June 5, 2025
The LIFE MareNatura documentary continues its journey, this time turning the lens towards a critical but often invisible dimension of marine conservation—the translation of scientific knowledge into institutional policy and practical biodiversity management strategies.
MEDASSET (The Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles) has a central role in this effort, leading targeted advocacy and awareness-raising actions as part of the project. Through sustained policy engagement with decision-making bodies——MEDASSET in collaboration with all the partners, contributes to expanding the current network of marine Natura2000 protected areas. The ultimate goal is the formal designation of new Marine Protected Areas proposed by the project, aligned with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, as well as the goals of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
As part of the documentary, Nadia Andreanidou, MEDASSET’s Policy and Programmes Officer and LIFE MareNatura Project Manager, and Ioli Christopoulou, co-founder and Policy Director at The Green Tank—also policy expert for the project—gave an in-depth interview to the documentary’s director, Roberto Lo Monaco. Their discussion explored how advocacy and policy tools can elevate the impact of a science-driven project, and the concrete steps being taken to ensure LIFE MareNatura contributes meaningfully to Greece’s implementation of the EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy, which sets the target of placing at least 30% of the EU’s land and sea under protection by 2030.
In the next stop, the production team visited the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (NECCA), a key institutional partner in LIFE MareNatura. The production documented an extensive conversation with Demi Marmara, Project Manager for NECCA, focused on how scientific proposals can be practically incorporated into state mechanisms. The discussion also emphasized the importance of ensuring institutional continuity and the active involvement of all stakeholders even after the formal completion of the project.
This segment of the documentary brings to light a rarely seen but essential layer of conservation: the interface between science and policy. It is only when scientific evidence is translated into effective, adopted policy measures that the protection of marine biodiversity can become both meaningful and enduring.
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