PRIMROSE

The aquaculture sector on Europe’s Atlantic Area is negatively impacted by the effects of harmful blooms and microbial pathogens. This sector relies on sufficient early warning of harmful events, so that mitigation measures can be put in place. The PRIMROSE project aims to strengthen risk management systems in order to grow, innovate and generate jobs in the aquaculture sector

PRIMROSE will both develop a transnational short to medium term risk forecast and a long term assessment of climate impact on harmful algal blooms and pathogens. This improved forecast will include microbial risk and climate impacts, in addition to algal bloom predictions. The consortium will benefit from improved spatial resolution utilising new generation Sentinel data products for aquaculture production areas in Ireland, Scotland, England, Spain, Portugal and France. The transnational aspects of PRIMROSE will be developed through the implementation of a portal system using common best practice and methodologies and a joint front end. This new system will develop an easily understandable traffic-light risk index. The market for these products will include policy makers, risk regulators, food safety authorities and the shellfish and fin-fish industry and will exploit existing EU investment in marine observing infrastructure.