On 2–3 December 2025, at the Continental Forum in Constanta, Romania, the final cross-border event of the project Open environmental eFolio for joint maritime spatial planning and conservation of the valuable Black Sea Basin marine ecosystems, MARMAPS, https://marmaps.bsnn.org/, supported by the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme 2021–2027, brought together regional partners and stakeholders discussing how to improve knowledge on the conservation of the valuable ecosystems of the Black Sea. Participants in the project are the Black Sea NGO Network, Bulgaria, in partnership with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, Mare Nostrum NGO, Romania, and the Black Sea Branch of the Ukrainian Ecological Academy of Sciences, Odessa, Ukraine.
The event entitled Regional networking initiative to promote project achievements and enhance impact, organized by Mare Nostrum NGO, presented the environmental electronic eFolio. This is an instrument that can help to achieve national and regional conservation targets for marine ecosystems in a cost-effective way. It has three main components: a decision support system and three management tools – monitoring protocol templates, citizen science reporting tools and good governance practices for marine protected areas (MPAs).
Over the course of the two days, the project’s achievements were showcased, along with new proposals for long-term cross-border collaboration to ensure better protection of the Black Sea. Participants and stakeholders – including administrations, scientific partners, and NGOs – were introduced to the partners’ work on the various elements of the eFolio. The university partners produced scenarios with maps to identify optimal locations for designating new MPAs. This tool supports decision making regarding marine protected areas by developing a framework for establishing conservation priorities. This systematic approach has identified suitable locations for expanding the network of protected areas in the Black Sea. Input for the decision support system is based on a wide range of parameters and open data provided by the partnership. The tool uses innovative three-dimensional spatial analysis, moving beyond traditional 2D methodology to consider the full depth of marine ecosystems.
In addition to the decision support tool, the partners from the Black Sea countries presented the elements of MPA management, including templates for monitoring protocols, citizen science instruments, and a review of good governance practices from world experience.
Expected outcomes of the project also include establishing a mechanism for exchange and long-term support between members of target groups and end-users to promote biodiversity and nature conservation in the Black Sea, as well as improved capacity for planning, monitoring, reporting, and management of MPAs.
Over the course of project implementation, a wide range of activities were carried out to promote the project’s benefits and enhance collaboration among stakeholders. Four promotional events were organized in the partner countries, as well as a photography contest entitled “Wonders of the Black Sea: a Biodiversity Perspective” dedicated to the marine and coastal biodiversity protection. The national and regional events highlighted the project’s results and outlined new perspectives for the future of the Black Sea. Thus, the MARMAPS activities and outputs have contributed to the achievement its aim to improve knowledge on the conservation of the valuable ecosystems of the Black Sea through digital tools for collaborative maritime spatial planning and the restoration of marine biodiversity. The duration of the project is 18 months and its total budget is 498 358 euro.
