HORIZON-NATURE-2027-01-03/ Participatory science in marine conservation

MEDivers – Mediterranean Biodiversity Society is a civil society organisation based in Türkiye. We seek to join Horizon Europe consortia where our team can contribute marine field expertise, citizen science and participatory approaches to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management.

Our potential contributions include:

• Scientific diving and field monitoring of Posidonia oceanica meadows and coastal habitats, including habitat condition and human pressures.

• Co-design and implementation of citizen science programmes, including participant training, engagement of marine users and integration with scientific monitoring.

• Participatory conservation planning, pressure assessments and co-development of prioritisation and decision-support tools.

• Stakeholder engagement and facilitation, bringing together researchers, local communities, fishers, other sea users and public authorities to develop conservation priorities and management measures.

• Knowledge exchange, capacity building and translation of scientific evidence and local knowledge into practical conservation actions and policy recommendations.

We are interested in co-developing Mediterranean coastal case studies and pilot activities in Türkiye with research and technical partners. We aim to strengthen participation throughout the process, from identifying research and conservation needs to collecting evidence, developing solutions and informing management decisions.