BioProtect: Solutions to tackle climate change and the human threat to marine biodiversity

Project title: BioProtect

Partners: Matis, International council for the exploration of the sea - ICES, Sjokovin, Universitaet Bielefeld, Submariner network for blue growth EWIV, Indigo Med SMPC, Hafrannsoknastofnun, Ransokna -og- Radgjavarstofnun Hafs og Vatna, Marine Institute Ireland, National University of Ireland Galway, Havforskiningsinstituttet, Nofima AS, Universitetet i Tromsoe - Norges Arktiske Universitet, Associacao Para O Desenvolvimento Do Atlantic International Research Centre, Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigacao Marinha e Ambiental, INESC TEC - Instituto de Engenhariade Sistemas e Computadores, Tecnologia e Ciencia, Universidade Dos Acores, IMAR – Instituto do mar, Universidade de Aveiro

Research Fund: Horizon Europe

Initial year: 2024

Service Category:

environmental studies

Contact

Sophie Jensen

Project Manager

sophie.jensen@matis.is

The project is about developing methodologies and technical solutions to facilitate decision-making about resource utilization or the protection of ocean areas.

Emphasis is placed on good cooperation with economic partners, which are, for example, shipping companies and fisheries associations, municipalities and especially fishing communities, national and international governments, nature conservation organizations, research partners, policy makers and experts. The biological diversity of the sea will be monitored so that it will be possible to account for its status and predict possible changes. There will also be extensive mapping of the use and impact of humans on individual sea areas and species in the sea. An action plan for the prioritization of conservation and restoration measures will also be prepared, as well as an assessment of the ecological, social and economic effects of these conservation measures in five ocean areas, ie by Iceland, Norway, Ireland, Portugal and the Azores.

The BioProtect project contributes, among other things, to European nations achieving the main goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreement, which was signed at the end of 2022. It stipulates that states must protect 30% of ocean and land areas by 2030, and that agreement has been signed by more than 200 countries, including Iceland.

More information about the project can be found on the website bioprotect-project.eu/