Plastic Busters Cap project will take part in the side event “Science and awareness: building Mediterranean networks against marine litter” on 28 June, during the Ocean Conference in Lisbon (Portugal), a key event, organized by United Nation to further drive the action of the global community towards healthy oceans. 

Following the commitments presented in 2017 by the Italian environmetal NGO Legambiente, Lead Beneficiary of COMMON project and the University of Siena (Italy), Lead Beneficiary of Plastic Busters Cap project, the main objective of this event is to present the progress achieved so far in protecting the health of the Mediterranean, and to discuss solutions and strategies to be implemented in the years to come.

University of Siena is a leader group in the research of the impact of marine debris on mediterranean biodiversity and charismatic megaphauna, developing new tools to investigate the ecotoxicological impact of microplastic on endangered mediterranean species.

During the event, speakers will not limit to the transfer of information to improve awareness of the marine litter phenomenon, but they will have the opportunity to discuss the possibility of deploying new tools and activities that integrate science and awareness campaigns. A new participatory approach involving stakeholders and local communities, with the ambition of testing a model potentially transferable to the entire Mediterranean basin.

The side event will see the participation of Giorgio Zampetti, Director General of Legambiente Onlus, Sigi Gruber of European Union, Eleni Hatziyanni, Commission's Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), Alessandra Sensi, Union for Mediterranean; Vincent Ernoux, ENI CBC Med Program/Interreg NEXT MED, Francesca Marcato of InterregMed, Maria Cristina Fossi of University of Siena, and Sana Ben Ismail of Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer (INSTM).

Join us online on 28 June from 9:30 to11:00 AM (CEST) to learn more about the importance of promoting regional cooperation to protect the Mediterranean Sea.

To register and to view the event agenda, please click here.