Shared BLUE knowledge and skills to sustain BIODIVERSITY in mariculture

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-A Italy-Croatia

Date of latest update: 2025-04-30

Description

Description (EN):

The mosaic characterizing the Mediterranean shorelines of Italy and Croatia is rich in culture, traditions and tension to innovation. These features are backed by a remarkable variety of ecosystem services (ESs). BlueDiversity intends to enhance ESs-based practices (via rescuing, re-skilling and up-skilling), which can sustain local ecosystems preservation by reducing impacts of human activities on biodiversity, while enhancing and developing economic and territorial opportunities. In order to achieve the project’s objective, the PPs start with an assessment of the State of the Art work, by analyzing, targeting, experimenting and screening existing practices, innovations already in place, resources available and attitudes of the ecosystem services end users in the Adriatic system highly influenced by tourism. The relevance of the Adriatic socio-eco-cultural characteristics, will be the common thread for the project actions, bringing relevant actors related to the blue economy and blue research to work together towards best and innovative practices aimed at developing a green and sustainable transition in the small-scale fishery sector. The project targets in particular SMEs and establishing “living laboratories” at selected sites, providing institutional support on one hand, and placing them as didactic examples at the much-needed interface with schools and young people, enhancing the framework of the blue economy with a multilateral approach that includes institutional actors and citizens. The path of skills enhancement will flow from co-design to collaboration with the stakeholders and validation by end-users. First-hand information generated via hands-on experimentation of best practices will return to all participants, enriching the training approaches, from theoretical to applied, and making ideas operational. Results will be evidence-based, hence becoming a tool of paramount relevance for a communication strongly based on data literacy, allowing all participants to hold their own information at local, regional and international (SDGs and MSFD indicators for instance) levels. The common sea basin shared by Italy and Croatia is a natural background in ecological terms, where dynamics of co-creation, based on a blend of tradition and innovation, can be established. In fact, the project develops pilot activities that are going to allow the use of innovative fishing gear to tackle an issue that puts Italian and Croatian coasts together, namely the massive presence of the blue crab (a NIS, Non-Indigenous Species) that puts at serious risk the ecosystems of the Adriatic coasts but also represents an interesting commercial opportunity for the sector of tourism and food industry. The concepts behind the realization of these instruments are sustainability and circularity, in fact the production is going to be based on sustainable resources and materials, and the design is going to be thought and developed with a green mindset, concerned about the whole life-cycle of the product and its long-term usability, leading to the realization of a resistant and recyclable quality tool. The implementation of the project is thought to be modular, with successful experiences fully replicable, representing the legacy of the actions and the core of a shift towards blue economy, elements that are going to be strategically disseminated targeting different types of relevant institutional and non institutional actors, especially in the last phase of the project, that focuses on the capitalization of the knowledge, know-how and instruments that are developed throughout the project implementation and that are thought to build a sound ground for future major innovative developments in the field in these territories.

Actual Achievements (EN):

The first reporting period has been characterized by the implementation of Clearing Conditions requested by JS. This phase required a lot of time because many changes, justifications, AF modifications, a new acronym and all new supporting documents were required, produced and submitted in JEMS in July, 2024. LP1 - University of Salento DiSTeBA, Italy, was involved in the management and closure of Clearing Conditions requested by JS/MA after project approval and early starting. This phase required a lot of work, communications with PPs and time to solve the conditions under the supervision of JS/MA. JS and MA supported the LP1 during the CC phase sharing information, supporting documents and guidelines, and online calls. CCs were solved on 05 July, 2024. PPs supported the LP1 during the CC phase sending the new documents and some revisions. Then, LP1 managed the Partner Agreement preparation and signature under the supervision of JS/MA. Partner Agreement was completed and signed on 23 July, 2024 with the contribution of PPs. LP1 - University of Salento DiSTeBA participated to seminars, in presence (LP1 participated to seminar for LPs of approved standard projects promoted by JS/MA of Interreg Italy- Croatia 2021-2027 at the Veneto Region in Venice held on 26th March 2024, in presence. The list of attendance is stored by JS/MA of Interreg Italy-Croatia 2021-2027 and a certificate of attendance of Maurizio Pinna is available and now uploaded in JEMS) and online, organized by JS/MA for sharing the procedures of project reporting, implementation and communication. LP1 contacted all PPs singularly and an online pre-kick off was organized on 26th July, 2024. In this online meeting, preliminary PPs presentations were made, the presentations of pilot areas were made and the kick-off meeting was scheduled on 23-24 September, 2024 in Lecce, Italy, under the organization of LP1. Regarding the KOM of BlueDiversity, it was held in Lecce (Italy) on 23rd and 24th September 2024 in double modality, in presence and online. The lists of attendance of PPs in presence are now uploaded in PR1 for each day of KOM. Except for PP2 – Sea and Karst (online participation), all the other PPs attended the KOM in presence. Anyway, the complete reporting of KOM will be done in the PR2. During the pre-kick-off meeting a general brainstorming was made about the first steps of project implementation regarding the activities of WP1 and WP2, mainly. Since the CC phase required a lot of time mainly from LP1, the first project period was characterized by a soft starting, waiting the co-signature of subsidy contract between the JS/MA and LP1. The subsidy contract was finally co-signed between LP1 - University of Salento/DiSTeBA, Italy, and MA - Veneto Region, Italy, on 20 September, 2024. Due to the delay of co-signature of subsidy contract, some expenditures and investements have been postponed in the period 2. Regarding project activities implementation, LP1 defined its pilot area, Aquatina di Frigole NATURA 2000 Site and maricultures around Salento Peninsula (South of Puglia Region, Italy) and a preliminary application of DNA-based tools (environmental DNA) for the identification of aquatic biodiversity and non-indigenous species (NIS) was concluded; a scientific article was published on a international journal contributing to BlueDiversity aims; the project supported this actvity covering staff costs (look at https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/16/9/525). PPs established their pilot areas too. Staff costs have been the main expenditure of the period 1. Finally, no deadlines of deliverable and output were scheduled in the period 1. Unfortunatly, the PP2 - Sea & Karst did not certified its project report 1 on time to be included in the first submission of PR1 due to overbooking of Croatian FLC, as PP2 reported to LP1. LP1 explains here that PP2 - Sea & Karst received the certification from Croatian FLC on 14 November, 2024, so that the project report of PP2 - Sea & Karst is fully included in the PR1 re-submission after clarification phase n° 1.

Project outputs: White Paper to BlueDiversity(EN)
Roadmap to Blue Economy(EN)
Common Framework for Marine Litter Reduction(EN)
Blue actions for the protection of biodiversity and sustainable aquaculture(EN)
Blue Learning, Innovations and Traditions: a path to joint sustainable development(EN)
Conferences on BLUE aquaculture and skills development(EN)

Thematic information

SME and entrepreneurship Climate change and biodiversity

Priority: (VI-A_I-Hr_2) Green and resilient shared environment

Priority specific objective: RSO2.7. Enhancing protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity and green infrastructure, including in urban areas, and reducing all forms of pollution

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO2 A greener, low-carbon transitioning towards a net zero carbon economy and resilient Europe by promoting clean and fair energy transition, green and blue investment, the circular economy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, risk prevention and management, and sustainable urban mobility

Type of intervention: 079 Nature and biodiversity protection, natural heritage and resources, green and blue infrastructure

Partners (7)

Lead Partner: Università del Salento

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 999863585

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 00646640755 | 80008870752 | dip.scienze.tecnologie.biologiche@cert-unile.it (EN)

Department: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies

Address: Piazza Tancredi, 73100 Lecce, Italy

Department address: via Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://www.unisalento.it/

Total budget: EUR 590 500.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 590 500.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 100.00%

Università degli Studi di Padova

Name: Università degli Studi di Padova

Department: Department of Biology (DiBio)

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 999995602

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 00742430283 | 80006480281 | dipartimento.bio@pec.unipd.it (EN)

Address: via 8 Febbraio, 35122 Padova, Italy

Department address: via Ugo Bassi, 35131 Padova, Italy

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.unipd.it

Total budget: EUR 198 487.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 198 487.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 100.00%

Blu Marine Service Soc Coop

Name: Blu Marine Service Soc Coop

Department: Operational Headquarters

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 937982144

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 02044510440 | 02044510440 | blumarineservice@pec.it (EN)

Address: via Cadore, 63074 San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy

Department address: via A Vespucci (Port Area), 63074 San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy

Legal status: private

Organisation type: SME

Website: http://www.blumarineservice.it

Total budget: EUR 260 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 260 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 100.00%

Javna ustanova za upravljanje zaštićenim dijelovima prirode Dubrovačko-neretvanske županije

Name: Javna ustanova za upravljanje zaštićenim dijelovima prirode Dubrovačko-neretvanske županije

Department: N/A

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 897512774

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 77404345702 | 77404345702 | info@zastita-prirode-dnz.hr (EN)

Address: Branitelja Dubrovnika, 20000 Dubrovnik, Croatia

Department address: Branitelja Dubrovnika, 20000 Dubrovnik, Croatia

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Sectoral agency

Website: https://www.zastita-prirode-dnz.hr/

Total budget: EUR 230 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 184 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 46 000.00

Institut za oceanografiju i ribarstvo

Name: Institut za oceanografiju i ribarstvo

Department: Laboratory for Chemical Oceanography and Sedimentology

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 997589032

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 86235185568 | 86235185568 | office@izor.hr (EN)

Address: Šetalište I. Meštrovića, 21000 Split, Croatia

Department address: Šetalište I. Meštrovića, 2100 Split, Croatia

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.izor.hr

Total budget: EUR 229 999.96

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 183 999.96

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 46 000.00

EDUFORMA SRL

Name: EDUFORMA SRL

Department: Operational Headquarters

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 937696770

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 03824150282 | 03824150282 | eduforma@pec.it (EN)

Address: Galleria degli Scrovegni, 35121 Padova, Italy

Department address: via della Croce Rossa, 35129 Padova, Italy

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Education/training centre and school

Website: http://www.eduforma.it

Total budget: EUR 283 001.60

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 283 001.60

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 100.00%

Javna ustanova za upravljanje zaštićenim dijelovima prirode na području Splitsko-Dalmatinske županije "MORE I KRŠ"

Name: Javna ustanova za upravljanje zaštićenim dijelovima prirode na području Splitsko-Dalmatinske županije "MORE I KRŠ"

Department: N/A

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 888449385

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 43599729956 | 43599729956 | dujo.vlastelica@moreikrs.hr (EN)

Address: Prilaz braće Kaliterna, 21000 Split, Croatia

Department address: Prilaz braće Kaliterna, 21000 Split, Croatia

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Sectoral agency

Website: https://moreikrs.hr/

Total budget: EUR 230 063.10

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 184 050.48

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 46 012.62

Contractors:

Name: Correlate d.o.o.
VAT registration or tax identification number: 45899669265
Name: LIBOR marketing management
VAT registration or tax identification number: 21314052876
Name: B.B.S. Sport d.o.o.
VAT registration or tax identification number: HR86883070456
Name: 123 Tehnika d.o.o.
VAT registration or tax identification number: HR90144651702
Name: SUB-MERUS d.o.o.
VAT registration or tax identification number: HR67299363128
Name: SEAFAN obrt
VAT registration or tax identification number: HR09953674571

Partners map

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Shared BLUE knowledge and skills to sustain BIODIVERSITY in mariculture

Project acronym: BlueDiversity

Project ID: ITHR0200404

Project start date: 2024-03-01

Project end date: 2026-08-31

Project status: ongoing

Relevant linked projects:

IMPRECO (EN) | During IMPRECO, a Joint Task Force of stakeholders was established, applying the principles of the “Quadruple helix”. BlueDiversity can hence build on the existing context of informed and engaged groups of key stakeholders (EN), Eklipse mechanism (EN) | Eklipse is an EU funded project working as a mechanism to connect science, society towards the preservation of biodiversity. Regularly issued calls target specific questions raised by organisations and managers to deal with specific threats to biodiversity. The consideration of a NIS into the Adriatic context with a focus on the opportunities that it presents is a topic which suits the periodic calls. BlueDiversity can therefore deepen the knowledge of a specific NIS and actualize strategy for enhancing biodiversity protection (EN), BeMed microinitiatives (EN) | The reduction of plastics use and litter is the core of micro-initiatives promoted by the Consortium BeMed. Partners (UniSalento and BluMarine) have experience of small-scale actions carried out on the Adriatic and are included within a network of awardees. They can share the network and sustain actions across the Adriatic (EN), Ocean Travelers (EN) | The Ocean Travelers is a global scale initiative, led by the Smithsonian Institute (USA) and the Cientificos de la Basura (Chile) devoted to the analysis of epibiontic transportation on marine litter. UniSalento participated to the call for contributions in 2022, bringing inputs from the shorelines of Apulia. The application of such an established protocol to the smaller Adriatic scale and to the specific issue of the mussels nets is ecologically relevant, and at the same time information can be reconnected to the global picture. (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 2 022 051.66

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 1 617 641.32

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 92.14%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 1 617 641.32. Co-financing rate, 92.14%.
Others: Amount, EUR 266 397.72.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Infrastructure investments:

I1.1 - The Research Center of Fishery and Aquaculture - EUR 65 400.00 - country: Italia (IT), Puglia (ITF4), Lecce (ITF45)

Deliverables:

BlueDiversity Database
BlueDiversity SoA Report
White Paper to BlueDiversity
Roadmap to Blue Economy
Mapping and Monitoring Protocol for the Blue Crab
Selective traps for the Blue Crab (Blue Crab Trap)
Report on "trapping" best practices
Report on the Blue Crab nutritional properties
Commercial Plan for Blue Crab exploitation
Report on recycling process
Gillnets circular supply-chain database
Eco-compatible tools and equipment for aquaculture and mariculture
Report on costs and benefit of a eco-friendly mussel farming transition
Training modules for Professionals and Students
2 Theoretical and Field training for Professionals
2 Theoretical and Field training for Students
Map of the Blue tourism
Blue Aquaculture and Skills events Roadmap
BlueDiversity Policy Paper

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

EUStrategyAdriaticIonianRegion BlueDiversity acknowledges the need of tailored approaches, aligning with the vision of EUSAIR. The focus on communities and local cases will allow to deconstruct components within the Adriatic-Ionian region, and use them to extrapolate for missing data when comes to the four pillars of the strategy. In fact, BlueDiversity touches all four of them: blue growth, connecting the Region, environmental quality, sustainable tourism -by bringing up tradition and innovation alike, strengthening literacy and ownership, to establish a transnational system capable of reacting to external pressures. Specific pressures such as the emergent issues of NIS and marine litter in fact are external and widespread yet, instead of presenting them as a tragedy of commons, the region specificity can be applied to the identification of effective solutions with a central role of the shared sea.
EuropeanGreenDeal BlueDiversity is based on the empowerment and ownership of local economies related to coastal and marine environment. Grounded on experience and tradition stemming at community level, it will promote transformations in the system, considered in its both social and ecological components. Such harmonic development is considered fundamental to reach the goals of the EU Green Deal, where decrease in emissions is paired with increased stability in economic and social contexts. Coastal communities are particularly exposed to fluctuations of markets and stocks, and inequalities might have resulted harshened by the pandemics. BlueDiversity intend to act on both existing strengths and innovation to reduce inequalities at multiple levels.
Other The RIS3 Veneto, namely the "Strategia di specializzazione intelligente" is the strategy developed by the Veneto Region in order to tackle specific issues related to the green transition and to implement a smart innovation process for business and people. BlueDiversity project throughout its implementation and thanks to its activities will benefit the Transverse Driver number 2 on green transition. This Transverse Driver is envisaged as training goals of the RIS3 and BlueDiversity will undertake specific actions related to training with the aim of up-skilling and re-skilling labour force. Furthermore, this Driver should guide most of the SMEs investments related to green transition. Thanks to the activities of BlueDiversity a set of innovative eco-friendly tools will be developed and tested directly on field with the support of local SMEs on small-scale. BlueDiversity will also benefit the scopes described in the RIS3: Smart AgriFood, Smart Manufacturing, Smart Living and "Destinazione Intelligente. Namely the trajectories that will benefit from the activities, deliverable, outcomes and results of BLueDiversity project will be: number 3, 4, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 43, 48 and 50.
Other MSFD identified descriptors which should lead monitoring and actions towards a good environmental status (GED). BlueDiversity, throughout the implementation, tackles qualitative descriptors such as D2 exotic species and D3 commercial fish stocks directly (and D1 biodiversity indirectly, as the control of exotic species serves biodiversity maintenance). Also, the proposed re-skilling will address D10 marine litter, reducing its impact related to fishery and shell-fishery production chain, and intertwined with the spread of organisms as epibionts of marine litter. Data retrieved from the WP1 analysis and quantification of the operational WPs outcomes will allow to 1) place actions into the up-take of MSFD at grass-root level, and 2) quantify advances in GED achievement. Finally, MSFD contributes to SDG 14 (life below water) and 2 (zero hunger). Again, the contribution of BlueDiversity relates to both, sustaining processes of circularity in fishery, limiting waste production and spills, and maximizing benefits for local economies. This is particularly true when resources coincide with a NIS presence, such as the case of the blue crab.

Deliverable (other than infrastructural investment) areas:

Italia (IT), Lecce, N/A, N/A, 73100
Italia (IT), San Benedetto del Tronto, via A. Vespucci (Port Area), N/A, 63074
Italia (IT), Padova, via della Croce Rossa, 32, 35129
Hrvatska (HR), Split, Prilaz braće kaliterna, 2, 2100

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 084 - Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects, Measurement unit:
RCO 083 - Strategies and action plans jointly developed, Measurement unit:
RCO 085 - Participations in joint training schemes, Measurement unit:
RCO 115 - Public events across borders jointly organised, Measurement unit:

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 081 - Completions of joint training schemes, Measurement unit:
RCR 079 - Joint strategies and action plans taken up by organisations, Measurement unit:

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSAIR

EUSAIR Priority (Policy) area / Horizontal action:

EUSAIR Degree of compliance:

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-A Italy-Croatia

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2025-04-30

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

76 / 76 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

478 / 478 (100%)

Notes on the data

Discrepancy in the number of partners. The correct number is 468.

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Shared BLUE knowledge and skills to sustain BIODIVERSITY in mariculture

Description

Thematic information

Partners (7)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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