The purpose of this project is to improve the knowledge of the marine biodiversity of the Alboran region and the information required for the construction of a representative network of marine protected areas in the Alboran Sea, thus complementing the INDEMARES project in that area. Likewise, it also seeks to improve the availability of information through the integration and standardization of existing databases related to biodiversity, the management of coastal and coastal zones and marine protected areas in the Alboran Sea area. This is intended to develop a set of guidelines and recommendations to assist in decision-making processes at the national, regional and international levels

The purpose of this project is to improve the knowledge of the marine biodiversity of the Alboran region and the information required for the construction of a representative network of marine protected areas in the Alboran Sea, thus complementing the INDEMARES project in that area. Likewise, it also seeks to improve the availability of information through the integration and standardization of existing databases related to biodiversity, the management of coastal and coastal zones and marine protected areas in the Alboran Sea area. This is intended to develop a set of guidelines and recommendations to assist in decision-making processes at the national, regional and international levels

The project arises from a problem detected among experts from both shores about the need to consider the Alboran Sea as a complete and homogeneous unit of environmental management. Its main objective is to contribute to the improvement of governance of the Alboran Sea for the maintenance of good environmental status and sustainable use of marine goods and services in accordance with the Community Directive of the Marine Strategy and in line with the Barcelona Convention and its Protocol on Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean and the Protocol on the Integrated Management of Areas Coastal Fisheries (ICZM) of the Mediterranean ratified by Spain in 2010.

This proposal is also part of a larger project called POCTEFEX-ALBORÁN co-financed by the European Union within the Spain-External Borders Cross-Border Cooperation Programme (POCTEFEX), a European initiative to promote collaborative relations between Spain and Morocco through aid from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The leader of this project is the Regional Government of Andalusia and its partners are the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment of the Regional Government of Andalusia, the University of Almeria and the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation.

To achieve the objectives of the project, the following action plan has been drawn up:

• Design of the structure of a geoportal with information on the natural resources of the Alboran Sea
• The creation of networks of Spanish/Moroccan experts and platforms for joint work on marine biodiversity, integrated coastal zone management, marine protected areas and geoportals.
• Organization of two workshops for the definition of the bases and structure of a geoportal of the Alboran Sea (foresight and analysis of databases, normalization and standardization of information and pilot case).
• Improving the shared management of marine protected areas and their biodiversity
• Organization of three expert workshops on shared management of marine protected areas, biodiversity and integrated coastal management models in the Alboran Sea.
• Conservation of the emblematic species of the Alboran Sea: cetaceans and turtles.
• Promotion of global approaches in integrated coastal management for the creation of common cross-border bases for the implementation of the ICZM Protocol in the Alboran Sea.
• Evaluation of the effectiveness of the management of MPAs in the Alboran Sea for the establishment of a representative network.
• Presentation of the results at a regional conference on the Alboran Sea that plans to include a political framework that will contribute to strengthening institutional relations between the two shores
• Preparation, consensus and adoption of Recommendations addressed to governments, regional and international conventions and agreements.