Towards COast to COast NETworks of marine protected areas (from the shore to the high and deep sea), coupled with sea-based wind energy potential (Coconet)

Description:

COCONET developed a four-step guideline for the selection of MPAs (Marine Protected Areas) in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas, shifting from local (single MPA) to regional (Networks of MPAs) and basin (network of networks) scales. The steps include: (i) collection of relevant information, (ii) identification of cells of ecosystem functioning, (iii) identification of networks and priority areas (iv), and designing a management plan.

This aims to enhance policies of effective environmental management, also to ascertain if existing MPAs are sufficient for ecological networking and to suggest how to design further protection schemes based on effective exchanges between protected areas. The coastal focus was widened to offshore and deep-sea habitats, comprising them in MPAs Networks. These activities also identified areas suitable for offshore wind farming, avoiding too sensitive habitats but acting as stepping-stones through MPAs. Furthermore, an extended analysis of the potential impacts of climate change on wind energy production, based on global climate change scenarios, was presented for the Mediterranean and Black Seas, since wind energy economics may be affected by future wind conditions and therefore should be also considered.

Two pilot projects (one in the Mediterranean Sea and another one in the Black Sea) will test in the field the assumptions of theoretical approaches. The project will produce the guidelines to design, manage and monitor network of MPAs, and an enriched wind atlas for both the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. The project is structured in eleven work packages:

• WP1 Management
• WP2 Habitat mapping: state of knowledge, data integration and scenarios of protection
• WP3 Species assemblages, dispersal and connectivity
• WP4 Scenarios of environmental change (natural and human induced). Role and response of MPAs
• WP5 Offshore wind farms and marine protected areas
• WP6 Socio-economic issues, management and legislation
• WP7 Information, dissemination and outreach
• WP8 Training and capacity building
• WP9 Data management and synthesis
• WP10 Black Sea pilot project
• WP11 Mediterranean Sea pilot project

Climate change was specifically addressed by WP4 and WP5. In particular, WP4 aims to provide further insights into the role of climate variability and climate change (together with the effects of other natural and human induced changes) on ocean circulation and coastal risks and into their implications for establishment of marine protected area (MPA) networks. WP5 estimated the offshore wind power potential over the Mediterranean and Black Seas under current and future climate conditions.

Project information

Lead

National Research Council – CNR-ISMAR (IT)

Partners

3E (BE); CLU (IT); National Research Council, Marine Sciences Institute - CNR-IMAR (IT); Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - CNRS (FR); COISPA Tecnologia e Ricerca, Stazione Sperimentale per lo Studio delle Risorse del Mare (IT); Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare – CONISMA (IT); Centro Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas – CSIC (ES); Technical University of Denmark, National Institute of Aquatic Resources - DT AQUA (DK); GeoEcoMar (RO); HCMR-IOO (GR); Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences – IBER-BAS (BG); Institute of Marine Biology, Kotor (ME); A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of biology of the Southern Seas - IBSS (UA); Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia – IEO (ES); Instituto de Hidraulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria (ES); institut National Agronomique de Tunisie – INAT (TN); Institute of Oceanology Fridtjof Nansen – IO-BAS (BG); Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research Ltd – IOLR (IL); ISRABAT (MA); Istanbul University (TR); Middle East Technical University – MEDU (TR); Marine Hydrophysical Institute, National Academy of Sciences (UA); NatureBureau (UK); NENUPHAR (FR); Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center - NERSC (NO); National Environmental Agency of Georgia (GE); National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” – NIMRD (RO); Russian State Hydrometeorological University (RU); Sinop University (TR); Russian Academy of Sciences, P.P. Shirshov Institute of Eceanoloy – SIO-RAS (RU); Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Ukrainan Scientific Center of Ecology of Sea – Ukr SCES (UA); University of Malta (MT); University of Nice (FR=; University of Rostock (DE); University of the Aegean (GR); University of Zadar (HR); Catholic University “Our Lady of Good Counsel” (AL); Sofia University (BG); Université du Sud Toulon Var (FR).

Source of funding

EC Seventh Framework Programme (FP7)