Problem addressed
Coastal and transitional waters are subject to significant pressures — including urban and industrial discharges, maritime traffic, fishing and tourism — that can disrupt their ecological balance. Public authorities and industry need robust, continuous monitoring systems to detect changes in ecological quality, anticipate risks and comply with regulations such as the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
What we do and how we do it
- Design and implementation of long-term monitoring networks.
- Monitoring of physical, chemical and biological parameters, including phytoplankton, benthic communities, macroalgae, fish and microbial communities.
- Integration of real-time sensors and remote observation technologies.
- Development of standardised sampling and analysis protocols.
- Data processing and preparation of technical reports for environmental managers and public authorities.
Key benefits
- Up-to-date, reliable knowledge of the ecological status of coastal and transitional waters.
- Early identification of environmental risks and deterioration.
- Regulatory compliance supported by robust, validated data.
- Key information for fisheries, port and tourism management.
- Greater resilience to human pressures and climate change.
Proven experience
- 35 years of experience in marine environmental monitoring.
- A multidisciplinary team — including biologists, chemists, physicists, geologists, engineers, environmental scientists and economists — enabling an integrated assessment of all available information.
- AZTI is accredited by the Basque Government as a Level II Environmental Control Entity, authorising us to carry out environmental control activities, including field and laboratory work related to discharge authorisations for estuarine and marine waters, sediments and biota.
- International recognition in the monitoring and assessment of the marine environment.
Proven solutions
- Ecological status monitoring network for the Basque coast (Basque Water Agency), since 1994.
- Environmental status monitoring network for the Nervión Estuary (Bilbao Bizkaia Water Consortium), since 1992.
- Environmental monitoring programmes for discharges from several wastewater treatment plants along the Basque coast (Bilbao Bizkaia Water Consortium, Busturialdea Water Consortium, Aguas del Añarbe, Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and Servicios de Txingudi), since 1997.
- Monitoring networks for several private companies.
- More than 150 international scientific publications related to marine environmental monitoring and management.
