Crete's coastal area has garnered significant attention due to recent hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and the maritime transport surge post the Suez Canal expansion. Stakeholders like local authorities, port authorities, coast guards, shipping companies, and the tourism industry increasingly require high-resolution forecasting products to aid their maritime activities. For instance, ports often face extreme events like high winds, waves, and varying sea levels, impacting every phase of port operations. Local port authorities, especially in the Port of Heraklion, have expressed a need for visual, high-resolution met-ocean information from forecasting models, early warning systems, and in-situ sensors to enhance maritime safety and environmentally sustainable transport services.

To address these needs, FORTH and MEEO are enhancing the COASTAL CRETE platform. This upgrade will feature a met-ocean and marine navigation DTO, harnessing advanced forecasting services rooted in numerous algorithms, Sentinel data, and in-situ observations from the Iliad project. A special emphasis will be on the Heraklion port area, with a DTO focused on high-resolution information tailored to ensure cost-effective, safe, and environmentally sustainable port operations. By utilising this platform, port authorities and the shipping industry will benefit from high-resolution forecasts, efficient ship scheduling based on real-time weather and sea state reports, and a user-friendly web tool for CO2-optimal route visualisation.