• trawling net boat with three bottlenose dolphins

MARINE Education and COmmunication network on the MEDiterranean

An Erasmus+ Project to foster education and research through a strategic partnership

The MARINE_ECOMED Project is framed to enhance research and cooperation within the Mediterranean region in the field of sustainable management of marine and coastal areas through the development of innovative communication and education strategies.

The Project enhances the integration of professional experiences and approaches in sustainable management of marine and coastal areas from non-governmental organizations and academic institutions with the goal to improve the quality of research and education in this multidisciplinary subject. Main project objectives are the implementation of an innovative education pathway for university students and the creation of new open education resources that will be made available to any researcher, teacher or student interested in the project topic.

MOOC in planning and management of marine and coastal areas

This course aims to provide participants with an overall knowledge of planning and management of marine and coastal areas, the principles, and approaches that can be adopted for its effective elaboration and implementation. Specific focus will be addressed on available stakeholder engagement approaches and communication strategies to support planning and management of marine and coastal areas.

time commitment 15 hours

Certificate of Accomplishment

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Handbook on Integrated Ocean Management in the Mediterranean

The Handbook aims to provide an overview of the Integrated Ocean Management (IOM) topic and its state of implementation in the Mediterranean, through an ecosystem approach and targeted communication strategies.
To complement the knowledge and understanding of IOM, a series of good practices relevant to the subject are presented. Several case studies have been collected from research and environmental conservation organizations, to provide a comprehensive overview of different approaches that can be adapted and replicated in different geographical contexts.

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The Intensive Study Program

About 40% of global population lives within 100km distance from the coast and its livelihood is strictly dependent from the resources generated and human activities developed in this transitional area at the edge between land and sea. On the other hand, human activities and uses – implemented on the coast both onshore and seawards – represent a driver of impacts and pressures on marine and coastal ecosystems threatening their integrity and productivity. In addition, climate change and related phenomenon, such as sea level rise, are rapidly changing the coastal environment and its dynamics reducing the resilience capacity of coastal human and natural systems.

Thus, to allow conservation of the marine and coastal areas, its ecosystems and the services they provide to humanity and to ensure the sustainability of human activities depending on it, effective planning and management of this dynamic transitional environment through an ecosystem approach play a crucial role.

The Marine_Ecomed project has organized 3 editions of an Intensive Study Program targeted to Master students of the partner Universities. The ISP included a online course followed by a 2-weeks international workshop where participants were challenged to work on real case studies within the Mediterranean area in order to apply and test the new knowledge and competences acquired during the online course, through a simulated practical experience of planning and management

The ISP has been shaped to provide participants with an inclusive knowledge and understanding of terrestrial and marine spatial planning and management and how they can be integrated through an innovative approach that take into account the complexity and dynamicity of land sea interactions. Main approaches and strategies for planning and management of marine and coastal areas, their applicability at different scales and in different natural and socio-economic contexts, are explored through the study program.

The ISP editions

  • 2019

    Aix de Marseille - Marseille (France)

  • 2021

    Aristotle University - Thessaloniki (Greece)

    2021

  • 2021

    IUAV - Venice (Italy)

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Resources

Academic Training

It encloses the Open Educational Resources (OERs) created by experts of the universities involved in the project.

The Academic training will focus on planning and management approaches for marine and coastal areas.

Ocean Literacy Training

It encloses the Open Educational Resources (OERs) created by the experts of the non-academic institutions involved in the project.

The Ocean Literacy training will focus on stakeholder engagement and communication strategies to support planning and management of marine and coastal areas.

Handbook on Integrated Ocean Management in the Mediterranean

The MARINE_ECOMED Handbook represents an innovative, freely available manual on the field of marine sciences, sustainable marine management and how to educate and communicate on this subject from the Mediterranean perspective.

MOOC: Planning and management of marine and coastal areas

The experience, knowledge and material produced and collected during the project will be shared and organized through a freely accessible Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).

Dissemination

A public event has been organized each year to disseminate project results, share research and education experiences and foster collaboration with experts from institutions external to the MARINE_ECOMED partnership.

The Ecomed Network

The Ecomed Network is a visual tool to connect individuals and institutions active in the field of marine education and communication in the Mediterranean; through an interactive map it will be possible to visualize the network, locate experts and institutions included in the network and view related information and contact details.

Partner institutes

Iuav University of Venice was established in 1926 as one of the first Architecture Schools in Italy. To this day, it still maintains its unique status.

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It is a design-themed university focusing on the teaching, research and practice in the design of living spaces and environments (buildings, cities, landscapes and territory) and in the design of everyday use objects, of fashion and of graphics. Based at Iuav, the Planning Climate Change research group recognizes the spatial planning as part of the complex and dynamic set of relationships between man and nature. Planning Climate Change is composed of young researchers with different skills and experiences and performs theoretical and applied, innovative and multidisciplinary researches. The consolidated experience of group’s researchers, with different and complementary specializations, guarantees them the possibility to provide an integrated and synergic vision of spatial planning. Maritime spatial planning (MSP) is, among others, a main research focus at Planning Climate Change which has collaborated to support the implementation of the MSP in the Mediterranean through several European projects.The research group’s main feature is the ability to coordinate and manage all phases of research and project, from the initial design up to the implementation.
The research group works with several organizations, professionals and technicians to deal with the complexity and the multidisciplinary nature required by the research topic.

Aix-Marseille University (AMU) covers many fields of knowledge (sciences, economy, health, laws, litterature, human sciences).

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Among its components, the Observatoire des Sciences de l’Univers (OSU) Pytheas is focused on environmental sciences in the most general meaning, from the deep ocean to space, with more than 1000 persons working in five laboratories. One of them, the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), leads researches on the role of oceans in the earth functioning. As AMU is located on the boundary of the Nothern Mediterranean Sea, a special focus is done on this particular ecosystem.

Activities performed at the MIO linked to the project concern the impact of global change on Mediterranean systems and related ecosystems services. The scientific fields cover physical oceanography at several spatial scales (from the whole Mediterranean sea to local coastal regions in the Nothern Mediterranean sea), marine chemistry including contaminants (fate and distribution), biogenic elements, interfaces fluxes and marine ecology with an integrated approach of ecosystems functioning.

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) is the largest university in Greece. It comprises of 10 faculties which consist of 40 schools.

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The Department of Ecology (DoE), hosted in the School of Biology, is one of the most active research departments in the field of ecological science in Greece. The DoE attempts to capture a more holistic picture of the dynamic and multidimensional processes that structure biodiversity patterns and ecosystem services in our changing planet. In line with the needs and priorities raised by EU’s environmental agenda, the DoE aims to integrate knowledge, offer novel tools, combine scientific expertise and draw sound policy recommendations for a sustainable future.

SUBMON is an NGO founded in 2008 which works in the study, conservation, management and awareness of the marine environment.

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SUBMON is an NGO founded in 2008 which works in the study, conservation, management and awareness of the marine environment. It concentrates mainly around issues related to protected species and ecosystems, working to preserve the marine biodiversity with the final aim of achieving a sustainable use of the marine environment. We aim to achieve this by promoting a change in the relationship between society and the Ocean. Furthermore, SUBMON is made up of a multidisciplinary team of specialists and professionals (biologists, veterinarians, engineers, environmental educators). We carry out in situ work, through specialized research and conservation projects completed in the field. Then it uses the knowledge and findings resulting from this research and work to improve the conservation of the marine environment, both through the application of those findings into improving the management of marine protected areas, an through the “translation” and transmission of that knowledge and care for the marine environment to the society in general.

The Tethys Research Institute is an Italian non-profit research organisation supporting marine conservation through science and public awareness.

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The Tethys Research Institute is a non-profit research organisation supporting marine conservation through science and public awareness, founded in 1986. Since its beginning, Tethys has promoted research and conservation activities on marine mammals, in particular cetaceans (whales and dolphins) and the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal, although investigations have also extended to devil rays and marine turtles. The main goal of Tethys is the conservation of the marine environment, achieved through the provision of scientific knowledge to conservation policy, and the participation in the international conservation process. Accordingly, Tethys first conceived and proposed the creation of an iconic protected area, the Pelagos Sanctuary for the Conservation of Mediterranean Marine Mammals (in 1991), which was also the world’s first marine protected area established beyond national jurisdiction. Another important element of Tethys’ contribution to marine conservation is public awareness, achieved through the institute’s presence on the social media, on popular media and public television, as well as through the involvement, as research volunteers, of thousands of people from all over the world in its conservation activities (cruises and field bases). Started in 1987, Tethys’ involvement of volunteers in its research is amongst the world’s longest standing programmes of citizen science.

iSea is a non-profit NGO, founded in 2016  with the aim of preserving and restoring the precious and unique heritage of the natural aquatic environment.

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iSea is a Not-for-profit non-governmental organization, founded in 2016 in line with the Articles 741 et seq. of the Civil Code and the applicable company law legislation of the Greek State. The overall aim of iSea is to preserve and restore the precious and unique heritage of the natural aquatic environment; its main pillars focus on the following four topics: aquatic litter, the relation of humans with aquatic ecosystems, alien/invasive species, and fisheries.
iSea also aims the protection of aquatic ecosystems through the sensitization of the state, managers, and public opinion, to take action when and where is a necessity. iSea uses a variety of tools including scientific research, citizen science and environmental awareness raising campaigns, in order to inform on the negative impacts of climate change on aquatic ecosystems and promote sustainable development, based on technical expertise and striving for social, economic, and environmental welfare.