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Adrireef Project goes to Sealogy - The European exhibition of Blue Economy

Published on 26/10/2021 (last modified 23/11/2021)

The Municipality of Ravenna will attend Sealogy with a stand dedicated to the Adrireef project and its Blue Economy highlights

 

The Municipality of Ravenna is waiting for you at its Sealogy stand for a preview on the May 2022 Ravenna European Maritime Day, the outcomes of the Interreg Italy-Croatia ADRIREEF / Innovative exploitation of Adriatic Reefs in order to strengthen blue economy project, the enhancement project of the Marina di Ravenna Wild Mussel and the chance to make a virtual diving in the biodiversity oasis of the Paguro wreck with the new 3D visors available for the fair participants!!!

ADRIREEF / Innovative exploitation of Adriatic Reefs in order to strengthen blue economy

After two years of activities, Adrireef project presents for the first time its main outcomes to the participants of Sealogy.

THE PROJECT
Natural and artificial reefs are priceless elements for the scientific community and key resources for Blue Growth. By mapping and monitoring Adriatic reefs and involving relevant stakeholders, Adrireef aims to provide guidelines and a code of conduct illustrating sustainable exploitation models of marine reefs.
The Adriatic sea counts a large number of marine ecosystems suitable for the Blue Economy purposes. Monitoring and studying natural and artificial reefs is essential to collect information both for the protection of the environment and for the development of sustainable activities with positive social and economic impact.

11 Croatian and Italian local authorities, regional environmental preservation and territorial development agencies, private and public research institutes compose the Adrireef partnership.

MAIN GOALS
• Analysis of the potential of Adriatic sea natural and artificial reefs in order to promote Blue Economy
• Enhancement of the attractiveness of existing marine resources in order to promote sustainable economic development (i.e. mapping, monitoring and promotion of less known natural areas and implementation of artificial reefs as suitable sub-strata for new sustainable ecosystems)

SPECIFIC GOALS
• Improvement of the Adriatic reefs potential to foster blue economy activities and employability (i.e. aquaculture, sport fishing, diving, tourism, etc.)
• Test of innovative integrated monitoring systems with low environmental impact
• Definition of guidelines, code of conduct and white paper addressed to decision makers, scholars and stakeholders for a sustainable exploitation of the Adriatic reefs

OUTPUTS
• Map and classification of the Adriatic sea reefs
• Identification of available technology with low environmental impact for the underwater monitoring of the marine ecosystem
• Identification of marine areas that can be used for economic scope
• Guidelines and code of conduct for stakeholders
• White paper for a sustainable exploitation of reefs in blue economy

TARGET GROUPS
• General audience
• Local, regional and national public authorities
• Regional and local development agencies, chambers of commerce and other business support organisations
• SMEs
• Universities, technology transfer institutions, research institutions

PROJECT RESULTS / MAIN OUTCOMES
• Increase of the perception of the Adriatic area as an attractive environment for business development (SMEs)
• Building awareness about the opportunities of the economic growth of artificial and natural reefs among the scientific, business, institutional and civil communities
• Provide adequate expertise and data to research bodies/institutions/ policy makers in long term and efficient assessments of the Adriatic reefs
• Updated information and analysis on existing best-business cases and hints for the start of new business activities for SMEs
• Information and tools for the best use of reefs

CASE STUDIES
The selected case studies represent the variety of Adriatic sea reefs:

• artificial reefs: Paguro wreck, Porto Recanati-Porto Potenza Picena, Plić Lagnjići
• natural reefs: Torre Guaceto Marine Protected Area, Trezza San Pietro , Plić Seget, Plićina Konjsko



THE 2022 EUROPEAN MARITIME DAY IN RAVENNA


The European Maritime Day (EMD) is the annual two-day event during which Europe’s maritime community meet to network, discuss and outline joint action on maritime affairs and sustainable blue economy.


EMD is the place where ‘Ocean Leaders Meet’. It provides an engaging and complete interactive experience to catch up on the current state of play on a broad range of issues concerning blue economy and marine environment and discuss ways of moving forward. It features a large number of excellent speakers, thematic sessions, stakeholder workshops and project pitch sessions organised by stakeholders and the European Commission, as well as hundreds of B2B meeting opportunities. EMD targets professionals from businesses, governments, public institutions, NGOs and academia.


The 2022 edition of European Maritime Day will take place in Ravenna, Italy, on 19-20 May. It will be co-organised by the European Commission, the City of Ravenna and the Region of Emilia-Romagna.


A special connection ties Ravenna with the sea. Founded more than 2000 years ago, Emperor Augustus chose it as the main harbour of his imperial fleet. Today, it is one of the most important ports on the Adriatic and a gateway to the East.


The grandeur of Ravenna is evident in its city centre, preserving the heritage of the Western Roman Empire, of Theodoric’s reign and of the Byzantine Empire. The city counts eight UNESCO World Heritage monuments, and it safeguards the tomb of Dante Alighieri.


The vicinity to the Adriatic makes it a suggestive touristic destination and the ideal place to discover the nature.


Ravenna is a town of waters, connected with the sea by canals, with rivers, marshlands and groundwater surrounding the city. The water-related heritage of Ravenna includes environmental as well as built assets, ranging from archaeological finds to contemporary industrial areas and buildings.


Water, seaside and nature represent the essential ingredients of Ravenna economy, which is based on the port and connected activities, agriculture, but also - and above all – tourism.


After the end of EMD 2022, Ravenna awaits you with a rich program of events, performances, experiences and guided tours. The guests of the conference may enjoy a long weekend dedicated to the city of Art and to the Seaside.


The programme will be available in the first months of next year. An opportunity to extend your stay in Ravenna and to find the Italian beauty experience: stay tuned!


THE WILD MUSSEL OF MARINA DI RAVENNA

The Municipality of Ravenna, Eni DICS, CIFLA – Centro per l’Innovazione di Fondazione Flaminia, CESTHA - Centro Sperimentale per la tutela degli Habitat, La Romagnola and Nuovo Conisub fishing cooperatives, Slow Food Ravenna and Tuttifrutti advertising agency met on the 21st of September 2021 to sign a mutual agreement, approved by the city council, for the enhancement of the wild mussel of Marina di Ravenna.
 

The agreement unites a varied group of stakeholders with different perspectives but with the same idea of thinking the local mussel as a precious asset to be protected and promoted and it is the result of a series of meetings begun in April 2021 and part of the activities of the IX collaboration agreement between Eni S.p.A. and the Municipality of Ravenna.

The partnership worked to define a series of general principles aimed at addressing projects and activities for the enhancement and promotion of the Marina di Ravenna wild mussel, a unique product on ts own.


The Marina di Ravenna mussel features a spontaneous breeding and its history is mainly connected with the presence of the natural gas drilling platform dislocated not far away from the Ravenna coastline.


Started as a cleaning activity of the platfoms’ pillars, the picking of the mussels has become a true commercial resource. The Municipality of Ravenna started the process of promotion by recognizing it as a product of excellence of the territory, then it has become the star of an annual fest organised by the Tuttifrutti advertising company together with the collaboration of Slow Food Ravenna and all local stakeholders and, finally, it has gained its own trade mark, “La Selvaggia di Marina di Ravenna”, owned by the local fishing cooperatives. The brand is the result of a journey made by the cooperatives with the collaboration of Cestha and CIFLA and it’s been financed by the Emilia-Romagna coast FLAG call.

The “Selvaggia” is the expression of a territory that has been capable of combining

in a sustainable way industry, fishing, tourism, environment and high-quality cooking. It is the result of a unique productive story that has originated local craftsmanship such as the local diving fishers, the so-called “cozzari”.


The local mussel has all the features to become a territorial promotional tool in a touristic way by making Marina di Ravenna an attractive landmark not only for its beaches but also for its original cooking traditions too.

As for all spontaneous products, the “Selvaggia” has limited amounts and it is a seasonal output: the fishing period ranging from April to the end of September. Anyway, this doesn’t affect the chance to work it so that it can be eaten all year long or to make various products that tourists can bring home as a local souvenir.


The sustainability of this spontaneous product is a feature that must be preserved in every process: from the birth to the collecting activities, from the distribution chains to the commercial activities, as for the sharing of clear and comprehensive information of the product to the final consumer.

The members of the partnership have agreed to respect and promote the principles of the pact, to share information and mutual interests for the enhancement of the product and to accept new possible subjects with the interest to promote the “Selvaggia” and to accept the agreement.



 

VIRTUAL DIVING EXPERINECE ON THE PAGURO WRECK
 

Even if you have never worn a wet suit and if you are no familiar with diving techniques, now, thanks to Adrireef project and 3D visors you can virtually explore the Paguro wreck lying underwater at a depth of minus 30 metres in the Adriatic sea!


The Paguro is famous among divers, biologists and sea lovers: a gas drilling platform exploded and sunk in 1965 over the Ravenna coastline.


Today, the wreck has become a marine sanctuary,
the shelter of many animal and vegetal species and, for this reason, a SIC protected zone.


The highest part of the structure stands at minus 10 metres below sea level, while the deepest one lies at minus 35 metres below sea level where currents and low temperatures make it a difficult dive experience. This is an ideal destination for scientists and divers and nowadays we can visit it even with our feet well
stamped on the floor! Thanks to Adrireef project we now have a little virtual museum of the Paguro. After a long activity of monitoring and photogrammetric sampling we have a 3D model of the wreck and by wearing the available 3D visors it is possible to explore the whole intricated underwater structure and metal network. Everyone can experience the dive: citizens willing to discover the Paguro, tourists willing to experience a local resource, divers willing to lear how to orienteer in the wreck and so on.


In Summer, the
3D visors are availble at the Tourist Information Office of Marina di Ravenna close to the MAS – Museum of Underwater Activities, while over the rest of the year they are available at the Piazza San Francesco Tourist Information Office, right in the city centre of Ravenna. During Sealogy fair, it will be possible to find and explore the 3D visors in the Municipality of Ravenna’s stand. Come and visit us for your virtual dive experience!