INDICIT project attended a workshop organized by the InterReg Med project PLASTIC BUSTERs MPAs in Bonifacio, France, on the 8th of november 2018. The workshop, dedicated to « defining a monitoring strategy for marine litter in Med MPAs » highlighted the importance of synergies between projects, which were invited to present their goals, methods and results.
The Technical Workshop provided the opportunity for exchanging informations, experiences in the perspective of an harmonized methodology to monitor the impacts of marine litter on MED ecosystems and on marine biodiversity, involving endangered species inhabiting pelagic and coastal MPAs.
Plastic Busters MPAs is a 48 month s InterReg project leaded by Ispra (Teresa Romeo) and University of Siena (Cristina Fossi). The 5 million budget is shared by 15 partners from 6 mediterranean countries for carrying out the 6 activities, one of them being the coordination with 17 associate and advisory board members.
After thanking Jean-Michel Culioli, the director of the Reserve naturelle des Bouches de Bonifacio and Corsican authorities for welcoming the 2d project meeting and workshop, Cristina Fossi highlighted, while showing a video about interactions between debris and fin whales, that, being within Pelagos sanctuary, the project will contribute to the strong effort for the conservation of biodiversity , which pays a heavy tribute due to marine debris.
INDICIT project work was mentionned in several presentations about monitoring, while in the afternoon Françoise Claro, WP5 leader presented the European project and proposals for synergies. It was confirmed that the Plastic Busters MPAs project will attend the INDICIT dissemination meeting in Athens, on 2018, the 4th of December.