Port Impact on Marine Protected Areas: Cross-Border Cooperative Actions

This programme faces the challenge of managing protected marine areas (PMAs) close to port areas. The objective is to define cross-border sustainable management plans for the adequate protection of PMAs in harmony with the development needs of the ports, which are fundamental for Blue Growth. IMPACT will build a dedicated geographic information system (GIS) and put it out on the web. This system will be organised as datasets related to:

a) transport of marine currents between ports and PMAs, based on oceanographic measurements from coastal radars and drifters;

b) ecological retention properties of PMAs, obtained with ecological surveys and numerical models; and

c) distributions of contaminants, based on historical data and dedicated measurements.

It will produce maps featuring signalling indexes to estimate over time the vulnerability of the different PMA areas to the pressures brought on by port proximity. The approach is based on an innovative modelling and monitoring plan that capitalises on and extends the existing cross-border infrastructure network built into the MOMAR and SICOMAR projects. The GIS web platform will be the unitary interoperable PMA management tool for the bodies in charge of planning maritime spaces in implementation of Directive 2014/89/EU. Furthermore, the project will provide vital support to the bodies responsible for implementing the Marine Strategy Framework Directory; Regione Toscana’s partners ISPRA (Italy) and Ifremer (France) have long been directly involved in this process. The partnership includes 4 regions: Tuscany, Liguria, Corsica and PACA; the methodology will be tested in 4 PMAs near the ports of Livorno, La Spezia, Bastia and Toulon. This cross-border approach focuses on issues regarding key and vulnerable areas and ensures effective actions based on shared infrastructure networks and practices.

Project partners

• Institute of Marine Science, National Research Council – CNR-ISMAR (IT);
• Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale - ISPRA (IT);
• Consorzio Laboratorio di Monitoraggio e Modellistica Ambientale (IT);
• Université de Toulon (FR);
• Laboratoire d'Ecogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR);
• Regione Toscana (IT);
• Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (FR);
• Centro Interuniversitario di Biologia Marina ed ecologia applicata G. Bacci (IT).