The BLUE CONNECT project (Strict protection, restoration and co-management of Marine Protected Areas to ensure effective ecosystem conservation and improved connectivity of Blue Corridors) is funded by the European Commission Horizon Europe Mission Ocean Programme, Grant Agreement: 101156759 — BLUE CONNECT — HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01.
Project duration: The BLUE CONNECT will run for 42 months (02 September 2024 – 01 March 2028).
Project partners: BLUE CONNECT is a consortium of 18 project partners, including SUBMARINER Network (coordinating partner in this project), from 13 countries.
COORDINATOR: SUBMARINER NETWORK FOR BLUE GROWTH EWIV
BENEFICIARIES: Flanders Marine Institute (VlIZ); Royal Belgian Institute of Natural (RBINS); Center For Coastal and Marine Studies (CCMS); Salt Research AS (SALT); Universiteit Gent (UGENT); Stichting Deltares (Deltares); Norwegian Institut For Water Research (NIVA); Universidad De Malaga (UMA); University Of Tartu (UTARTU); Wwf Mediterranean (WWF Med); Submon (SUBMON); Universidade Dos Acores (UAC); Jan De Nul Nv (JDN); Institutul National De Cercetare-Dezvoltare Marina Grigore Antipa (NIMRD); The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM); Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation (BBF); Maio Biodiversity Foundation (FMB); University Of The Highlands And Islands - UHI House.
Project objectives: The BLUE CONNECT project addresses the urgent need to protect and restore marine habitats and ecosystems and to reach ambitious EU and global protection and restoration targets by 2030. Together with Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) managers, authorities, industries, and local communities from 12 Demonstration sites and beyond, BLUE CONNECT is co-developing, promoting, and demonstrating a systematic approach to marine conservation planning and management.
This collaborative effort will result in the creation of a powerful Blueprint, directly supporting 1) setting science-based conservation objectives, 2) co-defining conservation actions for effective MPA co management, 3) ensuring conservation effectiveness and 4) demonstrating the high potential of these tools for replicability and broader use. This will be made possible by establishing a holistic modelling framework that integrates various elements of biodiversity, ecological functioning, ecosystem services, and connectivity, while also considering inputs from stakeholders and local communities regarding social, economic, and cultural aspects when defining MPAs and ecological corridors.
The project will contribute to a more comprehensive, science-based and inclusive approach to designating new MPAs or expanding existing ones, transitioning to strict protection, restoring ecosystems, enhancing ecological connectivity, and facilitating MPA co-management. By fostering just and fair stakeholder cooperation and citizen science initiatives, BLUE CONNECT will build a greater feeling of co-ownership of protected and restored marine ecosystems and MPA networks and empower communities to play a crucial role in safeguarding our seas.
CCMS Role: in BLUE CONNECT CCMS is leader of the Work package on Showcasing effective co-ownership and co-management: engaging stakeholders and citizens. CCMS also leads two important tasks on the uptake of effective co-management and co-ownership actions and lessons learnt on monitoring and evaluating conservation effectiveness with replication potential, and CCMS is a co-leader of the Bulgarian Demonstration site (Burgas Bay) together with BBF. CCMS takes also active participation to all other Work packages and tasks.