ARGOS is a Strategic Project of the Interreg Italy-Croatia program that aims to establish a common framework for Governance in which all institutions responsible for fisheries and aquaculture in the Adriatic Sea area act together for the sustainable management and protection of marine biological resources.
Specific objectives are:
1. Establish and encourage a coordinated common framework and strengthen institutional dialogue for sustainable and shared management of Adriatic marine resources. ARGOS brings together Adriatic fisheries and aquaculture institutions and Argos partners for shared action for sustainable fisheries through the Adriatic Advisory Committee (AAC), which represents the needs of the Adriatic basin at the European and international level.
2. To protect the fishery resources of the Adriatic Sea according to the shared decision-making processes with the best available knowledge. ARGOS is based on a scientific approach for a common strategy related to fish stocks and the eco-biological status of marine habitats and species. ARGOS will ensure ongoing scientific advice and consultations with stakeholders for specific studies on the Adriatic Sea marine area and the evaluation of fisheries and aquaculture data.
3. Improve fishing techniques geared toward environmental sustainability. ARGOS aims to create a network that fosters the cross-border exchange of information and skills among those working in the fisheries sector, to improve skills and steer them toward responsible behavior and environmental sustainability through specific training and dedicated workshops.
A sampling campaign of study and observations involving marine scientists and citizens in the common effort to produce a series of snapshots from the sea during lockdown.
To provide key information on the biodiversity and marine ecosystems of the Central Mediterranean Sea - Strait of Sicily, the ecosystem services provided, human activities and pressures due to humans and climate change.
The Northern Adriatic Sea (NAS) represents an area heavily impacted by maritime traffic, tourism, and resource exploitation. The project aims to create cross-border technical, scientific and institutional cooperation to address the challenge of assessing the impact of underwater environmental noise on marine wildlife and the NAS ecosystem in general, useful for ensuring effective protection of marine biodiversity and ecosystems and developing more sustainable use of marine and coastal resources. The objectives of the project are pursued through the construction of a shared monitoring network for underwater noise assessment, evaluation of acoustic impact on marine biological resources, and development of a planning and management tool.
The research activities of the Institute are carried out in the context of research, development and innovation projects, both national and international, based on regional funding programs (POR FEAMPA - Regional Operational Program of the European Maritime Affairs Fisheries Fund and Aquaculture and POR FESR - Regional Operational Program of the European Regional Development Fund) or ministerial (PRIN - Projects of relevant national interest, PNRA - National Research Program in Antarctica, PO FEAMPA - National Operational Program European Maritime Affairs Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund) , programs for European Territorial Cooperation (Interreg), direct funding programs of the European Commission (Horizon2020 and Horizon Europe, Life, JPI - Joint Programming Initiatives, ERA-NET Cofund) and thematic collaboration initiatives managed by international organizations such as, for example , the FAO - GFCM (General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean). The Institute also develops funded projects in the context of collaborations with private companies in the sectors of the blue economy as well as technology transfer and research results. Research projects, mainly of a collaborative nature, are developed through a wide network of partners that include major Italian and foreign research institutions and universities.