PREVIMER’s main objective is to produce routine analyses and forecasts on the marine environment state in coastal zones at a range of scales (from the continental shelf to the bay) with a capacity for zooming-in to specific areas. Timescales include both retrospective analyses and short-term forecasts (96h upto 120h for wave forecasts, as delimited by detailed forecasts provided by the French National Weather Service ( Météo France) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts ( ECMWF)).
The emphasis is on validating the maps produced, and their qualification by experts in the field, leading to the implementation and development of a coastal forecasting service, following the examples of meteorology, and more recently, of oceanic circulation.
For whom?
The general public, for leisure activities (bathing, diving, shellfish harvesting, sailing, etc.),
Professional users (shellfish farmers, fishermen, maritime transport, off-shore industries),
Coastal management bodies (local authorities, administrations),
Scientists (national and European cooperation),
Environmental R&D departments (impact surveys).
 "pêcheurs à pied")
Why?
Informing the public for leisure activities (yacht races, shellfish harvesting, etc),
Assessing the microbiological quality of water,
Quantifying the transport of eggs and larvae of marine organisms,
Following-up the introduction of terrigenous matter into the environment,
Studying the proliferation of plankton and macro-algae,
Strengthening the maritime/military security,
Reducing the risks of exposure to accidental pollution,
Improving the scientific knowledge of the environment, the coastal «climatology», etc.
 "Tables ostreicoles avec poches, La Tremblade, 1995")
How?
 "Swell data buoy moored west of Brittany (Pierres Noires)")
Swell data buoy moored west of Brittany
PREVIMER associates an « In-situ and teledetection data » section with a « Modelling » section.
PREVIMER produce modelling results on diverse themes, through the following geographic areas:
Circulation, temperature and salinity in the English Channel and the Bay of Bisquay(MANGA), MARS3D model with a resolution of 4km over 30 levels using barotropic tide and Mercator-Ocean boundary conditions;
Circulation, temperature and salinity in the Mediterranean Sea(MENOR), MARS3D model with a resolution of 1.2km over 30 levels;
Circulation (barotropic current), sea water level and storm surge along French North and West coasts, MARS2D models with a resolution of 250m and a time step of 15 minutes;
Primary Production in the Bay of Biscay and West of Englsih Channel, ECO-MARS3D model with a resolution of 4km over 30 levels;
MARS2D current and sea level coverage
 "MARS2D current and sea level coverage")
Primary Production around Brittany, ECO-MARS3D model with a resolution of 3km over 11 levels;
Wave hight and sea state for the world with a main zoom over the Bay of Bisquay, the English Channel and the North Sea, WW3 model with a resolution of 3.6km (0.5° for the global model);
Wave hight and sea state in Mediterranean sea, WW3 model with a resolution of 3.6km;
Wave hight and sea state along all French coasts, WW3 unstructured model with a resolution up to 200m including tide current informations;
Wave hight and sea state in West Indies, French Polinesia and New Caledonia, WW3 models with a resolution of 5.5km;
 "WW3-NORGASUG wave model")
WW3-NORGASUG wave model
Wave hight and sea state for Reunion Island, WW3 unstructured model with a resolution up to 180m.
PREVIMER progressively integrates other model results with the goal of covering the maximum areas aloung the French borders and the ultramarin regions.
