MEDINA

Title: Marine Ecosystem Dynamics and Indicators for North Africa

Summary: MEDINA is designed to enhance Northern African Countries' monitoring capacity of their coastal areas ecosystems, including fish stocks resources, and consequently their capacity to implement environmental policies, conventions and protocols.

In response to this call for proposal and supported by a strong European partnership, MEDINA focuses on the Mediterranean coasts of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. The plan to enhance the monitoring capacity of those states relies on a science and technology transfer approach, starting from the solid European experience in the management of Mediterranean coasts and active participation across GEO activities and Communities of Practice.

MEDINA plans to achieve its objectives by implementing and demonstrating a set of five thematic pilot case studies, based on the requirements identified during the projects initial phase. Relevant data include satellite earth observations (EO), in-situ monitoring networks, airborne and ground survey information as well as socio-economic data, ecological analyses and national and regional cartographic datasets. Data availability to all parties will be ensured through the GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI). Existing software components for data access, processing and modelling will be adapted to requirements gathered within MEDINA and integrated in the GCI.

MEDINA will exploit the GCI capabilities populating its registries and complying with the GEOSS Data Sharing Principles. In agreement with the GCI System of Systems philosophy, MEDINA will build on existing National capacities -represented in the project by key actors in ICZM- completing and advancing them, where necessary. MEDINA will mobilize such resources by assembling them in a dedicated e-infrastructure. Addressing user requirements, a set of specific tools will complete the platform to advance the scientific knowledge. These tools will enable MEDINA to assess the status of the coastal ecosystem, including fish stocks and marine habitats.

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