to Member State Coastal Systems. And that mission is well underway. From the North Sea, to the Mediterranean, to the Black Sea, FOCCUS is rolling out a series of innovative, co-designed applications that address real-world needs—ranging from pollution hazard mapping and erosion forecasting to multi-use offshore planning and water quality management.

These technical advances have been matched by a wave of community-building and policy alignment. In early 2025, FOCCUS took the stage at major international events—such as the EGU General Assembly and the EDITO-FOCCUS project joint workshop in Palma—demonstrating not only technical innovation but also a deep commitment to coordination across the Copernicus ecosystem, including the Digital Twin Ocean initiative.

Stakeholder consultations have also been moving at full speed, with national authorities, data providers, and coastal users helping to shape the evolution of FOCCUS tools and services. The outcomes of these dialogues are already influencing how coastal data is being ingested, modelled, and transformed into actionable knowledge.

As we move through the year, the focus will intensify on co-production, testing, and validation of pilot services, ensuring that FOCCUS delivers real impact—scientifically, operationally, and societally. With strong foundations now in place, 2025 is proving to be a pivotal year for Europe’s next-generation coastal services.

FOCCUS is developing and piloting a suite of advanced coastal applications to address some of the most pressing challenges facing Europe’s coastal zones. By harnessing the power of co-design and technological innovation, these applications aim to provide real-world solutions that improve the daily lives of communities, businesses, and public authorities operating along the coastline.

Pollution hazard / risk mapping

Coastal pollution remains one of the most urgent threats to marine ecosystems. FOCCUS addresses this with:

  • DCSM-FM (Dutch Continental Shelf Model): A high-resolution 3D simulation model that helps scientists and coastal managers understand how tides, storm surges, and water transport impact pollution dispersion. This capability is vital in predicting water quality shifts and supporting long-term ecological planning in the North Sea.
  • OSERIT: When an oil spill occurs, rapid response is key. OSERIT delivers operational forecasts and backtracking of spills, enabling authorities to act swiftly and reduce environmental damage along the Southern North Sea coast.

Coastal erosion dynamics assessment

With sea levels rising and weather patterns growing more extreme, erosion is an increasingly visible risk to Europe’s coastal infrastructure and habitats. FOCCUS is tackling this through:

  • AdriFS (Adriatic Forecasting System): Tailored forecasts for the Adriatic Sea that allow local planners to anticipate erosion events and implement timely mitigation measures.
  • GCoast-GB: In Germany, this application models the interactions between waves, ecosystems, and pollutants to support sustainable management of busy coastal zones and offshore infrastructure.
  • GCoast-BS: Serving the Western Black Sea, this application focuses on understanding how land-sea processes shape local resilience, with a strong emphasis on multi-use offshore planning.

All of these applications represent not just scientific progress, but the commitment of FOCCUS to co-produce services with Member States—solutions that are not only advanced, but adapted to local needs and realities. Browse all FOCCUS Coastal Applications.

As FOCCUS enters its second project phase, the first phase of key deliverables are now published or under review, laying the scientific and operational foundation for a stronger coastal dimension in European marine services. These outputs reflect the combined work of project partners across 19 institutions, working in close cooperation to co-develop products, methodologies, and data infrastructure fit for Europe’s coastal users.

D1.1 Data Management Plan

This foundational deliverable outlines the FOCCUS approach to FAIR data (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and open access. Aligned with Horizon Europe’s guidelines, it ensures that all observational data and derived products will be made publicly available through EU repositories. It also sets the framework for how FOCCUS will use INSPIRE-compliant tools and contribute to open-source data integration. This is a cornerstone of the project’s long-term impact on data governance and accessibility. Read it here.

D2.1 Data Reports

A major technical deliverable, this report catalogues a broad range of advanced coastal data products—many of which are already being tested in pilot applications. These include high-resolution sea level and sea surface temperature products, new techniques for detecting sea ice change, probability maps for harmful algal blooms, and data fusion approaches for surface currents. It also highlights early beach monitoring products and outlines work on morphodynamic processes. Together, these datasets will power the new generation of coastal models being developed across the project. Read it here.

Looking Back: FOCCUS in Action

The first half of 2025 has been a vibrant period for FOCCUS engagement across Europe. In March, the project joined forces with the Digital Twin Ocean initiative for the EDITO-FOCCUS Project Joint Workshop in Palma de Mallorca. This milestone gathering brought together technical teams and policy leads to explore how basin-scale and coastal digital modelling can be better integrated—an essential step for building a connected European marine data ecosystem.

In April, FOCCUS took centre stage at the prestigious EGU General Assembly 2025 in Vienna. Researchers presented tangible progress on high-resolution coastal observations and early results from pilot applications, sparking discussions with scientists and service developers from across the globe.

Parallel to these events, FOCCUS teams held dedicated stakeholder consultations throughout Q1 and Q2 with Member State representatives and regional authorities. These sessions helped align pilot activities with national coastal priorities and informed the roadmap for coastal product integration.

What’s Coming Up: Save the Dates

FOCCUS is gearing up for a packed calendar of events in the second half of 2025, combining high-profile scientific conferences, technical co-design workshops, and milestone internal meetings. These upcoming engagements are key moments for the project to share progress, strengthen collaboration, and shape its final implementation phase.

One Ocean Science Congress

June 3 & 5, 2025, Nice, France
On June 3, FOCCUS will present improved modelling of the environmental impact of land-based pollution and multi-use operations in the North Sea, highlighting its work on pollution pathways and coastal zone management. On June 5, a poster titled 'FOCCUS: Supporting Ocean action with improvements to European coastal monitoring and forecasting' will outline the project’s scope and early achievements in strengthening European coastal observation capabilities.

UN Ocean Conference (UNOC)

June 4 & 13, 2025, Nice, France
FOCCUS will participate in two sessions: On June 4, contributing to the Ocean Prediction Town Hall with insights on scientific challenges in forecasting coastal and land-sea interface zones. On June 13, FOCCUS will engage in the Coastal Challenges Session, focusing on the role of coastal monitoring in sustainable ocean planning and governance.

COSS-TT Meeting

17–20 June 2025, Brest, France
FOCCUS will present a poster highlighting synergies between its pilot coastal applications and other regional initiatives within the operational oceanography community.

Living Planet Symposium

23–27 June 2025, Vienna, Austria
FOCCUS will showcase how Earth observation data—including Copernicus satellite inputs—is being harnessed to improve coastal forecasting and decision-making. The focus will be on bridging the land-sea interface and turning EO data into tangible services for local and regional users.

COSPAR Symposium 2025

3–7 November 2025, Nicosia, Cyprus
FOCCUS has submitted two abstracts to this international forum on space-based science and Earth observation, boosting the visibility of its satellite-integrated coastal forecasting services.

FOCCUS Newsletter ISSUE 02

Published June 3, 2025
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