Enhancing social well-being and economic prosperity by reinforcing the eFFECTIVEness of protection and restoration management in Mediterranean MPAs

The EFFECTIVE main objective is to develop a comprehensive scientific knowledge base and practical guidance, combining science, technological nature-based solution, digitalization, and social implication for the application of the Ecosystem-Based management to the protection and restoration management of the EU’s Mediterranean Blue Natural Capital.To ensure the success of this main objective, the EFFECTIVE project counts on partners with broad expertise in relevant areas covering all the three pillars of the EBMS (from applying research stages until companies) as follows: managerial pillar, information pillar, and participation pillar and also a nature-based solution.

In addition, this project provides the implementation of the EBMS in four pilot areas (Mar de l’Empordà, Ebro Delta, Sardinia Septentrional, Cavo Greco) towards protection and restoration solutions, besides taking into account the connectivity between three of them through the existing Cetacean Migration Corridor.To achieve the EFFECTIVE main objective, the following 5 specific objectives (SO) are identified:SO 1.

Apply EBMS to identify, analyze and extend an ecological corridor in the Mediterranean Sea, connecting habitats and biodiversity. SO 2. Apply EBMS to analyse and extend the status of [4] MPA in the Mediterranean Sea.SO 3.

Demonstrate [4] nature-based seabed protection and restoration solutions, including preserving seabed carbon sequestration capacity, in a real environment.SO 4.

To identify limiting factors, gaps and recommendations of existing MPA legislation regarding environmental and anthropogenic pressures, setting up links with previous projects. SO 5.

To implement an innovative digital data visualization and aggregation tool in the form of a Digital Twin for enabling data exploration, research, participation and citizen science.