The monitoring and forecasting of physical and biological oceanographic variables was successfully implemented during MESA in western Africa. The service utilizes medium resolution optical and thermal EO data, in situ measurements of surface wave characteristics as well as forecast products including sea surface temperature, height, salinity and geostrophic current.

During the implementation of the GMES & Africa Coastal and Marine Area Management Project, the service will be further enhanced by incorporating OLCI, SLSTR and SRAL products from Sentinel 3.

Two monthly bulletins are produced from this service. The biological oceanographic bulletin targets fisheries managers and fishermen and primarily provides information on the dynamics of the local oceanographic processes within the Guinea Current LME and its impact on fish distribution. The second bulletin, i.e. physical oceanographic bulletin, provides information that describes the evolution and dynamics of the local oceanographic conditions and the potential effect it could have on fishing operations and coastal communities