The Project

SMART (Sustainable Management of Aquaculture through Remote sensing Technology) is a project funded by the European Space Agency, ESA, in the framework of the research programme Innovator III, aimed at promoting the innovative use of satellite data.

The project, led by ACRI-ST, aims at providing remotely sensed Earth Observation products and services to aquaculture industry for site selection, real time monitoring and optimization of husbandry practices. SMART uses data from Medium and High Resolution optical missions and exploit also data from the presently operating and forthcoming Sentinel missions.

The project actively involves three end users in Italy, Algeria and Vietnam and will cover shellfish, finfish and prawn farming in coastal areas. More info @ http://smart-eo.eu .

Role of Bluefarm

Bluefarm is ACRI-ST subcontractor in SMART. We will complement the main partner activity by using spatial time series of Sea Surface Temperature and other Ocean Colour variables, such as Chlorophyll a, Secchi Disk, Light Extinction Coefficient, and Particulate Organic Carbon as inputs for a set of models which will allow :

1)   The identification of the most suitable areas for shellfish and fish farming

2)   The assessment of the environmental impact of shellfish, fish and prawn farms

3)   The short-term forecasting of shellfish and fish growth rate at specific farming sites

SMART User Workshop

SMART User Workshop meeting took place on the 20th of february in Bluefarm premises in Venice (Italy), and brought together all the SMART stakekholders : funder, partners and end-users.

It was an opportunity to review the methodology used in the construction of the various services. In this frame Bluefarm presented its validation work of EO data combining sampled data form field measurements and statistical tools. We then go through the use we made of EO validated data in order to build mussels’ growth short-term forecasts that are made available to the end-users.


SMART User Workshop: Example of EO data validation methodology for Chlorophyll-a

It was also the occasion to exchange with the three end-users about the SMART services, their utility and the potential improvements that can be brought. SMART project activities allowed ACRI-ST and Bluefarm to brought to maturity several innovative services in aquaculture and costal management landscapes.

SMART User Workshop: Example of end-user assessment on SMART innovative services

SMART Final presentation

SMART Final presentation took place in Frascati (Italy), in the ESRIN premises the 23rd of March. Bluefarm presented a synthesis of the whole work done in the frame of the SMART project : from the EO data validation to the final services made available to the end-users. It was a great moment of exchange with the european EO professionals.
SMART project allows Bluefarm to improve his huge experience in aquaculture and especially the use of EO data to build innovtaive services. We are now able to designe better-focused services to the various stakeholders of the maritime and coastal management community.


SMART Final Presentation by ACRI-ST and Bluefarm, the 23rd of March at ESA/ESRIN (Frascati).