DEVOTES Newsletter N° 3

DEVelopment Of innovative Tools for understandig mar ine b iodivers i ty and assess ing good Environmental Status

Angel BorjaProject Coordinator

Dear Colleague,

The DEVOTES project has completed the first 18 months of work and it is time to look at the main achievements obtained within this time, dealing with the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).

This is a complex project, with 23 partners from all EU regional seas and the Red Sea, together with 2 USA observers, with near 200 scientists working on it.The project is organized under 25 operational objectives and 65 tasks, with the aim of a broad and cooperative participation of many partners at each of them.Taking into account that the aim of DEVOTES is that all outputs could serve stakeholders, Member States, Regional Sea Conventions and the European Commission in the implementation of the MSFD, most of our deliveries are publicly available at devotes-project.eu/deliverables-and-milestones,whilst scientific publications can be reach in zenodo.org/collection/user-devotes-project.

Within these initial 18 months some important achievements can be highlighted:> A catalogue of the EU monitoring networks for the MSFD, detailing the geographical distribution of monitoring, the descriptors, biodiversity components and pressures targeted, the frequency and the availability of time-series data and policy relevance has been produced.> A gap and SWOT analysis of these monitoring networks have been completed.> A catalogue of indicators targeting MSFD Descriptors 1, 2, 4 and 6 across EU, together with a software (DEVOTool) hosting the catalogue, have been completed.> A catalogue of available models for biodiversity assessment and needs for development has been completed.> Important progress relating molecular approaches in biodiversity monitoring, in different biodiversity components, has been achieved (e.g. in phytoplankton,

meiofauna and macroinvertebrates).> An operational definition of Good Environmental Status, together with the ways in which it could be interpreted, has been proposed.> A prototype tool to assess the status of biodiversity is on place and it is going to be improved and tested.> In this period, 21 papers have been published in peer-review journals.> Partners are training a total of 12 PhD students.> Post-graduate training courses (6) and a summer school on genomics (with 38 participants) have been organized.> A stakeholder workshop (30 beneficiaries) has been organized.> A workshop on “Molecular tools for detecting alien species and Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)” (25 beneficiaries) was organized.> Two DEVOTES special sessions have been organized in international conferences (in Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, USA, 2013; and in European Geophysical Union, Austria, 2014), on marine genomics and human pressures and ecosystems, respectively.> DEVOTES members have attended more than 140 workshops, conferences and meetings.

Complete details on the above achievements and others in progress are reported in this newsletter and can be consulted in the 18 months report, which is available for partners at our website. Given these records, we believe that the project is progressing reasonably well and we are confident that we will achieve all our objectives at the end of the project.

One of our main challenges is to disseminate these achievements to the appropriate stakeholders, supporting them in implementing the MSFD in due time and cost-effectively. Hence, we consider this Newsletter as a good way to establish close contact with all our stakeholders.

Enjoy our progress!

www.devotes-project.eu

DEVOTES Newsletter N° 3

Work package 5 (WP5) is devoted to the development of innovative tools useful in marine monitoring, including both instrumental and methodological approaches. WP5 aims to improve our understanding of ecosystem functioning and biodiversity changes at the different levels of biological organization (from microbes to vertebrates). A special emphasis is given to the development of novel approaches that enable a better performance of monitoring by expanding spatial and/or temporal analyses, and by automatically measuring the metabolic rates or physiological performance of key groups.During the first 18 months, WP5 partners have worked to evaluate the use of a variety of methods to monitor physicochemical and biological parameters. Partners involved in this WP are called to present their results on the application of innovative monitoring techniques. Furthermore,the call is extended to those partners from other WPs interested in assisting to the workshop.

The workshop will take place at the Institut de Ciències del Mar in Barcelona on 13-14 October. The program includes talks by our guest speakers followed by talks to be presented by the participants. The meeting will start on 13th of October around noon to allow partners to arrive in Barcelona the same day. The meeting will finish in the afternoon of the 14th October.Guests speakers:> Ramiro Logares, ICM-CSIC> Anders Lanzén, Neiker-Tecnalia> Naiara Rodriguez-Ezpeleta, AZTI-Tecnalia> Shinichi Sunagawa, EMBL

If you are interested in participating, please send an email to Isabel Ferrera (iferrera@icm.csic.es) before August 15th to confirm your participation and a tentative title if you wish to present your results to organize the final program.

In this issue:- DEVOTES Announcements- Inside DEVOTES - DEVOTES Science News- DEVOTES Latest Publications

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The meeting will be held in Ancona (Italy) and organized by CoNISMa, during the first week of December 2014.More information will be soon available on DEVOTES website.

- Events 10- Outside DEVOTES 13

We are pleased to announce the Second Annual Meeting of DEVOTES project.

> DEVOTES Announcements

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The second DEVOTES WP5 Workshop "Innovative Monitoring Techniques" will be hosted at the the Institut de Ciències del Mar (Barcelona, Spain) on 13-14 Oct. 2014

DEVOTES Newsletter N° 3

The 11th AZTI’s Marine Research Division Summer School and the second one organized within DEVOTES, has been held in San Sebastián (Spain) from 15th to 17th July 2014.The Summer School, exploring the potential and recent advances in the use of marine modelling (some of them developed in DEVOTES), at different scales (from species to ecosystems), in management applications, including scenarios of climate change, was attended by 75 young researchers.

...Lucille and Sónia, our DEVOTES Scientists of the Month!

Click here to learn more about their research topics and their interests.

The 7 teachers gave an overview on the marine modelling to ocean and coastal management, with a closer view to the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), especially in descriptors such as: biodiversity, fishing, food-webs and seafloor integrity.

A conversation with....

Devotes Summer School "From Species to Ecosystems: Modelling Marine Ecology for Management Applications”by AZTI-Tecnalia

> Inside DEVOTES

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DEVOTES Newsletter N° 3

From 9th to 13th of June 2014, a microarray training was organized in Ancona at the facilities of Polytechnic University of Marche, Italy.Program included full range of laboratory work from sample filtration, RNA extraction and subsequent microarray preparation, hybridization and scanning, as well as introduction into data analysis.

“It was a unique possibility to be introduced into microarray workflow at the fully equipped laboratory under the supervision of the highly qualified expert in the field. Personally for me it was a first practical experience of work with RNA and microarrays. This training enabled us to carry out same or similar work under minimal supervision in another adequately equipped laboratory. I’d like to thank the efforts of Dr. Marco Berzano, who has invested a lot of his time into organization of the training and was always very patient, clear and helpful. It was very nice and useful experience of collaboration made possible within the DEVOTES project. We would also like to acknowledge lab directors and staff at the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences for the access to facilities and general organization.“ Sergei Danchenko - PhD student, University of Cadiz/University of Algarve

“I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Marco Berzano for the opportunity of DEVOTES microarray training course. The training course was very well organized and really efficient and useful for my Ph.D. thesis. We succeeded in following the whole procedure – from sampling and filtering to microarray scanning and data analysis.” - Nina Dzhembekova – Ph.D. Student, Institute of Oceanology – BAS, Varna

Microarray training at Polytechnic University of Marche

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DEVOTES Newsletter N° 3

Conceptual models help draw together, visualise and understand the issues and problems relating to actual or predicted situations and how they might be solved.

In recent years, Pressure-State-Response (P-S-R) frameworks have been central to conceptualising marine ecosystem risk analysis and risk management issues and then translating those to stakeholders, environmental managers and researchers. It is axiomatic that society is concerned about the risks to the natural and human system posed by those pressures (thus needing risk assessment) and then is required to act to minimise or compensate those risks (as risk management).The Deliverable 1.1 explores existing conceptual models of pressure-state change and refines these to produce a new model focusing on the way in which state change arises from the individual to the ecosystem level.

Difficulties are addressed in dealing with cumulative impacts and in particular with multiple simultaneous pressures, which more often occur in multi-use and multi-user areas. An improved understanding of the interactions between drivers, pressures and states (or, more particularly, the pressure-state change (P-S) linkage) is important to help facilitate consideration of possible Responses, but this is not something that is specifically provided for by application of the DPSIR approach alone (Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response).

Assessment tools including matrices assessments, dynamic ecosystem models and Bayesian Belief Networks are described. The Bow-Tie application is introduced as a marine risk assessment and risk management tool and the conceptual framework is redefined to incorporate mechanisms of pressure effect into a new model structure that supports the application of risk management approaches. In turn, the challenges for moving from conceptual frameworks to assessments are investigated.

Physical state changes associated with abrasion that potentially lead to an overall loss of seafloor integ-rity, and consequent biological state changes (at population, community or ecosystem level) that would be detected by Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) indicators.

Smith C, Papadopoulou N, Barnard S, Mazik K, Patrício J, Elliott M, Solaun O, Little S, Borja A, Bhatia N, Moncheva S, Robele S, Bizsel KC, Eronat AH 2014. Conceptual models for the effects of marine pressures on biodiversity. Deliverable D.1.1., DEVOTES Project, 82 pp.

Available at: www.devotes-project.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/DEVOTES-D1-1-ConceptualModels.pdf

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Conceptualising our ecosystem problems. Coupling DPSIR with BowTie and Risk Managementby HCMR

> DEVOTES Science News

DEVOTES Newsletter N° 3

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Colonization of ARMS (red circles) and ASUs (blue circles) installed in the Basque coast during one year

Within DEVOTES, two innovative biodiversity monitoring devices (ARMS: Autonomous Reef Monitoring System, and ASU: Artificial Substrate Unit) for hard-bottom substratum have been deployed in locations across different regional seas (Baltic, Atlantic, Mediterranean, Black Sea and Red Sea: for details, see DEVOTES Newsletter 2, November 2013).At each location, 9 devices were deployed at 3 different sub-locations. Once collected, these devices will be used to explore benthic colonization on standardized surfaces, which will be evaluated through genomic sequencing.

The final purpose of the study is to compare biodiversity and assess connectivity across regional seas.These devices were deployed in Spring-Summer 2013 and, after one year, they are ready to be uninstalled and studied. During this time, we were fretting over the results of this experience, as the winter in Europe was very hard, with numerous storms and waves; thus, we thought that the devices could not support the wave energy and be lost. Luckily, they have survived and have been colonized (see examples from the Basque coast in the photographs).

We have already started uninstalling them and hope that the information obtained could contribute to a better understanding of biodiversity.An additional goal of the study is to determine the cost-benefit of these devices and to compare it with that of traditional methods for biodiversity assessment.

Have a look at the video of the recovery after one year!

ARMS and ASUsby A. Borja

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DEVOTES WP2 is addressing the socio-economic implications of achieving GES. This includes identification of criteria to determine the cost-effectiveness of different monitoring suites and assessment of the cost-effectiveness of current monitoring methods and of new methods developed within DEVOTES. For example, data is being collated on the costs of deploying ARMS and ASU’s as novel monitoring devices (WP5 research).Securing cost-effectiveness means that the MSFD monitoring requirements are fully met at least cost. A scoring system is being developed to ensure that relevant socio-economic criteria beyond purely monetary will not be dismissed when planning monitoring schemes, and to identify the trade-offs between different monitoring suites. In addition to cost and

employment, the socio-economic criteria could include the preservation of expert skills that might be lost due to automation of monitoring for example. We welcome any further ideas of social criteria from the DEVOTES consortium. Cost-effectiveness will be determined through multi-criteria analysis utilising the scoring system. For this analysis, comprehensive data on monitoring costs and other criteria will be gathered. The data is collected using spread sheets, and will be supported by process charts that break down the monitoring activities into a visual sequence of actions (see figure for a simplified example). The process charts together with the cost data will help to compare monitoring schemes and related costs between countries.

Our pilot case study areas are the Gulf of Finland and Bay of Biscay, and other case studies will be developed later in the process (including the East Coast of England in the North Sea). As part of the process we are preparing spread sheets to be populated with costs of monitoring activities including, for example, time taken to carry out activity, number of staff involved, level of expertise required (and associated salary costs), other activities that can be carried out simultaneously to

share ship or travel time, equipment required, recurrent/consumable costs, etc.We plan to hold a workshop at the annual meeting in December to discuss the approaches and their further development. If you, or someone within your organisation, is willing and able to help provide costs of monitoring data (for the case study or other sites), please contact Joona Salojärvi (Joona.Salojarvi@ymparisto.fi).

Identification of cost-effective MSFD monitoring and assessment systems (DEVOTES Objective 2.1)by J. Salojärvi, M. Austen, S. Oinonen, L. Paltriguera, T. Borger

DEVOTES Newsletter N° 3

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This software allows navigating a catalogue of existing indicators of marine biodiversity, within all European Regional Seas. In addition, indicators of other descriptors such as non-indigenous species, food-webs, and seafloor integrity can be also searched. These indicators are necessary to assess the environmental status of European seas, within the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).An additional goal of the study is to determine the cost-benefit of these devices and to compare it with that of traditional methods for biodiversity assessment.Currently, the catalogue includes 557 entries, which have been collected from Member States and Regional Sea Conventions. The catalogue contains information on metadata ranging from indicator descriptions, data requirements, developmental status to geographical coverage and applicable habitats, biodiversity components and related human pressures. Both operational indicators and indicators in earlier stages of development are included.The aims of the catalogue are twofold: firstly, to identify the strengths and possible gaps of the European indicator set in order to focus the development of new indicators where it is most urgently needed; and secondly, to foster transfer of know-how across countries and marine regions, so that indicators operational in one area could be potentially adapted to other areas and used in the environmental assessment. To enable efficient learning also from outside the European borders, the catalogue includes indicators not only

from the EU but also from countries outside the EU.

DEVOTool software (release version 0.64). The Catalogue of indicators is available as a database with accompanying software, DEVOTool, which enables browsing the metadata as well as extracting lists of indicators using various criteria. The indicators best fulfilling any set of criteria can be produced, enabling users to search, for example, for indicators that could be suitable to fill an identified gap in their marine area. Additionally, an analysis capability is included that can produce simple rankings of specific subsets of indicators based on different criteria. The tool and the indicator catalogue will be continuously maintained and updated. Potential users of this tool are Member States, Regional Sea Conventions, the European Commission, non-governmental organizations, scientists and any person interested in marine environmental issues.

The DEVOTool software version 0.64 and Catalogue of Indicators (database version 6) are provided as zip files containing an .exe for the Windows operating system (Windows XP and newer) and a disk image for the MacOS X operating system (versions 10.5 to 10.8, not tested on 10.9 yet). Click on the logos to download the DEVOtool.

DEVOTES presents a software tool to select indicators for the Marine Framework Strategy Directiveby H. Teixeira, B. Torsten

DEVOTool: the DEVOTES software containing a Catalogue of Indicators (database v. 6)

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Click on the preview and discover all other DEVOTES papers published so far!

The mapping and assessment of the ecosystem services provided by benthic habitats is a highly valuable source of information for understanding their current and potential benefits to society. The main objective of this research conducted by AZTI researchers is to assess and map the ecosystem services provided by benthic habitats in the European North Atlantic Ocean.More than 90% of the mapped area (62 habitats have been analyzed in relation to 12 ecosystem services over 1.7 million square km) provides biodiversity maintenance and food provision services; meanwhile, grounds providing reproduction and nursery services are limited to half of the mapped area. Benthic habitats generally provide more services closer to shore—rather than offshore—and in shallower waters.This work was published in Frontiers in Marine Science and it is avalailable for reading on DEVOTES community in zenodo.

The ecological niche concept is very important in ecology. But what a niche looks like is fairly abstract. Now, for the first time, Leo Nagelkerke (Wageningen University) and Axel Rossberg (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Cefas) have concretely visualised this. The ecologists have been able to determine the position of fourteen fish species in relationship to their food in a four-dimensional food diagram. Their pioneering work was published in Theoretical Ecology and it is avalailable for reading on DEVOTES community in zenodo.

Mapping ecosystem services provided by benthic habitats in the European North Atlantic Oceanby Galparsoro I., Borja À. and Uyarra M.C.

> DEVOTES Latest publications

Trophic niche-space imaging, using resource and consumer traitsby Nagelkerke L. and Rossberg A.

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When Angel and Alice suggested a special session on Marine Biodiversity to the organizers of the IMBER Open Science Conference in Bergen, Norway, they did not expect such an overwhelming response form the science community. IMBER is the Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research project, an interdisciplinary global environmental change research initiative.For more information about IMBER, see http://www.imber.info/The conference theme was “Future Oceans – Research for marine sustainability: multiple stressors, drivers, challenges and solutions”. The topic proposed by Angel and Alice for the special session was Marine environmental status and biodiversity: from structure to functionality, delivering ecosystem services.

Angel said “This proved to be very attractive to the scientific community and resulted in over 60 submissions of abstracts for oral and 15 poster presentations”.There were several presentations about the DEVOTES project and active

participation from the international science community, showing that this topic is of global relevance. There were presenters from Canada, the USA, Israel and Australia as well as many presentations from Europe.“It was a difficult choice, but finally we narrowed the selection to 25 oral presentation in a session that was 2 days long. 4 of the presentations were keynotes and there were also 6 posters” said Alice.

Angel Borja made the first keynote presentation on “Good Environmental Status of marine ecosystems: What is it and how do we know when we have attained it?” based on the Borja et al (2013) paper. “If we don’t have a working definition of Good Environmental Status we don’t have a clear objective” said Angel.

Mike Elliott gave the second keynote presentation on “How will climate change affect our ability to meet Good Environmental Status for marine biodiversity?”. Mike explained how changes in the climate were changing the baseline. Mike said “It is like trying to hit a moving target”.

> EVENTSThe DEVOTES project at the IMBER Open Science Conferenceby A. Borja and A. Newton

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In the third keynote, “Biodiversity indicator inventory – a catalogue software and a review of the current indicator set”, Anna-Stiina Heiskanen presented one of DEVOTES’ first outputs, the DEVOTES software Tool. “The tool is designed to help managers select indicators for the Marine Framework Strategy Directive”, said Anna-Stiina. To find out more about this useful tool see:http://www.devotes-project.eu/devotool

In the fourth and last keynote Alice Newton took us on a journey “Exploring links from Eutrophication to Biodiversity: two descriptors accessing the good environmental status of the European seas”. Alice explained how the links could be useful in designing cost effective monitoring but also could be the source of double accounting if they are not fully understood.

> Anna-Stiina Heiskanen presented on the “Conceptual framework to assess the state of marine ecosystem services”> Sabine Cochrane’s presentation was entitled “Towards an integrated assessment of European marine biodiversity – from concepts to tools” > Tiziana Luisetti explored the difficult theme of “The European Marine Strategy Framework Directive: barriers to its implementation” > James Strong explained “The role of biodiversity in marine ecosystem functioning and their relevance to the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, its monitoring, modelling and management” > Aurélie Chaalali questioned “How will climate-induced primary production changes affect the overall food-web functioning of a highly exploited ecosystem?”

> Joana Patricio presented the “Monitoring networks currently used in European seas” and asked “Is the marine monitoring for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive fit-for-purpose?”. Joana also showed another DEVOTES output, the catalogue of Monitoring Networks. To find out more about this useful catalogue see Deliverable 1.3.There were also several presentations from the Marmoni project and regional seas, the Baltic, the Mediterranean and the Barents.“Circumstances in Crimea meant that some of our DEVOTES colleagues were not able to join us” said Alice, “it was a pity that Tanya Churilova could not make her keynote presentation”.“It is wonderful to meet up with colleagues who are also friends” said Anna-Stiina, “you have time to talk about science and get to know each other. This is more than just science networking”.“We are grateful to IMBER for hosting the special session” said Alice “it is exciting to see how they are moving towards Future Oceans within the implementation of the Future Earth programme”.

Angel has organized a Special Issue of Continental Shelf Research to publish the papers resulting from the presentations.> Submit on line, at the link: http://ees.elsevier.com/csr/default.asp> Deadline: 15th September 2014.

Click here for further information

DEVOTES Newsletter N° 3

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On June 21 2014 a worldwide sampling campaign of microbial life within marine surface water was successfully within the framework of Micro B3’s Ocean Sampling Day (OSD).

It encompassed 185 marine research locations from Iceland to Antarctica and from Moorea (French Polynesia) via the Americas to South Africa including 9 DEVOTES partners.

On Ocean Sampling Day, June 21st 2014, Sophie Pitois collected samples for bacteria, phyto and zooplankton analyses. A special thank goes to the scientist in charge Paul Whomersley and the rest of the crew for their help and their enthusiasm to join the event during this beautiful day in the Eastern Channel.

RV Cefas Endeavour was carrying out a survey in the Folkestone Pomeria Marine Conservation Zone, as part of their data and evidence collection program.

Marine scientists from the Dokuz Eylül University participated in the international Ocean Sampling Day (OSD) to collect environmental and biological data for analysis of microbial diversity and function in marine ecosystems around the world.

Have a look at the video of DEU sampling activity on OSD!

Click here for more information about Micro B3’s Ocean Samplig Day

A Worldwide Scientific Adventure for Biodiversity: The Ocean Sampling Day, a Global Event for Sequencing the Oceans

DEVOTES @ Ocean Sampling Day (OSD 2014)

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ADRIPLAN stands for ADRiatic Ionian maritime spatial PLANning and is a project funded by DG MARE under the theme “Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) in the Mediterranean sea and/or the Black sea”. The total project budget is 1.250.000€, the duration of the project is 18 months from 10 December 2013 until 10 June 2015 and it is implemented by 17 Partners from 4 countries of the Adriatic –Ionian Macroregion.The ADRIPLAN project aims to improve the ongoing process to develop MSP in the region, to overcome barriers of full participation of all neighbouring countries in the process and promote sound technically/scientifically based political decisions in order to promote a coherent transnational approach to the spatial planning of the marine seas. The study area is the Adriatic – Ionian Macroregion considered as a whole, zooming into two focus areas, one in the Northern Adriatic Sea and the other in Southern Adriatic Northern Ionian Sea.Within the framework of the Blue Growth strategy (COM(2012)494) suggesting that the future economic development of European countries should maximize the sustainable use of marine environments and their services., the ADRIPLAN project aims to analyze and allocate the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities in order to achieve ecological, economic, and social objectives, reducing current and potential conflicts between uses and with the environment and

enhancing synergies of sectors on an international basis. Under an Ecosystem-Based Approach umbrella it is crucial to tackle the system in a holistic way and to take into consideration all the connections between natural and anthropogenic factors and between involved actors and stakeholders both at national and transnational level.The project will be pivotal in developing MSP in the Mediterranean, considering also the recent endorsement of the MSP Directive (COM (2013)133 ) by the European Parliament on April 17th 2014 (EC – IP/14/459 17/04/2014). Moreover ADRIPLAN aims to contribute in promoting the harmonized implementation of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR).

ContactsProject CoordinatorAndrea BarbantiConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-Istituto di Scienze Marine (CNR – ISMAR)Email: andrea.barbanti@ve.ismar.cnr.itWebsite: www.adriplan.eu

Click on the preview anddownload the ADRIPLAN factsheet.

ADRiatic Ionian maritime spatial PLANningby M. Maniopoulou

> Outside DEVOTES

DEVOTES Newsletter N° 3

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Every year, millions of tons of litter end up in the marine environment worldwide, including the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean Marine Litter Week 2014, was launched by Janez Potočnik, EC Commissioner for Environment and well-known advocate for curbing marine litter in Europe, together with Ioannis Maniatis, Greek Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change.

The Mediterranean Marine Litter Week included The DeFish Gear Conference, the MARLISCO marine litter exhibition, the DeFishGear experts meeting and a 3-day regional training workshop bringing together more than 500 participants including experts, decision makers, scientists and representatives of civil society and industry from all over the Euro-Mediterranean area as well as from European and International organizations.

Launch of the Mediterranean Marine Litter week events. Janez Potočnik EC Commissioner for Environment, Ioannis Maniatis Greek Minister of Environment, Prof. Michael Scoullos & Dr.

Thomais Vlachogianni from MIO-ECSDE, the host of the Events. Photo: MIO-ECSDE.during one year

Launch of the DeFishGear Conference. From Left: Dr. A. Krzan DeFishGear project coordinator, Ms. D.T. Avgerinopoulou President of the Special Permanent Committee on Environmental Protection of the Hellenic Parliament, Dr. T. Vlachogianni MIO-ECSDE, Dr. A. Tsikliras,

Greek Special Secretariat for Water.

DeFishGear is part of an active community of science and society reporting on research achieve-ments, macro- and micro-litter status assessments, training, new methods, clean up missions, �shing for litter schemes, strange litter on the sea bed and seashore, recycling for litter and �shing nets, targeted awareness raising events and sharing articles and photos on www.facebook.com/de�shgear and www.de�shgear.net

DeFishGear at the centre stage in the Mediterranean Marine Litter Weekby N. Papadopoulou

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DeFishGear:

> is carrying out a comprehensive assessment of the status of marine litter in the Adriatic to provide a key strategic input on a regional level> will set up of a system to collect and recycle derelict �shing gear and implementation of ’�shing for litter’ activities> is raising awareness for �shermen, policy makers and others on the impacts of marine litter and the actions needed to e�ectively address this issue.

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We need your help to do it better

If you have any suggestion or if you want to contribute to the project dissemination with news and pictures on marine biodiversity research, please let us know!

Contact us at devotes.project@gmail.com

Copyright © 2013 DEVOTES Dissemination Team - Ecoreach srl, All rights reserved.You are receiving this email because you are either participant of DEVOTES project, you subscribed for it or you expressed your interest at some of the events organised by the project or its partners.

Disclaimer:The sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. The information on this newsletter does not necessarily represent the view of the European Commission (EC). This newsletter reflects the views only of the DEVOTES partnership and cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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