SEAsteMAR: Science and Cooperation for a Safer Mediterranean

On February 26, 2026, the halls of Natural History Museum of Livorno hosted the workshop “The Changing Sea: Observing, Understanding, and Acting with SEAsteMAR,” a discussion between scientists, administrators, and maritime sector operators dedicated to the transformations underway in the Mediterranean Sea.

The project is at the centre of the debate SEAsteMAR, a cross-border initiative between Italy and France created to provide a structured response to the effects of climate change and anthropogenic pressures on one of the world's most vulnerable river basins.

A scientific network for a changing sea

SEAsteMAR aims to build a integrated monitoring network and predictive models, going beyond simple data collection. As highlighted by Carlo Brandini of the LaMMA Consortium, the goal is to create a "connected network" capable of providing operational tools for navigation safety and ecosystem protection.

In an area like Livorno, characterised by intense commercial and tourist traffic, the challenge is to reconcile development and environmental protection, especially within the Pelagos Sanctuary, considered today a true climate change hotspot.

Giovanna Cepparello, Councilor for the Environment of the City of Livorno, emphasized the need to overcome institutional fragmentation: no single entity can address a systemic crisis alone. Dialogue between science and politics is essential to building long-term strategies.

From research to operations: the role of technical bodies

One of the project's distinctive features is the synergy between research and practical application. Francesca Giannoni of ARPA Liguria highlighted how collaboration between scientific and operational bodies enables the study of currents, temperatures, and acidification to be transformed into practical tools for those who work daily at sea, such as the Coast Guard.

Paola Tepsich of the CIMA Foundation emphasized the need for a systemic vision: the northern Mediterranean is home to both strategic port areas and marine protected areas. Effective management requires an approach that considers the entire basin, transcending the logic of territorial proximity alone.

The new fragilities of the Mediterranean

The scientific sessions highlighted increasingly complex critical issues.

Collisions with cetaceans

Naval traffic increases the risk of collisions with large cetaceans, including fin whales and sperm whales, iconic species of the Mediterranean and particularly vulnerable in their feeding areas.

Pollution and microplastics

Researchers from the CNR and the Universities of Pisa and Siena have illustrated the persistence of historical pollutants such as DDT, biomagnification processes, and the growing presence of microplastics, with direct impacts on the marine food chain.

Heating and acidification

Rising temperatures and dissolved CO₂ are altering habitats and ecosystem dynamics, with effects that are still being studied but potentially irreversible.

New presences on the coasts

A case in point is the growing presence of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) along the Tuscan coast. This phenomenon, as observed by Antonio Melley (ARPA Toscana), can be interpreted both as a range expansion and a possible sign of ecological imbalance.

Towards 2027: Shared tools and real-time alerts

The workshop confirmed that marine protection requires advanced modeling, international cooperation and constant communication between those who produce knowledge and those who make strategic decisions.

SEAsteMAR will continue its journey until 2027 with the goal of providing regions with real-time warning systems and shared protocols, capable of making the Mediterranean safer for human activities and more resilient for marine ecosystems.

A shared path, where science becomes action and cooperation is the true tool for protection.