Plymouth sound from above

Copernicus Evolution - Research for harmonised and Transitional water Observation

Water quality is a worldwide issue affecting food production, industry, nature, recreation and ultimately human wellbeing. Satellites offer a cost-effective solution to monitor water quality at a global scale. A variety of methods and approaches are currently used for different water bodies such as oceans and lakes. CERTO will provide a harmonized capability to monitor water quality from lakes, through deltas, coastal waters and to the open ocean.

EU FlagThis project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 870349.

Responding to global needs

Monitoring and maintaining good water quality is pivotal to fulfilling the UN Sustainable Development Goals and is enshrined in European policy though the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

CERTO’s harmonised water quality products will support industry, policy-makers and academia and help nations to demonstrate compliance with national and international legislation and targets.

Six SDG icons relevant to the CERTO project

Our areas of focus

The project will focus on 6 case study areas of transitional water bodies which provide diverse conditions and environments.

New approach for estimating suspended solids in coastal and inland waters

Latest News

29 September 2023
A new semi-analytical method to estimate total suspended solids (TSS) from Sentinel-2 MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI) satellite data has been developed by CERTO scientists. Extensive validation demonstrated the technique reliably estimates TSS across diverse inland and coastal waters, from clear to extremely turbid, outperforming current approaches.

Monitoring TSS is critical for managing inland and coastal aquatic ecosystems that provide key services like water provision, fisheries, and recreation to humanity. However

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Satellite image of the Tagus estuary