(Horizon 2020) BRIDGE-BS: Advancing Black Sea Research and Innovation to Co-Develop Blue Growth within Resilient Ecosystems

Advancing Black Sea Research and Innovation to Co-Develop Blue Growth within Resilient Ecosystems - BRIDGE-BS

The ecosystem services of the Black Sea (e.g., food provisioning, recreation and climate services) are under threat from multi-stressors (e.g., overfishing, pollution, acidification, deoxygenation, warming) driven by the climate change and anthropogenic pressures. BRIDGE aims to understand how the multi-stressors impact Black Sea ecosystems and alter the sustainability of ecosystem services provided to society.  Building on a unique concept linking oceanographic dynamics to resilience, ecosystem services, multi-stressors and innovation in Blue Growth; BRIDGE will deploy an interdisciplinary approach building on past and ongoing initiatives and using stakeholder knowledge. Physical, biogeochemical and ecological processes, as well as the socioeconomic dimension of the Black Sea will be assessed, mapped and modelled to establish ecosystem status and the role of multi-stressors on its resilience and potential tipping points.  Beyond predicting the future states, tools will be developed for policymaking, contributing to our ability to sustain the ecosystem services. The resilient ecosystems of the Black Sea will be evaluated as a booster of innovation in the region. Further, BRIDGE will undertake an extensive outreach and capacity building campaign involving joint Masters programs, PhD student mobility and outreach integrating science, innovation and art. Working closely the Black Sea CONNECT CSA, BRIDGE will generate major impacts such as providing the harmonized data and facilities needed for addressing multistressors towards the vision of a healthy and resilient Black Sea by 2030, as well as contributing to major EU policies (e.g., the Green Deal, MSFD, CFP) and UN SDGs (2, 13 and 14). BRIDGE's outputs will demonstrate how a resilient Black Sea ecosystem can be sustained while supporting the Blue Growth. By the end of BRIDGE, a community of young researchers and innovators will emerge with new start-ups that incubate in a culture of scientific excellence.

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• Grant agreement ID: 101000240
• Start date 1 June 2021 - End date 30 November 2025
• Coordinated by MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY, Turkey
• Partners 32
• Overall budget € 9 409 752,50

On behalf AUEB Principal Investigator (PI) is Prof. Koundouri. Members of the team are: Prof. George Halkos, Alice Guittard