The Regional Directorate for Sea Affairs (DRAM) and the Regional Fund for Science and Technology (FRCT) will coordinate the transnational European project MISTIC'SEAS (Macaronesia Islands Standard Criteria and Indicators: Reaching Common Grounds on Marine Biodiversity Monitoring in Macaronesia).

MISTIC'SEAS aims to review the current knowledge and conservation strategies for the Macaronesian populations of seabirds, sea turtles and cetaceans. The project will develop a standardized methodology to monitoring these groups of animals to be adopted in the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands. It will culminate in the approval of a common action plan for the monitoring of marine biodiversity in Macaronesia.

In addition to their international conservation status, the biological target groups of this project, including birds, turtles and cetaceans, were selected because they are highly migratory and have a wide geographical distribution, which involves a close cooperation and the international coordination of policies aimed at their conservation and knowledge.

The project aims to meet the specific needs of the biogeographic subregion of Macaronesia under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. This Directive, which is part of the Integrated Maritime Policy in Europe, determines the framework for Community action in the field of environmental policy for the marine environment. In this regard, Member States shall take the necessary measures to achieve or maintain good environmental status of marine waters Europe by 2020. This task requires the cooperation between neighbouring member states to ensure the coordination of marine strategies at regional and subregional levels.

Funded by the European Commission through DG ENVIRONMENT, with a budget of around 650 thousand Euros, the MISTIC'SEAS project has as partners the General-Directorate of Natural Resources, Security and Marine Resources (DGRM) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Sea, the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Natural Resources (SRARN) of the Government of Madeira, the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO), Fundación Biodiversidad (FB) and the Directorate-General of Sustainability la Costa y del Mar (DGSCM); the last two institutions are under jurisdiction of Ministerio Español de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente. This project will also include the provision of technical and scientific assistance by regional experts on birds, turtles and cetaceans.