The mediterranean sea we want

open58siThis paper presents major gaps and challenges for implementing the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) in the Mediterranean region. The authors make recommendations on the scientific knowledge needs and co-design actions identified during two consultations, part of the Decade preparatory-phase, framing them in the Mediterranean Sea’s unique environmental and socio-economic perspectives. According to the ‘Mediterranean State of the Environment and Development Report 2020’ by the United Nations Environment Programme Mediterranean Action Plan and despite notable progress, the Mediterranean region is not on track to achieve and fully implement the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030. Key factors are the cumulative effect of multiple human-induced pressures that threaten the ecosystem resources and services in the global change scenario. The basin, identified as a climate change vulnerability hotspot, is exposed to pollution and rising impacts of climate change. This affects mainly the coastal zones, at increasing risk of extreme events and their negative effects of unsustainable management of key economic assets. Transitioning to a sustainable blue economy is the key for the marine environment’s health and the nourishment of future generations. This challenging context, offering the opportunity of enhancing the knowledge to define science-based measures as well as narrowing the gaps between the Northen and Southern shores, calls for a joint (re)action. The paper reviews the state of the art of Mediterranean Sea science knowledge, sets of trends, capacity development needs, specific challenges, and recommendations for each Decade’s societal outcome. In the conclusions, the proposal for a Mediterranean regional programme in the framework of the Ocean Decade is addressed. The core objective relies on integrating and improving the existing ocean-knowledge, Ocean Literacy, and ocean observing capacities building on international cooperation to reach the “Mediterranean Sea that we want”.openCappelletto M.; Santoleri R.; Evangelista L.; Galgani F.; Garces E.; Giorgetti A.; Fava F.; Herut B.; Hilmi K.; Kholeif S.; Lorito S.; Sammari C.; Lianos M.C.; Celussi M.; D'alelio D.; Francocci F.; Giorgi G.; Canu D.M.; Organelli E.; Pomaro A.; Sannino G.; Segou M.; Simoncelli S.; Babeyko A.; Barbanti A.; Chang-Seng D.; Cardin V.; Casotti R.; Drago A.; Asmi S.E.; Eparkhina D.; Fichaut M.; Hema T.; Procaccini G.; Santoro F.; Scoullos M.; Solidoro C.; Trincardi F.; Tunesi L.; Umgiesser G.; Zingone A.; Ballerini T.; Chaffai A.; Coppini G.; Gruber S.; Knezevic J.; Leone G.; Penca J.; Pinardi N.; Petihakis G.; Rio M.-H.; Said M.; Siokouros Z.; Srour A.; Snoussi M.; Tintore J.; Vassilopoulou V.; Zavatarelli M.Cappelletto M.; Santoleri R.; Evangelista L.; Galgani F.; Garces E.; Giorgetti A.; Fava F.; Herut B.; Hilmi K.; Kholeif S.; Lorito S.; Sammari C.; Lianos M.C.; Celussi M.; D'alelio D.; Francocci F.; Giorgi G.; Canu D.M.; Organelli E.; Pomaro A.; Sannino G.; Segou M.; Simoncelli S.; Babeyko A.; Barbanti A.; Chang-Seng D.; Cardin V.; Casotti R.; Drago A.; Asmi S.E.; Eparkhina D.; Fichaut M.; Hema T.; Procaccini G.; Santoro F.; Scoullos M.; Solidoro C.; Trincardi F.; Tunesi L.; Umgiesser G.; Zingone A.; Ballerini T.; Chaffai A.; Coppini G.; Gruber S.; Knezevic J.; Leone G.; Penca J.; Pinardi N.; Petihakis G.; Rio M.-H.; Said M.; Siokouros Z.; Srour A.; Snoussi M.; Tintore J.; Vassilopoulou V.; Zavatarelli M

Mapping and preliminary analysis of infrastructures, observation -data and human capacity building

Data collection and management, marine research infrastructures, and capacity building are fundamental to ensure that Europe benefit from knowledge and innovations possible with marine and maritime research. Over the last years, many initiatives have been launched to better coordinate the marine research infrastructures’ development and use at EU level with the aim to create sustainable cost-efficiency in marine and maritime data collection and management, use of the different research infrastructures, provision of appropriate capacity building services, supporting models for knowledge-based policy-decisions and development of the maritime economy. However, in Europe these initiatives have traditionally been fragmented leading to overlaps and duplication of efforts while important gaps are left unattended. The overall aim of work package 6 of CSA Oceans is to draft optional solutions to overcome some of the major gaps, needs and bottlenecks related to marine research infrastructures, observations/data collection, human resources and capacity building. This will allow identification of where JPI Oceans can add value by providing a gaps and needs analysis as input to the development of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA). As a first step, WP6 has integrated mapping efforts conducted over the last years into one single repository, gathering all information on infrastructures related to marine and maritime research activities. This repository, developed in cooperation with EUROCEAN, will ensure the storage on a long-term perspective of all this information. As part of this mapping exercise, a broad stakeholders and public consultation was conducted in cooperation with WP3, WP4 and WP5 in order to collect input on potential needs/actions/tools to achieve the JPI Oceans goals. Building on this mapping exercise, as well as on other existing initiatives (EURO-Argo, EMSO, EuroGOOS, EUROFLEETS, SEADATANET, JERICO, EuroSites, MyOcean, EMODNET, WISE Marine, Euromarine, SEAS-ERA etc.), WP6 conducted a preliminary analysis of marine research infrastructures and human capacity building. This preliminary analysis should be seen as an introduction to the needs and gaps analysis which will be delivered in a second phase of the project (Deliverable D6.2) in order to develop the SRIA of JPI Oceans. The objective of this document is to report on the first phase of the project: the mapping and preliminary analysis of marine research infrastructures and human capacity building. Chapter 2 is dedicated to the work package methodology, Chapter 3 to the mapping a preliminary analysis of marine research infrastructures including a presentation of the repository and Chapter 4 to the mapping and preliminary analysis of marine human capacity building including a case study

Needs and gaps in infrastructure and human capacity building to feed the SRIA

JPI Oceans aims to address broad priority thematic areas which lie at the intersections of the marine environment, climate change and human activities. In order to understand these interactions, capacities in terms of human resources and infrastructures are required. Because of the very nature of the marine system and climate interaction, there is a need for sustained long-time series as well as integrated observations bringing together physical, chemical, and biological data of the different parts of the seas and oceans. Added to this is the need for geological data to understand hazards and risk, in addition to measurements of sediments for instance in river basins, to measure natural historical vs. human induced climate change. All these infrastructures for ocean observation (permanent, temporary and exploratory) and experimentation/testing are expensive to build, upgrade, maintain and to operate and will benefit from the European planning approach offered by the JPI Oceans mechanism. In order to identify where JPI Oceans can add value in the field of infrastructures and human capacity building, this work package first conducted a mapping of existing infrastructures, observation/data and human capacity building based on a broad stakeholders consultation. The mapping exercise and the stakeholders’ consultation demonstrated that Europe benefits from a wide variety of MRI, existing, in continuous development or in construction, with a total of more than 900 facilities. A preliminary analysis allowed to highlight a number of key issues related to each types of marine research infrastructure2. Regarding Human Capacity Building (HCB), CSA Oceans has built on previous initiatives, in particular the achievements of the SEAS-ERA project to map the European landscape and instruments to support education, training, and mobility3. This mapping exercise has been completed by the analysis of a case study specifically addressing the ‘jobs of the sea’ issue, targeting technology districts dealing mainly with maritime transport activities. Based on the mapping and an in-depth analysis of the stakeholders consultation, the present report proposes needs and gaps that need to be covered for a sustained observation and collection of marine data and develop a long-term European observation system (Chapter 3.), existing gaps in infrastructures for laboratory research and experimentation in different marine and maritime fields (Chapter 4.), general marine research infrastructures gaps (Chapter 5.), as well as gaps and needs in human capacity building (Chapter 6.). These numerous gaps and needs call for an improved joint programming and coordination of marine RIs and HCB in Europe in terms of management and governing mechanisms. The structure of this report is based on the document “state of play - analysis of stakeholders’ consultation” presented to the JPI Oceans Strategic Advisory Board (StAB) and Management Board (MB) at the Oslo meeting (26-27 march 2014). In this structure, each sub-chapter corresponds to a category of needs identified by stakeholders (see also 2.2 analysis of the stakeholders’ consultation). Relevant gaps for JPI Oceans joint activities are listed for each of these issues. As a next step, Work Package 1 of the CSA Oceans project will integrate output of this gap analyses into a coherent Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) and recommend joint actions based on an assessment of the suggested proposals

BLUEMED. Marine and Maritime RTDI Strategies

In the framework of the BLUEMED project, the coordination action supporting the development of the BLUEMED Research and Innovation Initiative for blue jobs and growth in the Mediterranean area (www.bluemed-initiative.eu/), an overview and analysis of funding schemes available at different levels, from national to European and international, has been carried out. This task is part of the activities devoted to strengthening cooperation to consolidate and implement the BLUEMED Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA). It complements the BLUEMED interconnecting Platforms developed by the four BLUEMED operational working groups on knowledge, economy, technology and policy, to update the SRIA and serves as reference tool in the process of developing an operational network of research funders and key players to favour synergies and coordinate the realization of the BLUEMED actions. This report can be considered a background document to initiate and facilitate dialogue and interaction between research funding agencies of different countries and European Institutions. Once the strategic alignment of agendas on areas of mutual interest has been identified, the aim is to lay the groundwork for operational alignment towards the launch of transnational actions. As a first step, a catalogue (Annex I and II) has been compiled for reviewing marine and maritime RTDI strategies. The collected information has been analysed to address opportunities of alignment for joint implementation of the BLUEMED SRIA (section 2) and finally provide a set of preliminary recommendations to develop the BLUEMED Implementation plan (section 3), one of the key deliverables of the project

BlueMed preliminary implementation plan

The governance of our common Mediterranean Sea in the present circular scenario requires an adaptable co-owned plan of actions, interconnecting science and innovation to policy, citizens and the environment, and addressing multiple dimension, from local to international. The BlueMed Implementation Plan provides a medium-term operational tool to develop sustainable Blue Economy in the Mediterranean area. By conveying practical inputs, it accompanies the following trajectories: • Definition of the Smart Specialization Strategies1 by Regions; • Alignment of national marine and maritime strategies; • European R&I Programming, with particular reference to the European Commission Horizon Europe Mission Areas2 “Adaptation to Climate Change including Societal Transformation & Climate-neutral and smart cities” and “Healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters” as well as the candidate Partnerships on “A climate neutral, sustainable and productive Blue Economy“ and on “Zero-emission waterborne transport”; • Development of the Union for the Mediterranean3 strategic policies, i.e. Ministerial on Blue Economy; • Cross-basins exchange of visions and planning approaches; • Contribution, at Mediterranean scale, to the design of the actions of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science4 for global Sustainable Development.peer-reviewe

BlueMed Implementation Plan

The BlueMed Implementation Plan, finalised in March 2021, presents the thematic and structuring activities to be developed in order to ignite a transformative process at the Mediterranean level, addressing the shared research-based priority goals preliminarily agreed by the countries. «The governance of our common Mediterranean Sea in the present circular scenario requires an adaptable co-owned plan of actions, interconnecting science and innovation to policy, citizens and the environment, and addressing multiple dimension, from local to international»: these are the beginning words of the BlueMed Implementation Plan, the result of the BlueMed years-long effort in supporting the  coordination and development of the Mediterranean countries’ initiatives aimed at building the sustainable Blue Growth of the Basin. The document presents the shared priority goals, resulting from the preliminary Prioritisation work, and addresses thematic and structuring activities to be developed in order to ignite a transformative process at Mediterranean level. Each priority, closely linked to a key challenge in the shared BlueMed Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, comes with an “operational receipt” to reach the priority goal and with a set of Strategic Actions, i.e. larger and medium-long term initiatives and activities, with specific scientific or structural content that require strong commitment and additional dedicated resources from research funders; moreover, for each Strategic Action a proposal of feasible promotional actions is reported. The level of participation reached in the actions’ defnition was large, and it can be considered one of the major strengths of the process, which contributed to create a cohesive BlueMed Community

The Mediterranean Sea we want

This paper presents major gaps and challenges for implementing the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) in the Mediterranean region. The authors make recommendations on the scientific knowledge needs and co-design actions identified during two consultations, part of the Decade preparatory-phase, framing them in the Mediterranean Sea’s unique environmental and socio-economic perspectives. According to the ‘Mediterranean State of the Environment and Development Report 2020’ by the United Nations Environment Programme Mediterranean Action Plan and despite notable progress, the Mediterranean region is not on track to achieve and fully implement the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030. Key factors are the cumulative effect of multiple human-induced pressures that threaten the ecosystem resources and services in the global change scenario. The basin, identified as a climate change vulnerability hotspot, is exposed to pollution and rising impacts of climate change. This affects mainly the coastal zones, at increasing risk of extreme events and their negative effects of unsustainable management of key economic assets. Transitioning to a sustainable blue economy is the key for the marine environment’s health and the nourishment of future generations. This challenging context, offering the opportunity of enhancing the knowledge to define science-based measures as well as narrowing the gaps between the Northen and Southern shores, calls for a joint (re)action. The paper reviews the state of the art of Mediterranean Sea science knowledge, sets of trends, capacity development needs, specific challenges, and recommendations for each Decade’s societal outcome. In the conclusions, the proposal for a Mediterranean regional programme in the framework of the Ocean Decade is addressed. The core objective relies on integrating and improving the existing ocean-knowledge, Ocean Literacy, and ocean observing capacities building on international cooperation to reach the “Mediterranean Sea that we want”

The Mediterranean Sea we wan

This paper presents major gaps and challenges for implementing the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) in the Mediterranean region. The authors make recommendations on the scientific knowledge needs and co-design actions identified during two consultations, part of the Decade preparatory-phase, framing them in the Mediterranean Sea’s unique environmental and socio-economic perspectives. According to the ‘Mediterranean State of the Environment and Development Report 2020’ by the United Nations Environment Programme Mediterranean Action Plan and despite notable progress, the Mediterranean region is not on track to achieve and fully implement the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030. Key factors are the cumulative effect of multiple human-induced pressures that threaten the ecosystem resources and services in the global change scenario. The basin, identified as a climate change vulnerability hotspot, is exposed to pollution and rising impacts of climate change. This affects mainly the coastal zones, at increasing risk of extreme events and their negative effects of unsustainable management of key economic assets. Transitioning to a sustainable blue economy is the key for the marine environment’s health and the nourishment of future generations. This challenging context, offering the opportunity of enhancing the knowledge to define science-based measures as well as narrowing the gaps between the Northen and Southern shores, calls for a joint (re)action. The paper reviews the state of the art of Mediterranean Sea science knowledge, sets of trends, capacity development needs, specific challenges, and recommendations for each Decade’s societal outcome. In the conclusions, the proposal for a Mediterranean regional programme in the framework of the Ocean Decade is addressed. The core objective relies on integrating and improving the existing ocean-knowledge, Ocean Literacy, and ocean observing capacities building on international cooperation to reach the “Mediterranean Sea that we want”