ProjectMEDiverSEAty
Creating conservation strategies with, and for, coastal communities
In Quest of the Human Dimensions of Mediterranean Marine Biodiversity (MEDiverSEAty)
"MEDiverSEAty advances marine biodiversity conservation by fully integrating social, cultural, economic and ecological dimensions. By placing biodiversity at the heart of Mediterranean Ocean Literacy, it meaningfully connects science, policy and society." - Prof. Marcella Schmidt di Friedberg
Project impact
Across the Mediterranean, life often revolves around the sea, but this relationship is different for each community. To protect biodiversity in the water, a variety of perspectives and expertise is required on land. The MEDiverSEAty project is working to integrate the views of coastal communities into marine conservation and bring ocean biodiversity into the everyday lives of citizens who live by and rely on the Mediterranean. Built around the two pillars of Ocean Literacy and Marine Biodiversity Conservation, the project is training 10 doctoral candidates to help understand how local communities’ attitudes and values affect conservation efforts. They are exploring areas such as representations of marine biodiversity, gender dynamics in fishing communities, and how art about conservation practices can reshape people’s views of the sea. This project is encouraging citizens to participate in field research and collaborate with policymakers to develop a shared framework for ocean conservation that incorporates the perspective of coastal communities around the Mediterranean. Through a Doctoral Network spanning six Mediterranean countries, the project promotes interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration among researchers, public authorities, NGOs, cultural institutions and local communities. Without this perspective, conservation strategies risk failure when making the leap from paper to the water.
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Coordinator
Italy
Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca
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Participating and partners countries
- France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS
- Greece
- Panepistimio Aigaiou
- Malta
- Università ta’ Malta
- Montenegro
- Javna Ustanova Univerzitet Crne Gore Podgorica
- Spain
- Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
- Fundación TBA21
- France
- Bloom Association
- École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales
- Greece
- Mouseio Fysikis Istorias Apolithomenou Dasous Lesvou
- Italy
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
- Worldrise
- Malta
- Heritage Parks Federation
- Montenegro
- Javno Preduzeće za Upravljanje Morskim Dobrom Crne Gore Budva
- Spain
- Marilles Foundation – Fundació Marilles per a la Conservació de la Mar Balear
- Universitat de les Illes Balears
- France