MPA4Change, within its effort to enhance Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas resilience to climate change, has recently visited Cyprus in order to transfer specialized training and mentorship. AP Marine, the receiving institution, is now poised to implement climate resilience protocols, contributing to ongoing efforts in marine protection and sustainability.
MPA4Change: Empowering Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas for Climate Resilience
MPA4Change highlights the importance of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and marine restoration as nature-based Solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation in the Mediterranean basin. The project focuses on training, knowledge transfer and mentoring, from experienced MPAs like Brijuni National Park, in Croatia, and Portofino Marine Protected Area in Italy, to other MPAs that are interested in implementing best practices on climate change adaptation.
As part of this process, AP Marine Environmental Consultancy Ltd organized a training session on monitoring protocols in Cavo Greco, Cyprus, from May 27 to 29, 2024. Expert trainers from the project, known internally as Giver MPAs, provided guidance to both AP Marine Ltd (Cyprus) and another partnering institution of the project, the Institute of Marine Sciences of the University of Algarve (Portugal). The training focused on the implementation of five monitoring protocols to assess climate change impacts on the marine environment.
Discovering Cavo Greco MPA
Diver implementing one of the protocols_ Photo by Vasilis Resaikos.
Cavo Greco is a cape and small peninsula located at the eastern coast of Cyprus in the Levantine Sea. It is a Natura 2000 site (CY300005), established in May 2018 as the first natural MPA of Cyprus, and it includes no-take and restricted fishing zones. The MPA harbours important marine habitats, such as Posidonia oceanica meadows, rocky reefs and shores, vermetid platforms, dark habitats including partially submerged caves, coralligenous concretions and rhodoliths.
Cavo Greco MPA also supports various recreational activities like diving and snorkelling, which are managed to ensure minimal impact on the environment. The area’s protection efforts focus on preserving its natural habitats, fostering environmental education, and promoting eco-tourism to support local communities while maintaining the ecological balance.
The management of Cape Greco MPA is overseen by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research (DFMR) of Cyprus. This governmental body is responsible for implementing conservation measures, monitoring marine life, and ensuring the sustainable use of marine resources within the MPA.
Stakeholders of the Cavo Greco MPA include local communities, fishermen, fishing associations, tourism operators (e.g., dive centres), and environmental NGOs focused on marine conservation. Government agencies at various levels are responsible for policy, regulation, and enforcement, while research institutions and universities conduct studies and monitor marine biodiversity. Local businesses, media, and public awareness groups, as well as educational institutions, play critical roles in promoting marine conservation and using the MPA as a learning resource. Together, these stakeholders form a complex network of interests and responsibilities, working towards the common goal of preserving the natural heritage and biodiversity of the Cavo Greco MPA.
Joining forces with local stakeholders for Marine Conservation
Besides to the organisations involved in the project that received the training, the sessions were also attended by some local stakeholders.
On the one hand, staff from the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research of Cyprus, in charge of the management of some MPAs of the country as Gavo Greco, participated in order to receive information on the protocols and the project objectives. Their thoughts and inputs were also collected in order to assess the viability of the implementation of the protocols on Cavo Greco.
On the other hand, representatives from local diving clubs were trained by DAN Europe, one of the MPA4Change partners specialized in citizen science activities, in effective data collection methods. Their involvement is also an example on how stakeholder groups can benefit from the project actions.
Additionally, local fishermen from the area also attended the training session. Following a dialogue about the problems caused by climate change on the region’s biodiversity, they were interviewed following the so called LEK (Local Environmental Knowledge) protocol in order to acquire their perspective on how climate change is affecting the marine ecosystems locally.
AP Marine Launches the next phase
Armed with diverse protocol training, AP Marine gears up for the next phase: putting these protocols into action throughout the life of MPA4Change project in order to gather and analyse invaluable data on climate change impacts in Cyprus.
