To mitigate the erosion of marine biodiversity in the transboundary area by maintaining and restoring ecosystems and protected areas. These are the objectives of SEA MARVEL – Save, Enhance, Admire MARine VErsatile Life, which fit perfectly into the theme “The ocean: life and means of subsistence”, chosen to celebrate World Oceans Day 2021.
The Second World Ocean Assessment 2021 of the United Nations, in fact, confirmed that the marine environment is constantly threatened by pollution, including micro and macroplastics, by climate change, by the acidification process of the seas, by the rise in water levels and from overfishing with the consequent depletion of marine biodiversity and the impoverishment of small artisanal fishing communities. The activities of the Sea Marvel project aim at fighting such threat factors.
Over time, several countries have signed various agreements for the adoption of sustainable management models for natural resources, but unfortunately the implementation of such agreements is slow, and in the meantime the endangered species are disappearing ever faster and illegal fishing remains widespread. “Sea Marvel can significantly contribute in achieving this goal by increasing useful knowledge, raising awareness among environmentally responsible communities and fostering the stakeholders’ collaboration to facilitate faster progress in regional enhancement and preservation of our seas, the blue cradle of life on our planet,” said Professor Adriana Vella of the University of Malta.
