Dear spongers,

I'm pleased to share the following press release from the EU-funded 
project SponGES (further supporting information can be found here: 
http://www.deepseasponges.org/?p=950).

Sincerely yours,
Martina

--- PRESS RELEASE 27/9/2017 ---

Bridging the Gap - Scientists, Policy Makers and Stakeholders 
Meet to 
Talk about Deep-Sea Sponges

Last week, on September 20th, the EU-funded project SponGES held its 
second science-policy panel, at the premises of the Directorate-General 
for Environment (DG ENV). The event, organized by FAO in the scope of 
SponGES’ activities, was held just ahead of the meeting of the European 
Commission’s Working Group on Good Environmental Status (WG GES).

The meeting was joined by a total of 23 participants representing the 
European Parliament, scientists and  stakeholders, such as industry, 
inter-governmental organizations, regional fisheries management 
organizations, NGO’s etc.

Several SponGES partners presented the activities and preliminary 
results from the first 18 months of the project. Covered topics spanned 
from biodiversity, functioning, connectivity and anthropogenic impacts, 
mapping and modelling through to blue biotech, and resource management. 
SponGES researchers further highlighted how data and tools being 
generated in the project may inform and assist EU Member States in the 
assessment of the environmental status of deep-sea habitats in the 
context of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) specifically 
in reference to descriptors 1 “Biological Diversity” and 6 “Seafloor 
Integrity”.

All participants were highly engaged and productive discussions were 
held e.g. regarding the assessment of “Significant Adverse Impact (SAI)” 
and “Bycatch Threshold Values” that are of particular relevance to the 
implementation of international agreements towards the protection and 
conservation of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) and Ecological or 
Biological Significant Areas (EBSAs), of which deep-sea sponge habitats 
are an integral part. The economic aspects for the biotech and 
pharmaceutical industries were also addressed. All convenors agreed on 
the importance of holding further science-policy meetings to reinforce 
collaboration and strengthen the positive societal impact of EU-funded 
research.

SponGES is grateful to DG ENV for the interest in, and the logistic 
support to the meeting, and to all participants for their useful insight 
throughout the day.


-- 
Dr Martina Milanese, PhD

skype: m.milanese
https://it.linkedin.com/in/martina-milanese-46963436
twitter: @martix_m

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Studio Associato Gaia Snc dei Dottori Antonio Sarà e Martina Milanese
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