Innovative solutions for Mediterranean Ecosystem Remediation via Monitoring and decontamination from Chemical Pollution

Through millennia, the Mediterranean Sea witnessed an array of anthropological activity. Beyond being a simple groundwork for human development, the Mediterranean was a catalyser for such development, being a source of income to a large population. Human activity has not been without impact to the Mediterranean; it is currently enduring a measurable degradation in the quality of its seawater as its chemistry is highly altered. This highly threatens the sea’s complex ecosystem which entails eventual economic degradation. Through the investigation of yet-to-be-explored pollutants, IMERMAID aims at improving the understanding of threats that may affect large populations whose livelihoods are linked, either directly or indirectly, to the Mediterranean.

IMERMAID will investigate, quantify and combat chemical pollution through a multidisciplinary methodology. The project will combine scientific, societal and political aspects to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the issue. Today, countless chemicals produced on the European market have uncharted impact on the marine ecosystem. These new contaminations (CoEC) need to be inspected in a comprehensive manner in order to fill the knowledge gap that is deepening parallelly to the proliferation of these substances. Numerous texts such as the European Zero Pollution Action Plan, the Convention for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea against pollution, the Chemical Strategy for Sustainability and the 2030 Climate Target Plan are being actively implemented in order to combat the emergence of these threats. IMERMAID will be subscribing to the same efforts. On the scientific level, iMERMAID will be deploying electrochemical and oils sensors in order to quantify possible contaminations. The project will also put to use 4D Scavenger technology in the objective of degrading organic pollutants. Beyond the considered scientific advances, policymaking will be a main component in the project. In this process, the consortium will extract knowledge from its technical phase in order to bring forward tangible orientations for policymakers based on multistakeholder perspectives. To maximise its public interest impact, the project will engage in the open-data dynamic enshrined in the Digital Ocean and Water Knowledge System. In this sense, IMERMAID is going to ensure that the created value will benefit all relevant stakeholders by making the data findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable.

Considering the large scope of the project, the activities that will be carried out will need to comply to ethical and data protection standards and best practices. Drawing on its expertise, Privanova will take up the role of ensuring compliance with ethics, privacy and data protection frameworks. In IMERMAID, Privanova leads the task “Ethics Compliance Management and Ethics Advisory Board”. Thus, Privanova will be establishing an Ethics Advisory Board that will be accompanying the project’s progress. Privanova will provide assistance to consortium members in order to act according to established ethics frameworks.Privanova will also take up the task covering the establishment and maintaining of the project’s Data Management Plan. It will thus be a contact point for the mapping of data usages in the project.With an experience in clustering activities and exploitation planning, Privanova will put its knowledge to the service of IMERMAID’s outcomes in order to boost its exploitation and sustainability potential.