LIFE, the EU funding tool for the EnvironmentSince 1992, LIFE has contributed to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental policy and legislation by co-financing pilot or demonstration projects with European added value. In the coastal and marine environment, LIFE has supported initiatives that protect habitats and species, and helped to green economic activities in sea and coastal areas.

LIFE & the marineand coastal environment

FAROS developed a virtual network to improve the management of fish discards and by-catch. This comprises:

• A vision-based system that identifies and quantifies the species captured and sends this information to a database to build a discard prediction model. The database also includes information about contaminants and processing techniques for different by-catch species.

• A “Management Geoportal Network” that integrates the real-time data through a GIS tool and transfers it to on-land actors who can then plan the processing of the captured by-catch into fish meal, oils and other products. At the same time, vessels are sent real-time information about market demand, so they can focus on catching the best species and minimise discards.

The project also developed a virtual modelling and simulation tool to improve industrial processing, using data from specific discard valorisation processes, a tool for the environmental assessment of fishing activities, a precise assessment of the ecological footprint of a commercial port (Vigo), and practical guidelines on applying and reproducing the tools developed.

The results could easily be transferred to the entire EU fishing sector, with enormous potential for increasing profitability, improving the sustainability of fishing activities, and helping fleets comply with the discard ban included in the reformed Common Fisheries Policy.

FAROS LIFE08 ENV/E/000119

The FINMARINET project mapped the marine habitat types and their characteristic species along the Finnish coastline following the Habitats Direc-tive listing.

Seven underwater Natura 2000 sites were chosen in order to cover the diversity of Finland’s marine environments. Several methods were used to pro-duce a biological inventory covering nearly 800 km2 of seafloor: drop videos, robot cameras, dive transects and benthic samples. GIS and statistical modelling techniques were used to combine geo-logical and biological inventory data. The large field data gathered allowed the project to develop reli-able models presented in the format of maps that are freely available online.

The project increases the existing knowledge about marine biodiversity with a particular focus on reefs, sand banks, lagoons, large shallow bays and estu-aries. The matching of species and marine Natura 2000 areas presented completely new information.

The field data is the largest produced by any project so far in Finland and very valuable for the national authorities. The inventory can be used for:

• Management and planning of marine Natura 2000 sites.

• Assessment of the adequacy of existing protected areas and new conservation needs.

• Zoning and spatial sea planning.

• Location guidance of wind power, fish farming, dumping of dredged materials and sea lanes in marine areas.

FINMARINET LIFE07 NAT/FIN/000151

The Thalassa project substantially increased awareness in Greece of the endangered and rare marine mammal species inhabiting the Greek seas.

It developed a large awareness-raising campaign with high quality tools aimed at the main target au-diences. To measure the results, the project carried out surveys that showed a clear improvement in the general public’s knowledge of the existence and need for protection of marine mammals in the Greek seas (more than 10% increase in young adults and 2% in adults) and on the existence of some rare spe-cies (more than 20% increase). A huge increase was achieved in the general public’s recognition of sev-eral species.

Special campaigns were implemented for youngsters, students and decision makers. A widely disseminat-ed educational kit – tools, activities, seminars – was prepared for schoolchildren, teenagers and educa-tors. Finally, a Greek Marine Mammal Conservation Handbook, factsheets, a capacity building kit and seminars were prepared for public authorities and decision makers.

The project exceeded its targets and reached around 9 million people with a mass media campaign, more than 100 educators and 50 000 schoolchildren, as well as 660 000 young people.

Thalassa LIFE09 INF/GR/000320

SEDI.PORT.SIL demonstrated a technology able to valorise 99% of dredged material from ports. The project constructed a prototype plant integrating three treatment stages:

1. Soil washing, after which the sediments are separated and classified according to different grain-size classes - gravel, sand and coarse solids.

2. Land-farming: a biological treatment based on biodegradation applied to the fine fraction of sediments, leading to a significant reduction in the concentration of organic compounds.

3. Plasma fusion: inertisation of the sediment followed by a plasma torch treatment to extract silicon metal.

It tested the plant using contaminated sediments from the port of Ravenna, successfully demonstrating the possibility of turning 99% of the dredged volumes into secondary raw materials such as sand, ferrosilicon alloys and clay. These can be reintroduced to the market for use in the infrastructure and environmental engineering sectors. The system also valorises the heat generated by the plant in the form of water at 90°C, which can be resold through long-distance heating networks to surrounding industrial plants.

This technology was successfully tested in the ports of Ravena (IT) and Midia (RO), proving that the plant holds high replicability potential and is ready to be scaled up and applied in other European contexts.

SEDI.PORT.SIL LIFE09 ENV/IT/000158

SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

RECYCLING PORT SEDIMENTS

INCREASING AWARENESS

MARINE INVENTORIES

Phot

o: L

IFE0

8 EN

V/E/

0001

19

Phot

o: L

IFE0

9 EN

V/IT

/000

158/

Cris

tiano

Fra

sca

Phot

o: L

IFE0

7 N

AT/F

IN/0

0015

1/M

ats

Wes

terb

om

Phot

o: L

IFE0

9 IN

F/G

R/00

0320

/MO

m/P

.Lag

onik

a

Visit the LIFE website: ec.europa.eu/life© European Union, 2018

BEST

LIFE

E

NVIRONMENT PROJECT

Environment

BEST

LIF

E NATURE PROJECT

BEST

LIFE

E

NVIRONMENT PROJECT

poster-marine-updated.indd 1 26/06/18 17:44