The TOSCA (Tracking Oil Spills & Coastal Awareness network) project is cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund in the framework of the MED Programme. It intends to improve the quality and effectiveness of decision-making process in case of marine accidents concerning oil spill pollution and search and rescue (SAR) operations in the Mediterranean.This will be done with the help of a network including local authorities, policy makers and scientists, with a scientific maritime monitoring and forecasting system and with the implementation of decision support tools and action plans.
The TOSCA consortium involves 12 partners from 4 countries of the Eastern and Western Mediterranean area, namely: France, Italy, Greece and Spain. The project is managed by the PACA Sea Innovation & Business Cluster - Toulon Var Technologies (PMP-TVT) and scientifically coordinated by the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO) - Toulon University.
One of the main goals of TOSCA consists in developing an efficient strategy for transport monitoring and prediction using HF radars, drifters and model results, to be used in case of accidents at sea, such as SAR or oil spills.
By bringing together local authorities and internationally recognized laboratories, the partnership combines expertise in marine forecasting systems and experience in emergency response and action plans.