Improved Science-Based Maritime Spatial Planning to Safeguard and Restore Biodiversity in a Coherent European MPA Network

Funding Programme: 
European Commission
Sea Basin(s): 
Baltic Sea
North Sea
Atlantic
Western Med
Eastern Med
Black Sea
Countries: 
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Estonia
Finland
France
Italy
Lithuania
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Spain
Other
Status: 
Ongoing
Completion Year: 
2025
Website/Source: 

http://ccms.bg/en/our-projects/378-msp4bio

Project Implementation Period: 
August 2022 - July 2027
Specific Funding Programme: 

European Commission Horizon Europe Programme (Research and Innovation Actions), Grant Agreement: 101060707-MSP4BIO-HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01.

About the Project: 

The MSP4BIO supports the implementation of the EU (European Union) Biodiversity Strategy (EUBS) 2030, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) post-2020 framework, and the EU Green Deal. The MSP4Bio puts biodiversity considerations into policy decision processes to develop an integrated socio-ecological management of the marine ecosystems.

The principal goal of MSP4BIO is to highlight how Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) supports the protection and restoration of biodiversity, through the promotion of Blue Economy and IMP.

MSP4BIO develops an integrated and flexible socio-ecological management coping with a fast-evolving environment for marine ecosystems and validates its efficiency in six test sites across five European Sea Basins (Atlantic, North, Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Sea). The management is based on enhanced systemic biodiversity prioritisation criteria for MPAs and EBSAs from scientific literature and linking spatial ecological features with socio-economic considerations.

MSP4BIO includes stakeholder knowledge with the use of the local Communities of Practice (CoPs) in each of the test sites.

CoPs are composed of MSP local planners, MPA managers, sectoral regulators, and industry representatives as well as NGOs.

Project partners

  • CEREMA, France;
  • Centre for Coastal and Marine Studies (CCMS), Bulgaria;
  • Gdansk Maritime University (GMU), Poland;
  • University of Cadiz (UCA), Spain;
  • Universite De Nantes (UNANTES), France;
  • University of Tartu (UTARTU), Estonia;
  • WWF European Policy Office (WWF-EPO), Belgium;
  • Coastal Research and Planning Institute (CORPI), Lithuania;
  • The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM), Finland;
  • CNR ISMAR, Italy; Vlaams Instituut Voor De Zee (VLIZ) Belgium;
  • Suomen Ymparistokeskus (SYKE) Finland;
  • University of Azores (UAC), Portugal;
  • National Institute for Marine Research and Development Grigore Antipa (NIMRD), Romania;
  • Priority Action Programme Regional Activity Centre (PAP/RAC), Croatia;
  • Seascape Consultants Ltd. (SEASC), United Kingdom.