EAMNet: Europe Africa Marine-EO Network Steve Groom, PML
Dec 16, 2015
EAMNet: Europe Africa Marine-EO Network
Steve Groom, PML
GEPW7 15 – 16 April 2013 Barcelona
EAMNet Overview
• EAMNet is a Coordination and Support Action project part financed by the European Commission (1M€ over three years)
• Started in 2010, ends June 2013
• Pan African (not just sub-Saharan)
• PML, UK (coordinator)
EAMNet partnerNew GNC system
GEPW7 15 – 16 April 2013 Barcelona
Overall Aim and Objectives of EAMNet
To construct a network linking Earth Observation information providers, user networks and centres of excellence in Europe and Africa in the area of coastal and marine observations
Specific objectives
1.To improve access to marine EO data, increase data exchange and encourage increased use of EO
2.To develop long-term sustainable approaches to capacity building and maintenance in marine Earth Observation
3.To support development of Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) Africa as a contribution to a worldwide observation system
4.To create a forum for African engagement in GMES Africa
GEPW7 15 – 16 April 2013 Barcelona
Achieving the Objectives: Capacity Continuum
Expertise in Africa
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Postgraduate/New to RS
Centre of ExcellenceMid-career scientists
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Lecture in professional
training courses
Coordinating R&D; Implementing in Africa
results from GMES R&D
Open fellowships
Installation of GEONETCast
Systems; web portal
Targeted fellowships
Master's level EO course in Africa
Attend AARSEconferences
Dissemination:Website / NewslettersExternal liaison
Development of African training
materials
GEPW7 15 – 16 April 2013 Barcelona
Links to GEO 2012-2015 Work Plan
• SB-01 Oceans and Society: Blue Planet– C1 Global Ocean Information Coordination and Access
– Promote the implementation of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS)……..
– Provide advanced training in ocean observations and services, especially for personnel from developing countries and economies in transition, through a series of fellowship schemes, pilot projects (e.g. …. EAMNet)
– C2 Operational Systems for Monitoring of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems
– Promote the Chlorophyll Global Integrated Network (ChloroGIN)…
GEPW7 15 – 16 April 2013 Barcelona
Links to GEO 2012-2015 Work Plan
• SB-01 Oceans and Society: Blue Planet– C4 Applications of Earth Observations and Information to
Sustainable Fishery and Aquaculture Management– Accelerate the assimilation of Earth observation into fisheries
research and ecosystem based fisheries management ….
Relating fish catch to the 24ºC isotherm from EO data off the coasts of Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana
GEPW7 15 – 16 April 2013 Barcelona
Links to GEO 2012-2015 Work Plan
• IN-04 GEOSS Communication Networks– C2 GEONETCast
• Further develop GEONETCast…. disseminating data and products across all Societal Benefit Areas
• Expand interaction with networks of users in developing countries to improve access to data in areas with limited data accessibility….
• Build capacity for using GEONETcast information, particularly in developing countries.
• IN-05 GEOSS Design and Interoperability
GEPW7 15 – 16 April 2013 Barcelona
Results: 1) Data
• Web based catalogue shows data available for Africa: • existing GMES/Eumetsat and produced specifically by EAMNet
GEPW7 15 – 16 April 2013 Barcelona
EAMNet data
• EAMNet provides data complementary to MyOcean / OSI-SAF– ocean colour and sea-surface temperature coverage of the entire African
coast at 1km resolution: PML (MyOcean processor) + UCT– Additional areas & bespoke products for the African Monitoring
for Environment and Sustainable Development (AMESD) project– High resolution lake coverage
started with MERIS 300m data (for Ugandan receiving station on Lake Victoria)
EAMNet AMESD
User survey on data required
GEPW7 15 – 16 April 2013 Barcelona
Low-cost GEONETCast Reception Station Setup
• Aimed to establish 5 new low-cost GEONETCast receiving stations• Provide access to data where the
internet is limited
• Training on receiving stations completed
• Installation problematic due to a combination of • technical issues,
• import bureaucracy and
• civil unrest in some countries
Lesson learnt: need much more time to install systems
New GNC system
GEPW7 15 – 16 April 2013 Barcelona
Results 2) Capacity building & maintenance in EO
• Training survey– Still a need for specialist remote sensing training
• Addressed in EAMNet
– Key requirement is on high level computer programming Follow-on projects (e.g. GMES and Africa) should consider specific courses in programmingA = No experience
E = Remote sensing expertA = No experience E = Expert programmer
GEPW7 15 – 16 April 2013 Barcelona
MSc Course
• Marine EO MSc course module developed • Lectures available freely on the EAMNet website
– http://www.eamnet.eu/cms/?q=node/99Day Session 1 Session 2 Session 3
1 Intro to Marine EO Christo Whittle (UCT)
Measuring SST Christo Whittle (UCT)
Prac: Global SST patternsChristo Whittle (UCT)
2 Intro to Ocean ColourStewart Bernard (CSIR)
In water opticsStewart Bernard (CSIR)
Prac: Benguela Current SystemChristo Whittle (UCT)
3 Altimetry: SSH from spaceHelen Snaith (NOCS)
Altimetry: SSH from spaceHelen Snaith (NOCS)
Altimetry Prac: SSH from spaceHelen Snaith (UCT)
4 SeaDAS TutorialChristo Whittle (UCT)
SeaDAS TutorialChristo Whittle (UCT)
BEAM Tutorial:Mark Matthews (UCT)
5 Intro to ScatterometryChristo Whittle (UCT)
Intro to Synthetic Aperture RadarMarjolaine Rouault (CSIR)
Sourcing and combining EO dataMathieu Rouault (UCT)
GEPW7 15 – 16 April 2013 Barcelona
Regional training courses
MSc course module used in:
• Joint EAMNet / Nansen- Tutu Centre African Operational Oceanography Workshop, June 2011 in Univ. Cape Town, South Africa
• West African training courses 19 – 30 March 2012 and 11 -22 March 2013 University of Ghana, Accra
• University of dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania regional course, August 2012
• JRC/EAMNet Satellite oceanography course in November 2012, in parallel with AARSE 2012 and annual EAMNet meeting, El Jadida, Morocco
• A total of 90 students (~20 female) trained using a consistent EO course
Training courses
GEPW7 15 – 16 April 2013 Barcelona
Results 3) Develop GOOS Africa….
• Fellowships between EAMNet partners, either Africa to Africa or Africa to Europe and
• Open fellowships from any African marine institute / university to visit any African or European host
• 16 open fellowships in total duringthe project from North, South, West and East Africa
• 12 partner fellowships (so far)• Lesson: fellowships good at
starting links, coordinating R&D• Some fellows were at the
AARSE2012 conference Morocco, and….
GEPW7 15 – 16 April 2013 Barcelona
Open Fellowship: Success Story
• EAMNet fellow, Dr Lazare Akpetou, Cote d’Ivoire won best presentation (out of 100) at the AARSE2012 conference, Nov 2012
• Work based on phenologyof phytoplankton bloomsin the Gulf of Guinea
• Relevant to GEO Blue Planet C4 Applications of Earth Observations and Information to Sustainable Fishery and Aquaculture Management.
GEPW7 15 – 16 April 2013 Barcelona
Targeted Fellowship
• Investigated software, like GeoServer, products like OpenLayers, that communicate using standard Open Geospatial Consortium protocols like WMS (Web Mapping Service) and WFS (Web Feature Service)
• Relevant to IN-05 GEOSS Design and Interoperability
Andy Rabagliati, U Cape Town
GEPW7 15 – 16 April 2013 Barcelona
Conclusions: EAMNet Legacy
• High resolution (1km) data produced over all African regions• A specific Masters course at UCT, UDSM, UG + other universities
– ~90 trainees from a wide range of African countries using GMES data
• Enhanced bi-lateral R&D, contacts etc between African Centres of Excellence and between Africa and Europe– 16 fellowships + ~15 project fellowships
• 5 new GEONETCast systems: Still problematic• A regular marine science presence at AARSE• Engagement with national coastal monitoring agencies• Contributions to the development of GOOS-Africa and marine science in
GMES Africa• Contributions to GEO work plan tasks
GEPW7 15 – 16 April 2013 Barcelona
Conclusions
• EAMNet has made contributions to development of a marine and coastal network in Africa
• Also relevant experience for GMES and Africa– Additional data needed to complement MyOcean/OSI-SAF
• most commonly used (ocean colour and SST)
– Low cost receiving stations necessarily have much longer installation period, alternative models should be explored
– On-going need for EO training: M.Sc. Module produced and freely available but need for more computing training
– 3 month fellowships give momentum to capability building at PhD/postdoc level
• EAMNet finishes in 2013– Aim to keep some tasks going
– Network of trainees
– Seek to maintain the network with new funding