EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” Lighthouses
Baltic & North Sea Lighthouse: BlueMissionBANOS inspires, engages and supports stakeholders across the Baltic and North Sea to reach a carbon-neutral & circular blue economy.
Mediterranean Lighthouse: BlueMissionMed will inspire, inform, assess, mobilise, connect and empower all the actors that can take a role in preventing and eliminating pollution in the Mediterranean Sea and Waters.
Atlantic-Arctic Lighthouse: BlueMissionAA will focus on preserving and restoring marine and coastal ecosystems and biodiversity in the Atlantic and Arctic Basin for increased climate resilience.
Danube & Black Sea Lighthouse:
EcoDaLLi will help to achieve freshwater targets of the European Green Deal, integrating a systemic approach for restoration, protection and preservation for the entire Danube Basin. The main objective is to centralise Danube governance structures in terms of innovative solutions for improved ecological restoration, protection and preservation of the Danube basin and its Delta.
DALIA project is a new lighthouse project focusing on the Danube River basin and fresh water. 22 partners across Europe will be providing innovative freshwater solutions and demonstrations in the Danube River basin to improve water ecosystems and facilitate decision-making on water management issues.
DANUBE 4ALL aims to restore freshwater ecosystems in the Danube River Basin through the development of a comprehensive, scientifically-based and practically-orientated Restoration Action Plan.
Other initiatives
Andromeda: Andromeda is a research project developing analysis techniques for quantifying nanoplastics and microplastics and their degradation in the marine environment.
ANERIS Project: The ANERIS project aims to tackle the rapid loss of ocean biodiversity by developing innovative tools and technology for monitoring, research and management of marine life, and introducing the concept of Operational Marine Biology.
Black Sea CONNECT: The overall objective of the Black Sea CONNECT is to coordinate the development of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), based on the defined principles in the Burgas Vision Paper, and support the development of the Blue Economy in the Black Sea.
Erasmus+: Erasmus+ is the EU's programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. The 2021-2027 programme places a strong focus on social inclusion, the green and digital transitions, and promoting young people’s participation in democratic life.
Erasmus Maris: Erasmus Maris objective is to create a strategic alliance in Europe between formal education, non-formal education, and scientific research sectors. The main goal is to engage upper secondary schools in co-creating new knowledge related to preserving the marine environment and inland waters while ensuring inclusivity and equitable participation.
EMSEA: The European Marine Science Educators Association (EMSEA) is a network of marine (science) educators. Their vision is a society of ocean literate citizens who recognise the vital importance of the ocean, working together to ensure it is sustained for future generations. EMSEA helps to develop training, share messages with the learning community, and bring people together on marine-related topics.
EU4Ocean Platform: The EU4Ocean Platform gives citizens, businesses, organizations, authorities, celebrities, educators the opportunity to make a pledge to help the ocean.
European ATLAS of the Seas: Explore, collate and create your own sea map. Learn more about Europe's seas and coasts, their environment, related human activities and European policies.
European Solidarity Corps: The European Solidarity Corps is an EU funding programme for young people wishing to engage in solidary activities in a variety of areas. The programme finances projects to engage young people in solidary activities addressing societal challenges through volunteering or by setting up their own solidary projects. The programme’s ambition is not only to be more inclusive but also greener and more digital. It is open to individuals aged 18 to 30 (35 for humanitarian aid) and to organisations in EU and partner countries.
EU Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership: The Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership represents an unprecedent effort of 60 Partner institutions from 25 countries and the European Commission to pool research and innovation investments and align national programmes at pan-European scale. Its strategy takes into consideration the R&I agendas of the sea basins (Mediterranean, Black Sea, Baltic and North Sea) and the Atlantic Ocean and builds on lessons learned from previous initiatives.
European Blue Schools: European Blue Schools aim to inspire teachers, school directors or staff of education services, to challenge their students, from kindergarten, primary, lower and upper secondary, technical or vocational schools, to develop a “Find the blue” project that links them to the ocean or the sea. By successfully completing the project and sharing its results, schools will receive the European Blue School label.
JPI Oceans: JPI Oceans is a pan-European intergovernmental platform aiming to increase efficiency and impact of research and innovation for sustainably healthy and productive seas and oceans. Our member states’ national strategies and priorities are the main building blocks for a joint Strategy Framework to address marine and maritime issues. Their vision is to enable the transformation towards a sustainable blue economy whilst fostering the health and productivity of seas and oceans.
Marine LitterWatch: Marine LitterWatch is a citizen based app that aims to help fill data gaps in beach litter monitoring. Litter, plastics in particular, is accumulating in our seas and coasts. Information and data on marine litter is essential for tackling it. The European Environment Agency has developed Marine LitterWatch mobile app to strengthen Europe’s knowledge base and thus provide support to European policy making.
MINKE: MINKE is an INFRAIA project that brings together 16 key European marine metrology research infrastructures to coordinate their use and development and propose an innovative framework of ‘quality of oceanographic data’ for the different European actors in charge of monitoring and managing the EOVs (Essential Ocean Variables) and marine ecosystems. Data quality is the key element in Ocean & Coastal Observing Systems to provide reliable measurements for developing evidence-based environmental policies. MINKE doesn’t just address data quality but also focuses on all data quality dimensions, with a special emphasis on those related to metrological factors. The project proposes a new vision in the design of marine monitoring networks, integrating two dimensions of data quality, namely accuracy and completeness, as the driving components of quality in data acquisition.
Prep4Blue: PREP4BLUE’s objective is to support the Research & Innovation goals of the ‘Mission: Restore our Ocean & Waters’ and facilitate its successful implementation. PREP4BLUE will develop tools, guidelines and methodologies to be used by stakeholders on all Mission funded projects.
SHORE: SHORE strives to increase ocean literacy by engaging students and teachers to implement the objectives of the EU Mission 'Restore our Ocean and Waters’ through activities and collaborative projects in schools. SHORE also offers guidance to educators and provides students with the right skills and knowledge to become eco-citizens.
Youth4Ocean Forum: The Youth4Ocean Forum is addressing people between 16 and 30 who are interested in helping against the marine pollution. The goal of the platform is to connect diverse organizations, projects and people that contribute to ocean literacy and the sustainable management of the ocean.