EFFECTIVE

Protection and restoration of  marine protected areas in the Mediterranean.

The EFFECTIVE project develops a comprehensive scientific knowledge base and practical guidance, combining science, technological, nature-based solutions, digitalization, and social engagement, for the application of the ecosystem-based management to the protection and restoration of the EU’s Mediterranean Blue Natural Capital.

The development of the project is divided into the three fundamental pillars of ecosystem-based management:

• First, the development of protection and restoration tools and the establishment of a policy framework, which aims to implement technological and nature-based solutions for the restoration and protection of marine biodiversity, focused on expanding the protection status of different marine protected areas and promoting the connectivity of natural systems and its potential to provide ecosystem services.
• Secondly, an information pillar, which is based on the deployment of innovative scientific and technological solutions for monitoring biodiversity and marine ecosystems, together with different digital tools to facilitate the analysis and visualization of the collected data.
• Finally, a participative pillar integrating the governance framework and social engagement for co-management, co-creation, capacity building activities, and marine literacy.

EFFECTIVE is implemented in four pilot areas, which include different protected marine areas of the Mediterranean: Mar de l’Empordà (Spain), the Ebro Delta Bays (Spain), Northern Sardinia (Italy) and Cavo Greco (Cyprus). In addition, in connection with these pilot areas, the Mediterranean Cetacean Migration Corridor is included.

Eurecat leads, through its Climate Solutions and Ecosystem Services Unit, the restoration actions carried out in the pilot area of the Ebro Delta bays, where an innovative management scheme is implemented to favor biodiversity, aquaculture and fishing activity.

In addition, the Unit enhances the provision of essential ecosystem services to mitigate the effects of climate change in a degraded marine area linked to the Natura 2000 Network and the Natural Park of the Ebro Delta. In this restoration scheme, several solutions are proposed to improve the quality of the water and sediments of the bay to promote the restoration of priority habitats.

The EFFECTIVE consortium, led by the Marine Technology Centre – CTN, is made up of 22 organizations and companies from 12 different European countries.