Maria Salomidi

Hellenic Centre for Marine Research | hcmr · Institute of Oceanography

Major marine biodiversity hotspots occur within and around extended three-dimensional communities known as Marine Animal Forests (MAFs). MAFs are biotic assemblages mainly composed of suspension-feeding organisms like sponges, gorgonians, hard corals, bryozoans, bivalves, etc., that form canopies like the trees or shrubs on land, thus creating underwater forests. As Aichi targets have been impossible to achieve by 2020, we need networks that allow working together for the same objective, with special attention to marine ecosystems as the MAFs. These submersed forests provide ecosystem services which are essential for hundreds of million people worldwide. In this UN decade of the oceans, we aim to provide the scientific basis for understanding and preserving the ecosystem services of the MAFs throughout the world. These ecosystem services are under increasing anthropogenic pressure and need a clear unifying picture to be shared with stakeholders and public. Developing a common protocol and gathering a consensus on the most appropriate tools to study and understand the animal forests’ role, will ultimately inform management, restoration and conservation initiatives. The network aims to develop an integrative vision that will fuel research and steer future policies on crosscutting sustainability-driven issues related to the fragmented governance of these benthic ecosystems in coastal and open ocean waters, creating crosssectoral platform for partners across academia, policymaking and civil society, offering inclusive spaces for a transdisciplinary dialogue. We will also unify the protocols for restoration of the MAFs of the World, with nature-based solutions, to face climate change, natural disasters, and food supply. CA20102 https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA20102/ https://maf-world.eu/

Rhodes Island in Greece and the Larnaca region in Cyprus were chosen as areas of implementation because the human activities accumulated in their coastal zones (CZ) have inflict considerable pressure on the bio-and geo-diversified natural coastal systems of the two regions. The main objective of the project was to provide the local authorities with Management Plans, based on the principles of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management and on a common scientific approach and methodology. For the realization of the project a broad basis of environmental and spatial data was exploited and the views and opinions of the stakeholders were taken into account. Thorough scientific research was carried out in the implementation areas and included the study of critical environmental factors and assessment of the problems and investigation of their origin. Measures were proposed for the mitigation of the adverse effects of human intervention in CZ and the prevention of their future occurrence.