JERICO-NEXT · Project

Real-Time Coastal Water Monitoring Network Ready for Industrial Use Across Europe

environmentTestedTRL 5Thin data (2/5)

Imagine you want to know exactly what's happening in coastal waters — temperature, pollution levels, biological activity — not once a month from a boat trip, but continuously, like a weather station but underwater. A network of 33 organizations across 15 countries built a connected system of ocean sensors, underwater profilers, and a shared data portal so anyone can access reliable coastal data in near real-time. They also developed a new underwater profiling device called MASTODON2D, designed to be rugged enough for rough seas and cheap enough for mass production. Think of it as turning Europe's coastline into a smart, always-on monitoring grid.

By the numbers

Partner organizations in the consortium

European countries covered by the monitoring network

Total project deliverables produced

Industrial partners in the consortium

Organizations contributing to the coastal network (per objective)

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies operating in coastal zones — aquaculture, offshore energy, ports, environmental consultancies — need continuous, reliable water quality and environmental data, but collecting it independently is expensive and fragmented. There is no single source for validated, real-time coastal monitoring data across European waters, forcing businesses to rely on sporadic measurements or negotiate access from multiple institutions.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered a coastal data portal providing centralized access to validated marine environmental data, plus the MASTODON2D underwater profiler — a new device for profiling coastal waters, tested at sea with documented performance and cost estimates for industrial manufacturing. Across 63 deliverables, the consortium produced sensor improvements, data standards, and a roadmap for permanent European coastal observatories.

Audience

Who needs this

Aquaculture companies needing continuous water quality monitoringOffshore wind farm developers requiring environmental baseline dataEnvironmental consulting firms serving coastal regulatory compliancePort authorities monitoring water quality and sediment conditionsMarine insurance companies assessing coastal environmental risk

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Aquaculture & Fisheries

SME

Target: Offshore fish farming operations and shellfish producers

If you are an aquaculture company dealing with unpredictable water quality that threatens stock survival — this project built a network of coastal sensors and a data portal delivering continuous environmental readings from European seas. With 40 partner institutions feeding validated data across 15 countries, you get reliable water quality intelligence to protect your fish stocks and optimize feeding cycles.

Offshore Energy & Marine Engineering

enterprise

Target: Offshore wind farm operators and marine construction firms

If you are an offshore energy company needing accurate coastal environmental data before committing to expensive installations — this project developed the MASTODON2D underwater profiler, tested at sea and designed for industrial transfer with published cost estimates. The system profiles coastal waters continuously, giving you the environmental baseline data regulators demand, sourced from a network spanning 15 countries.

Environmental Consulting & Coastal Management

any

Target: Environmental monitoring firms and port authorities

If you are an environmental consultancy struggling to access standardized coastal data across multiple European regions — this project created the JERICO Data Portal, a single access point for validated marine observations from 40 organizations. Instead of negotiating data-sharing agreements with each institution separately, you get free and open access to continuous coastal monitoring data through one platform.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access the coastal monitoring data or deploy similar sensors?

The project committed to free and open access to data through its portal. For hardware, the MASTODON2D profiler deliverable includes final cost estimates designed for industrial transfer, meaning pricing was benchmarked for commercial production. Specific per-unit costs would need to be obtained from the coordinator.

Can this scale beyond research to commercial coastal monitoring?

Yes. The project explicitly aimed for 'industrial transfer' of its MASTODON2D profiler, publishing plan designs and cost assessments. The data portal was built for operational delivery of environmental data, not just research use. With 7 industrial partners already in the consortium, the pathway to commercial scaling was built into the project design.

What is the IP situation — can my company license or manufacture these sensors?

The MASTODON2D profiler deliverable includes plan designs intended for industrial transfer. Licensing terms would be set by IFREMER (the French coordinator) and the specific partners who developed the hardware. Based on available project data, the intent was to make the technology available for commercial production.

How reliable is the data coming from this network?

The project prioritized validated, high-quality environmental data with continuous monitoring. Deliverables covered sensor performance testing, accuracy benchmarks, and robustness in deep energetic waters. The network spans 40 organizations across 15 countries, providing cross-validated measurements.

Is the data portal still operational after the project ended in 2019?

The JERICO Data Portal was designed as a prototype demonstrator with updates at months 6, 24, and 42. The project website at jerico-ri.eu indicates ongoing infrastructure. Based on available project data, the network aimed for sustainable long-term operation, but current status should be verified directly.

Does this comply with EU environmental reporting regulations?

The project was designed to feed data into European data systems in operational mode. It aimed to support EU marine environment monitoring requirements with standardized, validated coastal observations. The 15-country coverage aligns well with EU-wide regulatory reporting needs.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a research-heavy consortium — 20 of 40 partners are research organizations, with 8 universities and only 7 industry players (17% industry ratio). The coordinator, IFREMER, is France's leading ocean research institute, which gives strong scientific credibility but signals that commercial exploitation was not the primary driver. The 4 SMEs in the consortium suggest some entrepreneurial interest, but this is fundamentally an infrastructure project. For a business looking to use or license the technology, the key contact is IFREMER, and the industrial partners who participated in sensor development would be natural technology transfer channels. The 15-country spread across Europe means broad geographic relevance but also complex IP arrangements.

INSTITUT FRANCAIS DE RECHERCHE POUR L'EXPLOITATION DE LA MERCoordinator · FR
HAVFORSKNINGSINSTITUTTETparticipant · NO
INSTITUTO HIDROGRAFICOparticipant · PT
SLR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING(IRELAND)LIMITEDparticipant · IE
BLUE LOBSTER IT LIMITEDparticipant · UK
EUROGOOSparticipant · BE
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRSparticipant · UK
FLUIDIONparticipant · FR
SUOMEN YMPARISTOKESKUSparticipant · FI
DURAND DOMINIQUE, DENIS, FABRICEparticipant · NO
INSTITUTE OF OCEANOLOGY BASparticipant · BG
EURO-ARGO ERICparticipant · FR
HELLENIC CENTRE FOR MARINE RESEARCHparticipant · EL
UNIVERSITE DE BRESTthirdparty · FR
MINISTERIE VAN INFRASTRUCTUUR EN WATERSTAATparticipant · NL
BLUEWISE MARINE LIMITEDparticipant · IE
MARINE INSTITUTEparticipant · IE
HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM HEREON GMBHparticipant · DE
AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICASparticipant · ES
SVERIGES METEOROLOGISKA OCH HYDROLOGISKA INSTITUTparticipant · SE
CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHEparticipant · IT
UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYAparticipant · ES
SOCIB - CONSORCIO PARA EL DISENO, CONSTRUCCION, EQUIPAMIENTO Y EXPLOTACION DEL SISTEMA DE OBSERVACION COSTERO DE LAS ILLES BALEARSparticipant · ES
UNIVERSITE DE BORDEAUXthirdparty · FR
STICHTING DELTARESparticipant · NL
ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI OCEANOGRAFIA E DI GEOFISICA SPERIMENTALEparticipant · IT
UNIVERSITE DE CAEN NORMANDIEthirdparty · FR
ILMATIETEEN LAITOSparticipant · FI
NORSK INSTITUTT FOR VANNFORSKNING STIparticipant · NO
UNIVERSITE DU LITTORALthirdparty · FR
FUNDACION AZTI - AZTI FUNDAZIOAparticipant · ES
UNIVERSITA TA MALTAparticipant · MT
UNIVERSITE DE LILLEthirdparty · FR
MARIENE INFORMATIE SERVICE MARIS BVparticipant · NL
FONDAZIONE CENTRO EURO-MEDITERRANEOSUI CAMBIAMENTI CLIMATICIparticipant · IT
ETT SPAparticipant · IT
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRSparticipant · FR
VLAAMS INSTITUUT VOOR DE ZEEparticipant · BE
NORCE RESEARCH ASparticipant · NO
SORBONNE UNIVERSITEthirdparty · FR

How to reach the team

IFREMER (Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer), France — Europe's leading marine research institute. SciTransfer can facilitate a direct introduction to the project team.

Order a report on this consortium See INSTITUT FRANCAIS DE RECHERCHE POUR L'EXPLOITATION DE LA MER profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want access to JERICO-NEXT's sensor designs or data portal for your coastal operations? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the IFREMER team and help identify which project outputs match your specific monitoring needs.

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