Sunce has been engaged for many years in analyzing the pressures of human activities on marine and coastal ecosystems (with a particular emphasis on seagrass meadows, such as Posidonia oceanica) and proposing possible solutions to reduce these pressures. Seagrass meadows are one of the most important and endangered marine habitats. They are shelters and feeding, spawning, and breeding grounds for numerous marine organisms. Meadows produce oxygen and protect the coast from erosion. In this way, they support fishing and the local economy. Seagrass meadows are threatened by free anchoring (nautical tourism), beach filling and replenishment, wastewater, aquaculture, and the use of destructive fishing gear.
The BIOPRESSADRIA project began on March 1, 2024, and will last for a total of 30 months. Its aim is to test and implement a joint cross-border strategy to achieve practical solutions aimed at reducing the impact of coastal and nautical tourism on marine and coastal biodiversity. Cross-border cooperation in this project will enable the sharing of experiences, data, and information among project partners and stakeholders, thereby further contributing to increasing the efficiency of protecting valuable marine habitats.
The identification and assessment of habitat quality state and pressures associated with nautical tourism will be made in pilot areas in the Adriatic as part of the project. A practical tool to manage collected data will be established. The involvement of various stakeholders will contribute to a systematic analysis of pressures and the development of measures for their solution.
The BIOPRESSADRIA project is funded under the Interreg Italy-Croatia Cross-Border Cooperation Program (Program Priority 2 – Green and Resilient Shared Environment). There are a total of 8 project partners (4 Italian and 4 Croatian partners), of which the Municipality of Monfalcone is the lead partner.
Lead Partner: Municipality of Monfalcone
Project Partners: Association for Nature, Environment and Sustainable Development Sunce, SELC Cooperative Company, CORILA – Consortium for coordination of research activities concerning the Venice lagoon system, Management consortium of Porto Cesareo Marine Protected Area, Public Institution National Park Kornati, Public Institution for the Management of Protected Nature Areas of Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Public Institution for the Management of Protected Areas of Split-Dalmatia County – Sea and Karst.
Total Project Budget: EUR 2,369,480.00
EU Funding: EUR 1,895,584.00
Start Date: March 1, 2024
End Date: August 31, 2026
Project Manager on behalf of Sunce:
Zrinka Jakl, MSc in Biology
E-mail: [email protected]
Communication Manager on behalf of Sunce:
Bruna Perica, MSc in Journalism and Public Relations
E-mail: [email protected]
Official project website: Not yet operational
