Funded under the Interreg Italy-France Maritime Programme and led by ARPAL, the SEAsteMAR project (Sviluppo di sistemi per la Sicurezza E l’Allerta nello Spazio marino Transfrontaliero ed Evoluzione di Modelli per l’Adattamento al Rischio climatico – Development of Systems for Safety and Alert in the Cross-border Marine Space and Evolution of Models for Climate Risk Adaptation) is dedicated to developing and strengthening strategies for managing navigation risks, particularly those associated with the presence of large cetaceans and sensitive species, as well as the unpredictable meteorological-marine phenomena and climate change in the cross-border area.
SEAsteMAR develops and strengthens alert systems that signal the presence of cetaceans to large ships, to reduce both the risk of death for the animals and the damage to the ships. In parallel, it collects indicators useful for assessing the impact of maritime traffic on some species particularly vulnerable to collisions, such as common fin whales and sperm whales.
SEAsteMAR also implements meteorological-marine models for forecasting phenomena such as intense and localized storms, which are the most difficult to predict.
CIMA Research Foundation’s contribution
CIMA Research Foundation participates in the development of a catalog of indicators related to the impacts of maritime traffic on large cetaceans, conducting ad hoc studies on the beaked whale and updating the cartography of collision risk areas for fin whales and sperm whales. We also contribute to the definition of the ecosystem assessment of slope and neritic waters, particularly evaluating the relationship between various oceanographic parameters and the distribution of species, laying the groundwork for assessing the impact of climate change on the cetaceans of the Pelagos Sanctuary. Finally, we carry forward public outreach activities for the public and schools on the topic of climate change in the marine environment.
