MarBEF approach

Europe has a rich history of marine biodiversity research, a history of many research institutes independently developing and accumulating expertise and knowledge at local or regional level. However, in recent years a consensus has grown that integration and co-ordination at European scale is urgently required to implement long-term and large-scale marine biodiversity research and to plan more effective use of the European research infrastructure. Many research questions cannot be addressed at local scales: they require cooperation and the establishment of a committed network of scientists and institutes.

Better integration of research is also required to support the legal obligations of the EU and its member states, and also of associated states which are signatories to the Convention for Biological Diversity and the OSPAR and Barcelona Conventions. The legal obligations include several EU directives: the Birds Directive, Habitats Directive, Water Framework Directive and the forthcoming Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Such integration could also provide improved links and resources to the large and growing number of industries dependent on the sustainable use and exploitation of marine biodiversity. These include existing tourism, fisheries and aquaculture industries, all of which are developing, but also new industries which are exploring and commercialising marine genetic and chemical products.