DEVelopment Of innovative Tools for understanding marine biodiversity and assessing good Environmental Status
EcoReach has been co-Leader of the WP7 (Outreach, stakeholder engagement and product dissemination) of the DEVOTES project–DEVelopment Of innovative Tools for understanding marine biodiversity and assessing good Environmental Status.
Project overview
The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires Member States to take measures to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) in the marine environment, by 2020. DEVOTES will develop tools to understand and describe biodiversity status at an European scale, including as many components of the ecosystem as possible, providing the scientific knowledge, upon which appropriate monitoring and management strategies can be designed and made available for managers.
Project objectives
The project aims at:
1. Improving our knowledge of the impact of human activities (cumulative, synergistic, antagonistic) and climate change on marine biodiversity;
2. Testing the relevant indicators proposed by EC and currently being compiled by the Regional Sea Conventions, and develop new, innovative ones;
3. Developing, testing and validating innovative integrative modelling (e.g. statistical, conceptual) and monitoring tools;
4. Implementing cost-effective indicators, monitoring and assessment strategies;
5. Propose and disseminate strategies and measures for ecosystems’ adaptive management.
Project partners
To achieve these objectives, DEVOTES Consortium includes a varieties of bodies (23 partners), including 4 SMEs and 3 non-EU partners (Turkey, Ukraine & Saudi Arabia). In addition, there are 2 USA observers.
Project details
Project number: Grant agreement no. 308392
Duration: 1st November 2012 to 31st October 2016
Project leader: AZTI-Tecnalia
Project webpage: www.devotes-project.eu
Main funder: European Commission (FP7)