The second technical workshop of the project MISTIC’ SEAS (Macaronesia Islands Standard Indicators and Criteria: Reaching Common Grounds on Monitoring Marine Biodiversity in Macaronesia started today at NONAGON - São Miguel Science and Technology Park and runs until Friday. This initiative is coordinated by the Regional Directorate for Sea Affairs and the Regional Fund for Science and Technology.
 
The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology emphasised the importance of organising international scientific events in the archipelago, noting the fact that "an interdepartmental cooperation of the Azorean Government is leading a European project that involves technical and scientific teams from the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands."
 
Fausto Brito e Abreu stressed that the Region "has excellent conditions for hosting major scientific events," defending that "these meetings are fundamental to the integration of Azorean scientists in international networks."
 
Mistic 'SEAS aims to draw up a common action plan for the monitoring of marine biodiversity in the region of Macaronesia, including seabirds, sea turtles and cetaceans, improving the coordination in the application and implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in Spain and Portugal (Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands).
 
Funded by the European Commission through DG ENVIRONMENT, this project began in December 2015 and ends on February 2017. It is coordinated by the Regional Directorate for Sea Affairs and the Regional Fund for Science and Technology. It has the following partners: the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Resources of the Government of Madeira; the Directorate-General for Natural Resources, Security and Maritime Affairs of the Portuguese Government; the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment of Spain, through the Department of Coastal and Maritime Sustainability, the Biodiversity Foundation and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography.