The HERMES buoy observing network was presented during the annual meeting (5-6 December 2018, Genoa) of MONGOOS, the leading transnational organization composed of over 40 members from academia, civil society and industry and devoted to the development of operational oceanography in the Mediterranean Sea.

The HERMES buoy observation network was presented in a session dedicated to Observation platforms and systems across the Mediterranean Sea as well as during the introduction of ORION as a new member of MONGOOS.

The added value of the HERMES buoy observation network was very much appreciated as it will not only provide data for the needs of the project but will also support the aims of the MONGOOS community. More specifically, it will offer a viable and credible platform capable to provide Real-time in situ data for the calibration and validation of the downscaled MONGOOS forecasting systems derived from CMEMS(Copernicus Marine Environmental Monitoring system).

From its side the HERMES project will use the forecasting and hindcast data provided from the MONGOOS partners, especially from those who are responsible for the operation of the CMEMS Med MFC(Monitoring Forecasting Centre) and CMEMS Black Seas MFCsystems. Particularly, the HERMES project will use the initial, boundaries and surface forcing data provided from MONGOOS/CMEMS Med MFC and CMEMS Black Sea MFC for the HERMES modeling activities in the 4 coastal areas of the project interest in Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and Cyprus.

The expected primary beneficiaries of this knowledge-based process are public authorities and local communities of the involved coastal territories as well as the fast-growing Blue Economy actors.