DEVOTES: DEVelopment Of innovative Tools for understanding marine biodiversity

AZTI-Tecnalia (AZTI) - Spain Norsk institutt for luftforskning (NILU) - Norway Suomen ymparistokeskus (SYKE) - Finland Aarhus Universitet (AU) - Denmark University of Hull (UHULL) - United Kingdom The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (CEFAS) - United Kingdom Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) - United Kingdom Instituto do Mar (IMAR) - Portugal Institute Of Oceanology – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IO-BAS) - Bulgaria Joint Research Centre (JRC) – European Commission Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) Greece Klaipedos Universitetas (KUCORPI) - Lithuania Akvaplan-niva AS (APN) - Norway COnsorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del MAre (CONISMA) - Italy Stichting Koninklijk Nederlands instituut voor Zeeonderzoek (NIOZ) - Netherlands Agencia estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) - Spain Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi (DEU) - Turkey Marine Hydrophysical Institute - Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences (MHI-NASU) -Ukraine MariLim Gesellschaft für Gewasseruntersuchung mbH (MARLIM) - Germany Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)- France OceanDTM - United Kingdom Ecoreach srl (ECOREACH) - Italy King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) - Saudi Arabia EPA and NOAA from USA are involved as observers

DEVOTES is a Collaborative project supported by the European Commission under the Environment (including climate change) Theme of the7th Framework Programme.

Contract number 308392.

DEVelopment Of innovative Tools for understanding marine biodiversity and assessing good Environmental Status

DEVOTES PROJECT COORDINATOR Dr Angel Borja Email: aborja@azti.es Telephone +34 667174430 DEVOTES PROJECT MANAGER Dr María C. Uyarra Email: mcuyarra@azti.es Telephone +34 667174511

AZTI-Tecnalia Marine Research Division Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g E-20110 Pasaia (Spain)

www.devotes-project.eu DEVOTES, a 4 year project supported by the European Commission, was launched on 1st November 2012.

WHO IS INVOLVED? OUR GOAL The overall goal of DEVOTES is to better understand the relationships between pressures from human activities and climatic influences and their effects on marine ecosystems, including biological diversity, in order to support the ecosystem based management and fully achieve the Good Environmental Status (GES) of marine waters.

DEVOTES involves 23 research centres from EU and non-Eu countries (e.g. Ukrania, Saudi Arabia,…) as well as observers from USA.

DEVOTES project will build a network with key stakeholders: scientists, environmental agencies, decision making authorities and Small- Medium Enterprise (SMEs) interested in marine monitoring and biodiversity.

A panel of independent scientists form the Advisory Board (AB), which provides strategic guidance and supports the partnership to ensure that DEVOTES meets its objectives

The outcomes of DEVOTES will contribute towards fulfilling knowledge gaps and existing needs in the assessement of environmental status, within the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, in an harmonized way across the Atlantic, Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Seas.

A Steering Commitee composed by Project Coordinator, Project Manager and Work Packages’ leaders is responsible for all practical decision making, strategic planning and implementation.

OUR OBJECTIVES Improve our understanding of the impact of human activities and climate change on marine biodiversity.

Implement cost-effective indicators, monitoring and assessment strategies, which should enable uniform applicability across EU Regional Seas.

Test relevant EC indicators (2010) and develop new, innovative ones to assess biodiversity in a harmonized way throughout the 4 regional seas.

Develop, test and validate innovative integrative modelling and monitoring tools to improve our understanding of ecosystem and biodiversity changes, for integration into a unique and holistic assessment.

Propose and disseminate strategies and measures for ecosystems’ adaptive management, including the active role of industry and relevant stakeholders.