According to the IPMA, the FitoAvista program, published on the institute's website, can function as "an early warning tool" of phenomena that "are usually associated with abundant concentrations of microalgae and can affect water quality, aquatic life, human and animal health and economic activities such as aquaculture and tourism".

Communication of sea foam or water coloration can be done via the email sent to plancton@ipma.pt.

FitoAvista comes after the IPMA launched in 2016 the citizen science program GelAvista, which aims to monitor gelatinous organisms, such as the Portuguese caravel, the most dangerous of these species.