Advancing Black Sea research and innovation to co-develop blue growth within resilient ecosystems (BRIDGE-BS) (39893)

The Black Sea’s unique ecosystem services are degrading and need to be better managed for the benefit of citizens dependent upon their sustainability. As a critical contribution to the science-based policy needed to preserve the Black Sea
ecosystems, BRIDGE-BS proposes a multidisciplinary, multisectoral program buildingon regional and international initiatives. The project will develop predictive tools and capabilities necessary to understand and predict the impacts of
climate-driven and anthropogenic multi-stressors on the services stemming from Black Sea ecosystems. These services and their responses to stressors will be mapped, monitored and modeled in order to identify a safe operating space within which
a sustainable blue economy can flourish. To this end, BRIDGE-BS is structured around “three” interconnected nodes:Service Dynamics, Blue Growth Incubators and Empowered Citizens. Node1 will, using time series and new data,
simulations and machine learning tools assess, predict and determine ecosystem resilience to deliver adaptive management tools. Node1 outputs will be used in Node2 to identify services that can support sustainable Blue Growth in the Black Sea by
strengthening of resource management, developing and applying innovative technologies as well as supporting innovative start-ups and business models to create added value and jobs. Node3 will support policy uptake of BRIDGE-BS science and innovation results. It will train and strengthen collaborations between scientists and stakeholders, as well as policy makers, industry representatives and societal interest groups. It will educate, train and stimulate interactions between the public, future generations of marine scientists and entrepreneurs as well as motivate and engage policy-makers. Most importantly, through Node3 BRIDGE-BS will create a connected Black Sea community, strengthened by a new generation of researchers and innovators to address emerging Black Sea challenges.

Partners
National Institute of Aquatic Resources, DTU Aqua
Middle East Technical University, Turkey (coordinator)
Institute of Oceanology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria
Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare Marina Grigore Antipa, Romania
Institut po Bioraznoobrazie i Ekosistemni Izsledvaniya Balgarska Akademiya, Bulgaria
Ukrainian Scientific Centre of Ecology of the Sea, Ukraine
Tbilisi State University, Georgia
Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare Pentru Geologie si Geoecologie Marina-Geoecomar, Romania
P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
International Center for Black Sea Studies, Greece
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Greece
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Italy
Universite de Liege, Belgium
Athens University of Economics and Business - Research Center, Greece
Stockholms Universitet, Sweden
Centro Tecnologico del Mar - Fundacion Cetmar, Spain
Indigo Med SMPC, Greece
Institute of Electronic Engineering and Nanotechnologies, Moldova
Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, Turkey
Strategies Mer et Littoral, France
Conference des Regions Peripheriques Maritimes d’Europe, France
Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu,Turkey
Marine Cluster, Bulgaria
Turkiye Ekonomi Politikalari Arastirma Vakfi, Turkey
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Turkey
Turk Deniz Arastirmalari Vakfi. Turkey
Istanbul Universitesi, Turkey
European Marine Science Educators Association, Belgium
Sinop Universitesi, Turkey
European Marine Board, Belgium
Institut Francais de Recherche pour L'Exploitation de la Mer, France
Crowdhelix Limited, Ireland
Federal State Budget Educational Institution of Higher Education, Russian Technological University, Russia

Funding
The project is funded by EU Horizon 2020. 

Research area: Marine Living Resources
Research area: Observation Technology