Information Systems Laboratory (ISL)

iMarine - Data e-Infrastructure Initiative for Fisheries Management and Conservation of Marine Living Resources

iMarine (2011-2014), a project funded by the European Commission under Framework Programme 7, INFRA- 2011-1.2.2: Data Infrastructure for eScience, aims to establish and operate an e-infrastructure supporting the principles of the Ecosystem Approach to fisheries management and conservation of marine living resources. Over recent years, the marine ecosystem has been affected by many natural and socio-economic phenomena like natural disasters, human interventions (like fisheries), etc, that are making real changes to the original marine ecosystem. These events forced policy makers, environmental institutions, operators etc. to establish a dialogue to start formulating strategies aimed at the conservation and sustainability of the whole ecosystem structure and its properties. So far, this interaction has been started, but with poor results: a concrete Ecosystem Approach has not been yet adopted as is documented by the high number of existing Regional Fishery Management Organisations, Regional Seas Programmes, Ocean Biodiversity Initiatives, etc. who still adopt their own policies, terminologies, methodologies, and tools, and rarely cross over interdisciplinary boundaries, limiting the exchange of ideas and results with other communities, fragmenting understandings, reducing policy effectiveness and slowing down learning for adaptive management. Moreover to speed up the process of adoption of the Ecosystem Approach the establishment of one or more Communities of Practice is fundamental: interconnecting scientists, managers, lawyers, industry leaders, unions, fishery operators, etc. is the key to rapidly develop requirements and recommendations for new services and tools. iMarine will bridge this gap through the development of the i-Marine Data e- infrastructure. This e-Infrastructure fosters the cohesion among different Ecosystem Approach Communities of Practise (EA-CoP) reducing costs of its multidisciplinary policy creation, scientific and social learning activities and facilitating the emergence and solidification of EA-CoP. Moreover, providing a common layer to connect existing data infrastructures via established and standardized interfaces, implementing new features and value-added tools used by practitioners in fishery management and marine living resources conservation allows the creation of a unique reference point for all EA-CoP around the world.

Contact Person: Yannis Tzitzikas
E Mail: tzitzikATics.forth.gr
Duration: 01/11/2011 - 30/04/2014 (30 months)
Funding: EU - FP7 - CP & CSA
Prime Contractor: GEIE ERCIM
Participants: 

1. CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE – CNR
2. NATIONAL AND KAPODISTRIAN UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS – NKUA
3. EUROPEAN ORGANIZATION FOR NUCLEAR RESEARCH – CERN
4. ENGINEERING - INGEGNERIA INFORMATICA SPA - E-IIS
5. FOUNDATION FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY HELLAS – FORTH
6. TERRADUE SRL – TERRADUE
7. TRUST-IT SERVICES LTD - TRUST-IT
8. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANISATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS FAO – FAO
9. FISHBASE INFORMATION & RESEARCH GROUP INC – FIN
10. UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION -UNESCO – UNESCO
11. Centro de Referencia em Informacao Ambiental – CRIA
12. INSTITUT DE RECHERCHE POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT – IRD