EfxINNOs will jointly develop and operate a novel, cost-effective, technologically-advanced, sustainable network of marine monitoring platforms. This network will complement and enrich existing research infrastructures and serve the monitoring requirements of EU Policies (MSFD-Marine Strategy Framework Directive, MSP-Marine Spatial Planning, Biodiversity Strategy, Climate Change Action) and the Black Sea Integrated Monitoring Assessment Program (BSIMAP), linking the Black Sea Basin (BSB) and the North Aegean Sea (NAS). A series of mobile and static platforms, autonomous underwater vehicles (microAUVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and buoys, equipped with the appropriate physico-chemical sensors, side scan sonars and cameras will be operated, at selected pilot areas of ecological significance. These platforms will be collecting data, images and videos on the marine biodiversity from key benthic ecosystems of the Black Sea and the North Aegean Sea. EfxINNOs will correlate the dominant impacts of human activities with the health of benthic ecosystems to qualitatively and quantitatively assess the impact of each specific activity.
The project will implement transnational cooperation to fill the gaps in data collection, data harmonization and policy implementation among the BSB and the NAS. Project-produced data will be made interoperable and available to all EU Data Collection networks. Machine learning (ML) tools and Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms (mostly supervised and unsupervised image processing and object recognition techniques) will be used to analyze all collected data, images and videos to create benthic mosaics and assess the health indices of seagrass habitats. Any other object present on the seabed (anchors, litter, pipelines, etc.) will also be identified with the above approach from the AUV collected images.
EfxINNOs will develop a consistent and unified approach for the delineation, protection and restoration of the Black Sea ecosystems, assessing their ecological significance and prioritizing potential Marine Protected Areas. EfxINNOs results, images and videos will be widely communicated, raising public awareness on the abundance of marine litter at sea bottom, the impact of bottom trawling, man-made pollution and other activities affecting the seabed like shipping, submarine cables, wind turbines, etc. Educational material will be produced to inform people on the significance of coastal marine biodiversity protection. The network will produce science-based policy recommendations and tools serving the requirements of the Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea. Moreover, EfxINNOs will establish a viable transnational network that will provide significant professional development opportunities for researchers, students and young professionals. It will enhance place-based development by supporting a sustainable path to Blue Growth, through the creation of a stimulating, inclusive and innovative learning environment. This will be achieved by carrying out a coherent set of Capacity development activities encompassing:
- Workshops on research methodologies and ML techniques.
- Training on advanced marine environmental monitoring instrumentation.
- Collaboration between project teams in turning data into useful information for a wide array of Target Groups.
- Encouraging the involvement of young scientists and professionals through their participation in joint training workshops and events.
- Events, like the Concluding Conference, that will provide a platform for Partners to showcase achievements, network with diverse Target Groups and engage new stakeholders.
- Joint policy briefs and Public Reports that highlight challenges and opportunities that entails a sustainable path to Blue Economy in the midst of the Ocean decade.
The EfxINNOs network will be created and operated by a solid transnational Partnership with a long track record in developing and enhancing knowledge about the Ocean and innovation capacity in the Blue Economy sector all across the Black Sea Basin. The EfxINNOs partnership is composed of the Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities (Bulgaria), the National Institute for Marine Research and Development (Romania), Ilia State University (Georgia), Istanbul University (Türkiye), the Technical University of Varna (Bulgaria) and is led by Democritus University of Thrace (Greece). This partnership will form a network that will outlive the project and enable leveraging and replicating its solutions. That is to enable local communities with the support of top-notch experts and advanced marine monitoring instrumentation to map and protect key benthic ecosystems, designate the areas in which human activities should occur, minimize conflicts among stakeholders, maximize benefits that people may receive from the sea, and help maintain healthy marine habitats.