NEWS: Second field trip in Sicily 16 – 22 November 2025
From 16 to 22 November 2025, the second cross-border Field Trip of the BLUEQ project was successfully organized in the Marine Protected Area (MPA) Plemmirio in Sicily, Italy. The activity was hosted by the University of Palermo and brought together project partners and experts working on innovative solutions for monitoring coastal habitats and quantifying blue carbon storage.
The field trip was implemented within the framework of the BLUEQ project – “Applied Solutions for Monitoring Coastal Habitats and Quantifying Blue Carbon Storage: An Integrated Approach for Sustainable Ecosystem Management” – which aims to strengthen scientific knowledge and develop integrated approaches for the sustainable management of marine ecosystems.
During the week-long programme, participants carried out a series of preparatory activities, field assessments, and scientific research operations focused on coastal and marine habitats. The activities included:
- underwater mapping,
- biodiversity and ecological assessments,
- coring activities,
- drone mapping,
- sample collection and preparation for laboratory analyses.
Particular attention was dedicated to the study of Posidonia oceanica, one of the most important seagrass species in the Mediterranean Sea and a key natural carbon sink. The collected samples will undergo detailed laboratory analyses in order to assess the species’ capacity for blue carbon storage and its contribution to the preservation and resilience of marine ecosystems.
The fieldwork activities carried out in Sicily contribute directly to Activities 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4 of the project and represent an important step toward improving regional cooperation and scientific exchange among partners from the Adriatic-Ionian area.
The research will continue in the next phases of the project in Albania and Croatia, particularly within the Sitsko-Žutska Archipelago area, further strengthening cross-border collaboration for marine biodiversity protection and climate resilience.
