IHCantabria and the Guardia Civil launch the DSS SEMAR system to strengthen maritime surveillance and pollution control

The innovative DSS SEMAR service offers numerous benefits to institutions responsible for maritime surveillance, such as the Guardia Civil by providing new data and tools that streamline operations and strengthen the enforcement of European regulations in the fight against pollution

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The Environmental Hydraulics Institute of the Universidad de Cantabria (IHCantabria), in collaboration with the Maritime Service of the Guardia Civil, developed the DSS-SEMAR system, a decision-support tool designed to improve maritime surveillance services, particularly those focused on pollution control and search operations for people missing at sea. This tool was designed and developed as part of the European COSNORTH project, funded by the Copernicus Marine Service National Collaboration Program.

Effective maritime surveillance is essential for safeguarding coastal ecosystems, ensuring the safety of navigation, and enforcing maritime laws. In this context, an innovative service, DSS SEMAR, has been designed and developed to improve the safety, efficiency, and responsiveness of maritime operations carried out by maritime surveillance authorities and law enforcement agencies. This service integrates information on ocean conditions, atmospheric variables, and wave conditions, along with advanced numerical models, enabling it to provide forecasts and decision-support information through an intuitive and user-friendly platform.

The DSS-SEMAR system is a web application consisting of three modules, each designed to address specific maritime needs:

• Operations Module: Its purpose is to analyze forecasts of meteo-oceanographic variables to assess, both spatially and temporally, whether conditions are safe for navigation or diving.
• Surveillance Module: After a pollution slick or a drifting object is spotted, this module performs a trajectory simulation to estimate its potential origin.
• Search Module: Its purpose is to assist in locating people missing at sea. By integrating operational information and predictions about the possible trajectory of the missing person, the system helps prioritize search areas.

In addition to these modules, the system provides supplementary information, such as base maps, nautical charts, and other geospatial layers relevant to the Maritime Service of the Guardia Civil.

The SEMAR DSS system is currently in use along Spain’s northern coast, particularly along the coast of Cantabria. We are actively collaborating with the Guardia Civil, particularly with its Cantabria Regional Office, to implement the system in Cantabria and explore the possibility of expanding it to the entire Spanish coastline.

This service strengthens maritime surveillance and enhances the protection of the marine environment, law enforcement, and the fight against pollution.

Useful links: https://marine.copernicus.eu/services/use-cases/maritime-surveillance-service-supporting-law-enforcement-search-operations-and https://cosnorth.ihcantabria.com/

https://marine.copernicus.eu/es/services/national-collaboration-programme