It has had the participation of new organizations that will be involved in the execution of various actions planned in this phase of the largest marine conservation project in Europe.

The ninth management committee of the LIFE INTEMARES project, which we coordinate, has had the participation of new organizations that will be involved in the execution of various actions planned in this phase of the largest marine conservation project in Europe.

Specifically, the Junta de Andalucía, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development, as well as the Environment and Water Agency; AZTI, a technology centre specialising in strategic and applied marine research based in the Basque Country; the University of Alicante and, finally, the Polytechnic University of Valencia. These entities will become partners in the project soon, once the European Commission confirms their incorporation.

The partners shared the main advances of the project and addressed the actions that will be carried out in the coming months in conservation, research, governance and training, as well as communication and awareness-raising, among other areas.

During this year, different participatory processes have been promoted, including the updating of the management plans of 24 Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) in the Canary Islands. Within this framework, nine face-to-face workshops have been held in which 300 participants and 150 entities have been involved. Participatory processes have also been launched for the development of governance and training strategies and the Master Plan of the Network of Marine Protected Areas, key tools that are being finalized to achieve effective management of the marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network together.

In addition to participation, science is another fundamental pillar in the management of marine protected areas. During 2019, four oceanographic campaigns have been carried out in the Menorca Channel; Murcia and the south of Alicante; Cap Bretón and the Avilés Canyon. A fifth expedition is currently in the south of Mallorca, where it will explore seamounts to propose the declaration of this space as a new marine protected area.

Also at the scientific level, meetings of experts have been held to update the ferruginous limpet and to update the standard list of marine species.

Likewise, the citizen science program for marine research has been launched in alliance with Observadores del Mar of the CSIC, which will expand its area of action to all marine demarcations. In the field of awareness-raising, more than 3,600 volunteers have participated in activities to protect the coastline from pollution, among other threats.

In marine conservation, new measures have been promoted to protect turtle nesting on beaches. On the other hand, we have participated in reference events, such as Before the Blue COP in Madrid, co-organised together with the Ministry for Ecological Transition and promoted by the Because the Ocean initiative on climate change and the marine environment. Likewise, Intemares has been present at artistic and multidisciplinary events such as Piel de Atún and the Cotec innovation festival, #Imperdible_04. In December we will participate in the world marine mammal congress in Barcelona.

LIFE INTEMARES

The LIFE INTEMARES project aims to achieve a network of marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network managed in an effective and integrated way, with the active participation of the sectors involved and research as basic tools for decision-making.

The Biodiversity Foundation coordinates the project. The General Directorate of Sustainability of the Coast and the Sea of the Ministry for Ecological Transition, the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, the Spanish Fisheries Confederation, SEO/BirdLife and WWF-Spain participate as partners. It has the financial contribution of the European Union’s LIFE programme, among other sources of funding.

Do you want to know more about LIFE IP INTEMARES?

You can follow our twitter @LifeIntemares and through the hashtag #Intemares to find out all the news and marine news. You can also check the website  intemares.es, where you will find all the information about the project.