It is expected to involve the users of these habitats in conservation actions and to raise awareness of users about the services provided by the meadows and to develop management proposals based on the information derived from the previous modules and from a collaborative process with users.
This proposal will contribute to improving the management of knowledge of seagrass meadows in protected natural areas, and their potential replicability in other areas of the Spanish territory, thus contributing to applied research for the management of marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network.
Specific objectives of the project:
1.To document and integrate published scientific information and other existing knowledge on the project topics in the study areas around seagrass meadows and their interaction with other uses.
2. Involve fishermen and collect their ecological knowledge to jointly develop the corresponding maps of the distribution of seagrass meadows and extractive activity, identifying areas of synergy and conflict.
3. Disseminate and raise awareness about seagrass meadow conservation among the users of these habitats and develop a collaborative proposal for improvements and management recommendations
4. To improve the capacities of direct users in terms of protection and recovery of work areas through (i) generation and provision of the necessary tools to develop reforestation campaigns and (ii) involvement of users in conservation actions.
The ZOSTECO project has carried out a comprehensive review of the published literature on seagrass meadows in the regions of Ensenada de San Simón (Galicia) and Bahía de Santander (Cantabria). Based on the information collected from the literature review and interviews with users of these habitats, maps of uses and conflicts and reports with management measures have been prepared through collaborative workshops with active participants from both regions. On the other hand, an educational innovation program has been developed to introduce students to an interest in the scientific research process while highlighting the value of the Zostera meadows.
Within the framework of these actions, the following results have been achieved:
ZOSTECO – Conservation of Zostera noltei meadows in the NW of the Iberian Peninsula: a research based on participatory mapping of ecosystem uses and services