After three years of implementation, the MPA-ADAPT project - Guiding Mediterranean MPAs through the climate change era: building resilience and adaptation - concludes with important outputs and results.

The MPA-Adapt Project addressed the challenge of adapting Marine Protected Areas to Climate Change thanks to a network of MPA managers, researchers and conservation and policy actors that have worked together in an Interreg-MED project. This initiative tackled the problem of climate change affecting marine systems in three main ways: monitoring the effects of climate change with a set of fine-tuned protocols, including citizen science; carrying out climate change vulnerability assessments; and improving the capacity and common knowledge with a training and data sharing program.

Adaptation plans for 5 marine protected areas
The project successfully raised awareness about the importance of effective MPA management in preparing the region. Specifically, by creating understanding of the risks of climate change to biodiversity and coastal communities, the project has helped MPAs improve their planning and responsiveness. For the first time in the Mediterranean, five Marine Protected Areas developed their own local adaptation action plans to address the challenges of climate change. This is the result of the collaboration among local stakeholders, scientists and MPA managers.

Likewise, the project made it possible to consolidate standardized protocols for monitoring climate change indicators. Some of these protocols were designed to allow the participation of fishermen and divers. There observations (more than 500 interviews to fishers conducted in 9 countries) show with certainty that the Mediterranean is changing following the increasing pressure of global warming and invasive species.

This project was led by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), and involved seven other partners from the Mediterranean basin. The IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation as a partner coordinated the development of vulnerability assessments to assist building a better adaptation management programme for MPA, and the dissemination plan.

Other partners: the Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Public Institution Brijuni National Park (Croatia), Marine Protected Area Pelagie Islands - Management Body Municipality of Lampedusa and Linosa (Italy), Consortium of Management of Portofino MPA (Italy), National Park of Port-Cros (France), and the Corsican Agency for Environment (France).

Duration
From November 2016 until July 2019

For further information: Mar Otero

Photo: © Giovanni Ombrello