ASIMUTH is the first step to develop short term HAB alert systems for Atlantic Europe. This will be achieved using information on the most current marine conditions (weather, water characteristics, toxicity, harmful algal presence etc.) combined with local numerical predictions.
The main scientific objectives are:

• The identification of key past events for training the modelling system.
• Incorporation of the GMES Marine Core Services (MCS) with the above selected events to develop model based hindcast products, system tuning and development of an operational model for event forecast.
• Design of regional model systems and delivery of nowcast for specific HABs and location information, transport pathways, remote sensed data.
• Population of HAB-Distributed Decision Support system (HAB-DDSS) (effectively a HAB specific Thematic Assembly Centre) from relevant data streams (phytoplankton, biotoxin, satellite, in-situ, etc).
• Provision of expert interpretation of the available data by way of the web-portal carried out on a periodic basis depending on risk. Assessment delivery via a warning system to end users.