PHAROS4MPAs
Blue Economy and Marine Conservation: Safeguarding Mediterranean MPAs to achieve Good Environmental Status
Our reports

The PHAROS4MPAs project explores how Mediterranean MPAs are affected by maritime activities and provides a set of practical recommendations for MPA managers, MSP authorities and businesses on how the environmental impacts of 7 sectors can be prevented or minimized.
Discover our online Decision support tool
The main objectives of the tool is to support the operationalization of the recommendations produced within the project, translating the knowledge from the capitalization baselines reports into a fully user-friendly online tool.
The tool is specifically intended for three kind of users: MPA managers and planners, public authorities and economic operators, to help them to easily find the recommendations and other information (e.g. best practices or case studies) that are more useful for their specific needs.
News
PHAROS4MPAs
Meeting the Spanish Ministry
PHAROS4MPAs
PHAROS4MPAs at the UN Decade of Ocean Science...
PHAROS4MPAs
PHAROS4MPAs at the MSP Global Forum
Events
29
PHAROS4MPAs
MSPGLOBAL2030
10
PHAROS4MPAs
International Maritime Transport Conference
02
PHAROS4MPAs
9th Steering Committee in Venice



Thinking beyond MPA borders
The current “blue growth” trend in the Mediterranean Sea is accelerating at an unsustainable pace. There is an urgent need for integrated ocean management throughout the whole basin. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) safeguard marine ecosystems, processes, habitats and species. They also contribute to the restoration and replenishment of resources for social, economic, and cultural enrichment. Many economic sectors have traditionally functioned within or near protected areas.
The current EU Blue Growth strategy means that MPAs face increased requests for economic development within their limits, with greater pressure and impact on the marine environment. Mediterranean Maritime Spatial Planning Authorities will have to take MPAs into account, as foreseen by the commitments stemming from the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Habitats Directive, if they want to progress towards a Good Ecological Status for the Mediterranean Sea.
There is a wealth of published results and recommendations regarding MPAs and their interaction with economic sectors, yet an integrated approach for the Mediterranean is lacking. The PHAROS4MPAs project seeks to capitalise on existing results and ultimately deliver an integrated framework for recommendations on collaboration between Mediterranean MPAs and major maritime sectors.
PHAROS4MPAS in numbers
17
Project partners
Economic sectors
18
months duration
1.2
M€ project budget