Sustainable Management of the Coastal Environments in the Framework of the SPICOSA Project: the Study Case of the Mar Piccolo in Taranto (Ionian, Mediterranean Sea)

The Institute of Coastal Marine Environment (IAMC) of the CNR shares the coordination of a four-year EU Integrated Project SPICOSA (Science and Policy Integration for COastal Zone Assessment). SPICOSA is developing and testing an operational research approach framework for the assessment of policy options in the context of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). The integration of the economic, social and environmental components of the coastal zone is essential to supporting sustainable environmental policies. The SPICOSA methodology, Sys- tem Approach Framework (SAF), is being implemented and tested simultaneously in eighteen European Study Sites. We are three-quarters through the exercise with the Mar Piccolo, and we are now analyzing the results of our simulation analyses. In 2010, the results will be translated into various formats for deliberation and dis- tribution to Policy makers, Stakeholders, and Public to provide them with means to understand the effects of their policies and to promote a sustainable use of the Mar Piccolo resources. The results of the SPICOSA Study Site will be available on a user-based website for SAF support and archive of scientific reports and models.