Handbook Monitoring marine macro-fauna using ferries/large vessels as multidisciplinary research platforms
These Guidelines were developed within the framework of major European collaborative initiatives, including the LIFE Programme project Conceptu Maris, and the subsequent After-LIFE roadmap, the Fixed Line Transect -Mediterranean Monitoring Network and the IMPEL FLT-Maritime Transborder Transects networking initiatives.
All projects were implemented with the financial support of the European Union and were aimed at strengthening transnational cooperation, environmental governance, and the exchange of scientific and operational best practices in the field of marine biodiversity monitoring, specifically for cetacean and turtles and some of their main pressures such ad floating plastics and maritime traffic. In particular, the initiatives contributed to the advancement of harmonized approaches supporting compliance with European Union environmental legislation and policy frameworks, including requirements related to marine environmental protection, monitoring, reporting, and cross-border cooperation.
The development of these Guidelines therefore reflects a shared commitment to promoting consistent methodologies, improving data comparability, and facilitating the effective implementation and enforcement of EU environmental standards across European and Mediterranean marine contexts.
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