The BLUE4ALL project's General Assembly in Lecce, Italy, was a convergence of intellect and progress celebration, spanning from January 23 to 26, 2024. This meeting brought together representatives from all 20 partner organizations at the Fondazione CMCC (Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici), facilitating an exchange of insights and outlining future directions.
The assembly began on Tuesday, January 23rd, with a warm welcome by our coordinator Steven Degraer, and by CMCC. The day focused on reviewing the project's progress and discussing future needs, including a session led by the Coordination Work Package on the state of BLUE4ALL, as a recap of what we want to achieve and where we are. This was particularly useful for the two members of our Advisory Board who joined physically, Ana Costa from the University of Azores and Tundy Agardy from Sound Seas. Online we also had our Advisory Board member Helen Ding from the World Resources Institute.
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Wednesday, January 24th, marked a shift towards developing the Blueprint Platform, a critical component of BLUE4ALL. Interactive sessions organised by WP2 (Science-based tools for socio-economic and governance solutions) and WP3 (Science-based tools for ecological and environmental solutions) leaders explored various challenges and tools. The afternoon saw efforts to shape the format and design of the Blueprint Platform.
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On Thursday, January 25th, attendees engaged in joint writing efforts and explored the scope of BLUE4ALL's legacy and the Mission Ocean's Blue Parks Community, led by WP6 (Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation) and WP7 (Coordination) leaders. The day concluded with a visit to the Area Marina Protetta Torre Guaceto, a Living Lab, offering a practical perspective on the project's goals and impact.
The final day of the assembly, Friday, January 26th, included a discussion on communication, dissemination, and interaction with sister and allied EU projects like BLUE CONNECT and PHAROS, being the key highlight of the day the fantastic feedback from the Advisory Board.
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The General Assembly brought together experts and stakeholders to collaborate on creating a robust framework for marine conservation. The discussions and activities over the four days have set a clear path for the project's future, focusing on enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency, and resilience of Marine Protected Areas across Europe and beyond.