The Kick-off Meeting for the official launching of the MSP4BIO project took place on 26-27 September 2022 at Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal (organised by the University of the Azores) and online.
The MSP4BIO project (Improved Science-Based Maritime Spatial Planning to Safeguard and Restore Biodiversity in a Coherent European MPA Network) is funded by the European Union` Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under the Grant Agreement: 101060707. The project runs for 3 years (August 2022 – August 2025 and its main objective is to develop and demonstrate the ways in which knowledge-based Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) becomes a vehicle and a tool for the protection and restoration of biodiversity in line with several policy objectives, within its more general objectives of promoting sustainable blue growth, and integrating maritime policies.
Specifically, MSP4BIO will develop an integrated flexible socio-ecological management to cope with a rapidly changing environment for coastal, offshore, and deep-sea ecosystems and validate its concrete applicability in 6 test sites in 5 European Sea Basins (Atlantic, North, Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Sea). MSP4BIO also integrates stakeholder knowledge through the local Communities of Practice (CoPs) in each of the test sites made out of MSP local planners, MPA managers, sectoral regulators and industry representatives as well as NGOs.
The MSP4BIO will be carried out by an interdisciplinary consortium coordinated by s.Pro - sustainable projects (SPRO), Germany. The other participants are: CEREMA, France; Center for Coastal and Marine Studies (CCMS), Bulgaria; Gdansk Maritime University (GMU), Poland; University of Cadiz (UCA), Spain; Universite De Nantes (UNANTES), France; University of Tartu (UTARTU), Estonia; WWF European Policy Office (WWF-EPO), Belgium; Coastal Research and Planning Institute (CORPI), Lithuania; The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM), Finland; CNR ISMAR, Italy; Vlaams Instituut Voor De Zee (VLIZ) Belgium; Suomen Ymparistokeskus (SYKE) Finland; University of Azores (UAC), Portugal; National Institute for Marine Research and Development Grigore Antipa (NIMRD), Romania; Priority Action Programme Regional Activity Center (PAP/RAC), Croatia; Seascape Consultants Ltd. (SEASC), United Kingdom.
The Kick-off meeting was opened by the MSP4BIO project coordinator Ivana Lukic, Senior Consultant at s.Pro - sustainable projects, Germany.
The MSP4BIO kick-off meeting brings together for the first time the project partners to work and discuss on the project tasks and objectives, as well as representatives from the European Commission and REA (European Research Executive Agency) participated at the meeting.
CCMS is partner in the MSP4BIO and co-leads the work package 5 on Operationalisation and participation in test sites and the Black Sea test site (Romanian –Bulgarian cross-border area) together with the National Institute for Marine Research and Development (NIMRD), Romania.
At the meeting, Dr. Margarita Stancheva as CCMS co-lead of the WP5 presented the main objectives and tasks, as well as the main aims, key challenges and expected impacts from the Western Black Sea test site.
Let’s wish us a successful implementation of the MSP4BIO!
Stay tuned for further news and more details on the project activities and results with the MSP4BIO website coming soon!