Protecting marine biodiversity and enhancing Natura 2000 sites. These are the objectives of the Interreg Italy – Malta project “Sea Marvel – Save, Enhance, Admire Marine Versatile Life”, whose results were illustrated yesterday in the auditorium “Giancarlo De Carlo” of the Benedictine monastery.
The project saw the University of Catania and the University of Malta cooperate together with numerous stakeholders.
Scientific research, citizen science, teaching, awareness campaigns, dissemination and training of young people, involvement of local stakeholders, initiatives, marine monitoring. These were the key activities of the Sea Marvel project – financed by the European Regional Development Fund Interreg Italy-Malta – over a period going from November 2020 to today.
The final event was opened by the rector of the University of Catania, Francesco Priolo, who highlighted the university’s commitment to environmental issues and praised “the fundamental synergy with other universities and research bodies in order to achieve objectives such as the defence of biodiversity. For over 20 years – he added – Unict has been managing a protected marine area and seven regional natural reserves, confirming its commitment by developing research, training and dissemination activities”.
A picture from the speech of Minister Nello Musumeci. At his side are the rector Francesco Priolo, the mayor Enrico Trantino and professor Simona Consoli
“The current government has put the sea at the centre of its agenda. On the other hand, 80% of our territory is surrounded by the sea, which is the engine of the economy, especially for the central and southern part of Italy. We must protect it from pollution caused by hydrocarbon spills, plastics and climate change. International cooperation between universities and research bodies is more than welcome because the challenges to be faced for the protection and valorisation of the sea are many, as is the involvement of the population. Precisely the citizens of the territories in which the marine protected areas exist have an important role in socio-economic development” – added the Minister for Civil Protection and Sea Policies Nello Musumeci.
The mayor of Catania, Enrico Trantino, also focused on the active role of citizens, inviting “young people to be more involved in the protection and development of their territory”.
The works – moderated by Alfio Russo, editor in chief of UnictMagazine – continued with the contributions of the deputy director of the Di3A at the University of Catania, Simona Consoli, and with remote interventions by the Maltese Minister for the Environment Miriam Dalli and the vice-rector of the University of Malta Joseph Cacciottolo.
Professor Iuri Peri of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment of the University of Catania and scientific coordinator of Sea Marvel and Professor Adriana Vella of the University of Malta opened the session by highlighting “the project contribution in improving the knowledge of vulnerable marine species and in providing useful information to mitigate phenomena that negatively affect marine biodiversity in Natura 2000 sites.”
Sea Marvel, monitoring activity
Then we listened to the presentations of the work packages of the three-year project by researchers from the two universities: Support to Natura 2000 sites curated by professors Joseph Vella, Adriana Vella and the Conservation Biology Research Group team of the Faculty of Science of the University of Malta; Raising awareness with an introduction of the Sea Marvel project manager, Stena Paternò, and Di3A researchers Alessandra Raffa and Enrico Giarrusso; Experimenting with change with the intervention of the research coordinator Clara Monaco, Maria Clotilde Notarbartolo and Manuela Trovato.
At the end of the first session, the aknowledgment plaques were distributed to the schools that have signed the Plastic Free Schools protocol. We heard each one of them, with an intervention by the school directors and teachers: “Duca degli Abruzzi” Nautical Institute, Classical High School ” Spedalieri”, “Galilei” scientific high school, “Cutelli” national boarding school, “Dusmet-Doria”, ITIS “Archimede” of Catania, “Archimede” scientific high school of Acireale, Terzo of Milazzo, “Pirandello” institute of Lampedusa.
The acknowledgment plaques were also awarded to those who have become Sentinels of the Sea, such as fishermen, ship-owners, yachtsmen and captains. A process that involved numerous citizens of the territories concerned who took action to promote the elimination of plastic from schools and waste from beaches. They also provided valuable data on sightings of specimens of vulnerable or alien species and waste at sea.
The Sea Marvel team
In the afternoon the work continued with the second session which included a round table focused on the participatory management of Natura 2000 sites, with the participation of the partners associated with the Sea Marvel. Among these Leonardo Tunesi and Antonella Arcangeli of Ispra, and, furthermore, the representatives of Accobams, Life and of the marine protected areas of “Capo Milazzo”, “Ciclopi Islands”, “Pelagie Islands”, of the “Oasi del Simeto” nature reserve” and the stakeholders of “Marina” fishermen’s cooperative of Patti and Lampedusa Shipowners’ Association.
In the last phase, the partners and stakeholders participated in the debate, reporting their experiences and what was learned during Sea Marvel, with the aim of continuing collaborating and managing effectively the Natura 2000 Sites. In fact, they are the protagonist of the project aimed at protecting the environment and marine biodiversity (go to the article “Sea Marvel, education to respect the environment on the beach”).
The event ended with closing remarks from prof. Iuri Peri, hoping that the discussion, collaboration and support between the various actors of the sea, between citizens and the government, between Italy, Malta and Europe will continue after the end of the project.
The conference was also the chance to presented to visitors and participants a photographic exhibition of the project, curated by Alessandra Raffa, set up at the Benedictine Monastery in the Chiostro del Levante.
The photographic exhibition of the project set up at the Benedictine Monastery in the Chiostro del Levante
