Marine digital services: supporting society through ocean intelligence
MCAST's pivotal role in enhancing marine intelligence through digital services
Marine digital services (MDS) are advanced tools and platforms that collect, process, analyse and distribute marine environment information and are a key component of the emerging concept of the “Digital Ocean” and the broader European Digital Twin Ocean initiative.
By integrating data from satellites, oceanographic instruments, models and monitoring networks, these tools create virtual representations of the marine environment. These allow scientists, policymakers, businesses and citizens to better understand, monitor and predict changes in the sea, supporting decision-making, safety, environmental management and economic activities.
As society becomes increasingly dependent on reliable environmental information, MDS are emerging as an essential component of the digital economy. By turning ocean data into actionable knowledge, MDS support safer maritime operations, healthier marine ecosystems, more resilient coastal communities and more informed responses to the challenges posed by climate change.
Malta has a long-standing history of developing and using MDS. Over the past three decades, efforts to run operational forecasting systems and integrated digital platforms have evolved through the Physical Oceanography Unit (PO-Unit).
A significant milestone was the development of operational ocean observing and forecasting systems capable of providing daily measurements and predictions of sea conditions. Under the PO-Unit, these systems continued to evolve in the CALYPSO series of research projects within the Italia-Malta Interreg programmes.
The ROSARIO forecasting system currently running at MCAST represents Malta’s most advanced operational marine forecasting capability, providing routine forecasts of marine conditions several days in advance.
More recently, Malta has moved towards integrated digital marine services through the STREAM web portal and smartphone app developed at MCAST. The platform combines numerical models, satellite data, environmental observations and artificial intelligence tools to provide data layers in the form of indices, climatologies, forecasts and alerts.
With STREAM, data is available to all users, including the public, and seamlessly connects users to data by a select, click and go facility. STREAM provides the data at the location for the needed time in a fast, free and easy way, meeting the targets to popularise marine data for use and reuse for the benefit of society.
A major bottleneck persists, as we still rely on research project-based funding to support systems and there is no mandated effort to build and deliver a nationally coordinated marine observation and forecasting infrastructure.
By leveraging cutting-edge technology and fostering stakeholder collaboration, Malta can unlock new potentials in marine data use, contributing significantly to the marine value chain and propelling a diversified, sustainable ocean-based economy.
Visit the ROSARIO forecasting system at backend.stream-srf.com/rosarioms.html and STREAM: app.stream-srf.com/auth/welcome
STREAM is financed by Xjenza Malta through the Space Research Fund programme.
