(LIFE): LIFE DREAM - Deep REef restoration And litter removal in the Mediterranean sea

The EU’s biodiversity strategy for 2030 promotes the recovery of the biodiversity of European natural ecosystems through extending conservation networks, preventing and reducing anthropic impacts, and restoring the degraded natural heritage.

Marine Deep Reefs (DR) are ecologically relevant benthic habitats acting as CO2 sinks and attracting a highly diverse associated fauna. The multiple pressures DR are currently facing (e.g., climate change, fishery and littering) make the need to protect and restore these habitats more urgent. Marine Litter (ML) can affect the health status of DR, leading to the loss of associated ecological functions.

Through an innovative, sustainable approach, the LIFE DREAM Project aims at mitigating the anthropic pressure on deep sensitive habitats (DR) and promoting their protection, recovery and preservation.

LIFE DREAM will comprise active intervention to aid the regeneration of DR and will provide supporting information to extend the Natura 2000 network to the deep-sea by integrating biological data on Marine Deep Reefs and ecosystems services they supply with spatial data on human activities.

Co-funded by EUROPEAN COMMISSION – Programme for Environment and Climate Action (LIFE)

Coordinating Institute: Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (CNR, IT)

Proposal Number: 101074547

ReSEES (AUEB) will participate in T5.3 through a subcontract from ENALEIA, amounting to €50,000. AUEB will perform a Costs-Benefits Analysis across the fishing gears supply chain, considering all the key players involved and different types of gears, to meet the stakeholders’ needs.

Scientific Responsible on behalf of Athens University of Economics & Business:  Prof. Phoebe Koundouri.