PRO-Coast

05/06/2026

PRO-Coast Case study in Slovenia: Wildlife Monitoring Goes High‑Tech & Community‑Led! 🐺📸

Our Slovenian partners at Univerza na Primorskem / University of Primorska are crushing it in the Strunjan coastal area! Here's what they've achieved:

📱 SRNA App – Citizen Science in Action
✅ 300+ wildlife records (16 species: mammals & birds)
✅ Hunters as citizen scientists – local knowledge meets data
✅ Wave 2 survey: 80+ responses already

📸 Camera Trapping
📸 150,000+ images, 16 species detected – ongoing monitoring

🎓 Training Locals
✅ Certified micro‑credential training (Dec 2025)
✅ Research night for high school students (Sept 2025)
✅ Training for students, farmers & community (March 2026)

📄 Publications
📖 Paper in Journal for Nature Conservation
🎤 Poster at NATMed conference + 3 posters for Wild Boar conference

🔄 Deep Change Framework in Action
Step 1 – Urgency: Reduce human‑wildlife conflicts, monitor invasive species
Step 2 – Team: UP, Forest Service, Hunting Association, farmers, landowners
Step 3 – Vision: Collaborative governance + data‑driven management
Step 4 – Communicate: Workshops with locals, hunters, schools – huge interest!
Step 5 – Empower: Better cooperation, training, SRNA app tools, conflict mitigation

🚀 What's Next?
🌍 Upscaling to other protected areas
📱 New SRNA features (educational games, competitions)
🇸🇮 National wildlife monitoring (eDNA, camera traps)
📊 More workshops, KPIs, and scientific papers

✅ Key Numbers
Metric Result
SRNA records 300+
Camera images 150,000+
Species 16
Survey responses 80+
Trained citizens Dozens
👏 Huge congrats to University of Primorska – setting the standard for community‑led wildlife monitoring! 💚

@ακόλουθοι Friends of the Earth Malta Costa Nostrum Atlantic Technological University Leipzig Research Centre Global Dynamics Università del Salento Ibercivis CARTIF Vecinii de la Corbu Privredna komora Crne Gore / Chamber of Economy of Montenegro TalTech Tartu kolledži Üliõpilasselts Norges Miljøvernforbund Universitetet i Bergen

03/06/2026

🌍 PRO-Coast Across Europe: 10 Case Studies, One Mission for Coastal Resilience
From the Baltic to the Black Sea, from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic – PRO-Coast is alive and thriving! 🚀
This video takes you on a journey across 10 unique coastal case studies spanning 10 European countries. Together, 20 partners are empowering local communities to restore biodiversity, balance tourism with nature, and build lasting coastal governance.
🌊 What you'll see:
Streedagh Beach, Ireland – marram grass monitoring & community workshops
Comino Island, Malta – confronting overtourism at the Blue Lagoon
Corbu Beach, Romania – the "Neighbors of Corbu" awareness campaign
Klogaarana-Laulasma, Estonia - Ecosystem restoration & stakeholder dialogue
Kildn and Ghostfishing, Bergen, Norway
Apulia, Aquatina di Frigole, Italy – participatory governance in action
Boka Kororska, Montenegro - confronting overtourism as a cross-sector of cruiseships allover the globe
Area of Strunjan, Slovenia - coast – citizen science wildlife app (SRNA)
Arne Parish, UK - Ecosystem restoration & stakeholder dialogue
And more!
✅ Success highlights:
CHUI platform live – Conservation & Human Use Index tool
Webinar series reaching hundreds of participants
1,500+ citizen science observations on iNaturalist
Wave 2 surveys collecting stakeholder voices for EU policy
New business & youth coalitions championing sustainable tourism
🔁 Why it matters:
PRO-Coast is proving that community-led action + science = real coastal resilience. The project is on track, the tools are working, and the partnerships are growing stronger every day.
🎥 Watch now and see how Europe's coasts are being transformed – together athttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZguqQv5ZhGI
👇 Join the movement! Share this video, visit our website, and explore the CHUI tool.
🔗 www.pro-coast.eu
🔗 https://chui.pro-coast.eu/

@ακόλουθοι Friends of the Earth Malta Costa Nostrum Atlantic Technological University Privredna komora Crne Gore / Chamber of Economy of Montenegro Leipzig Research Centre Global Dynamics Università del Salento Olympia Papadopoulou Univerza na Primorskem / University of Primorska Ibercivis CARTIF Constantine Iliopoulos TotalPR Vecinii de la Corbu PR&More
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZguqQv5ZhGI

Pro Coast The pres

🌍 PRO‑Coast Across Europe: 10 Case Studies, One Mission for Coastal...

02/06/2026

PRO‑Coast in Romania: „Vecinii de la Corbu“ – A Campaign That Turns Everyone into a Coastal Guardian! 🌊💚 By TotalPR

During the 6th PRO‑Coast meeting in Comino, Malta, hosted by FoE Malta, our Romanian partner TotalPR shared something truly special – the “Vecinii de la Corbu” (Neighbors of Corbu) campaign. It's the first‑ever awareness campaign for Corbu Beach, one of Romania’s last truly wild beaches. And it's working! 🎉

🌿 What Makes This Campaign Unique?
✅ Brand identity featuring the Dalmatian Pelican – a local conservation icon 🦩
✅ Core message: “There is room for everyone, if we take care” 🤝
✅ Informational panels on the beach since August 2024 – every visitor sees them 🪧
✅ 500+ flyers distributed via Corbu City Hall, plus a new batch for summer 2026 📄

👥 Two Amazing Workshops
🧒 Workshop 1 – Children (20+ students)
Led by a PhD researcher from University of Bucharest + a marine biologist. Hands‑on fun learning about local plants and animals – growing the next generation of nature lovers! 🌱🐞

🏨 Workshop 2 – HoReCa Business Community
Restaurant & accommodation owners learned about responsible tourism. Result? Strong enthusiasm – businesses are ready to co‑champion the cause for the 2026 season! 🙌☕🍽️

📈 Impact So Far
✅ Tourists learn about biodiversity right on the beach – at the point of visit 🏖️
✅ Three groups engaged: children, residents/tourists, local businesses – all becoming “neighbors” who protect what they share 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🏘️
✅ TotalPR is now a long‑term partner helping businesses shift toward nature‑conscious practices 🌍

🛠️ What's Next? (Exciting stuff!)
🔹 Large‑format billboards at accommodation entrances (requested by businesses!) 📢
🔹 In‑room brochures – turning every guest room into a biodiversity classroom 🛏️📘
🔹 Local nature guide training – starting in Corbu school, creating a new generation of eco‑guides 🎓🚶‍♀️
🔹 Citizen science – 1,500+ iNaturalist observations already! Scaling via contests & social media 📱🔍
🔹 Attracting a new tourist profile: birdwatchers, ecotourists, families – low impact, high awareness 🦜👨‍👩‍👧

📊 Data & Visibility
📋 EU stakeholder survey (Wave 2) – door‑to‑door, online, at workshops – reaching tourists, residents, businesses
📊 113 responses – KPI on track for “Willingness to Pay for Conservation” 💶
📱 Dedicated Facebook & Instagram for „Vecinii de la Corbu“ – building a permanent digital community that will outlast the project 🌐
📰 Mass media exposure: 6 articles, 67k+ total reach – Corbu is now called “one of Romania’s last truly wild beaches” and a model for responsible tourism, with PRO‑Coast as the driving force 📰✨

🌍 Why This Matters
While Comino (Malta) suffers from overtourism and weak governance, Corbu is building a proactive, community‑owned stewardship model – exactly what PRO‑Coast aims to scale across Europe. 💪🌊

“We are no longer just campaign deliverers. We are becoming long‑term partners for a nature‑conscious business community.” – TotalPR Team

🔁 Something You Can Copy!
The “Neighbor” communication model – community‑identity framing – can be adapted to any shared natural space where locals, tourists, and businesses co‑exist. Want to try it in your area? Let us know! 👇

👏 Congratulations TotalPR!
You've shown how creativity, science, and community can turn a wild beach into a living laboratory for sustainable coastal futures. 🇷🇴💙

Share this post if you believe in community‑led conservation! 🔁💬
@ακόλουθοι Atlantic Technological University Friends of the Earth Malta Ibercivis CARTIF Costa Nostrum Cosmin Mares PR&More Frederick University Olympia Papadopoulou

02/06/2026

Comino Island PRO-Coast MAltese Case Study - Photo Story by Friends of the Earth Malta

29/05/2026

🌊 Università del Salento brings PRO-Coast science to future marine biologists
On 8 May 2026, the University of Salento team presented key outcomes of the PRO-Coast project to students of the International Master’s Degree in Coastal and Marine Biology and Ecology (course: Ecological Indicators and Biomonitoring).

👨‍🏫 Presenters:
Prof. Maurizio Pinna, Prof. Valeria Specchia, Dr. Francesco Zangaro, Dr. Francesca Marcucci

📘 What they shared:
The Conservation and Human Use Index (CHUI) – a practical, multi‑parameter assessment tool designed to identify and track conflicts and synergies in conservation area management.

🌍 Why it matters:
The CHUI has been applied to ten representative European coastal environments. It translates EU‑wide environmental policies into local, place‑based knowledge, helping conservation managers visualise data‑driven trade‑offs between strict ecological protection and local socio‑economic demands.

🧠 Who developed it?
The CHUI was developed and elaborated by Phoebe Vayanou, Panagiotis Georgiou and Constantinos Kounnamas of Frederick University in Cyprus – a fantastic example of cross‑institutional collaboration.

📄 Scientific recognition:
The work has been submitted as a paper in Frontiers in Environmental Science, titled:
“First Assessment of the Coastal Social‑Ecological Conditions using the Conservation and Human Index (CHUI) across ten European case studies.”

🎓 This dissemination activity shows how EU‑funded research directly enriches higher education and equips future marine biologists with tools for real‑world conservation challenges.

👏 A big thank you and congratulations to the entire University of Salento team – and to Frederick University – for their outstanding contribution to coastal science and capacity building.

@ακόλουθοι PRO-Coast Costa Nostrum Friends of the Earth Malta Atlantic Technological University Jane Raamets Chris Mammides Alex Yendell Università del Salento Vecinii de la Corbu Tetiana Gardashuk Norges Miljøvernforbund UNIVERSITÄT LEIPZIG Atlantic Technological University Ibercivis Leipzig Research Centre Global Dynamics UP Famnit Univerza na Primorskem / University of Primorska TalTech Tartu kolledži Üliõpilasselts Privredna komora Crne Gore / Chamber of Economy of Montenegro

28/05/2026

During the 6th PRO-Coast Consortium Meeting in Valletta, Malta, our Irish case study partner – Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Sligo – presented an impressive portfolio of dissemination, communication, and stakeholder engagement activities that exemplify the project’s grassroots, community-led ethos.
The ATU team demonstrated how sustained, multi-channel outreach can translate research into real-world coastal action. Their efforts have significantly raised awareness of sand dune conservation and marram grass restoration at Streedagh Beach, a site of both ecological and historical significance (Spanish Armada heritage).
📢 Dissemination & Communication Highlights
✅A nice looking Wave 2 survey (three‑fold format) distributed widely.
✅Active social media campaigns boosting local and academic visibility.
✅Roundtable discussions on marram grass mapping and restoration.
✅Community workshops, semi‑structured interviews, and local public events (beach clean‑ups, climate action, Spanish Armada heritage, Water Way).
✅Targeted meetings with farmers in Grange.
📢Conference Presence
NAIMed Final Conference (Istanbul, March 2026) – Presented Streedagh Beach case study methodology preliminary findings, and key achievements with an international audience of marine and coastal researchers.
🔬 Technical & Monitoring Achievements
✅Baseline Monitoring – Established ecological benchmarks for sand dune restoration.
✅Marram Grass Monitoring – Continued, systematic tracking of dune health and vegetation cover.
✅Wave 1 Survey & Questionnaire – Successfully distributed and analysed, providing baseline socio‑ecological data.
🐦Key Outcomes
🌍Increased awareness among nearly all stakeholder groups about dune and marram grass conservation for coastal resilience.
🌍Stakeholders voiced concerns about future decision‑making, demanding genuine community participation.
🌍Expanded visibility of PRO-Coast locally and academically.
🌍New professional networks for future restoration activities.
🌍Strengthened support for community‑based environmental actions.
🌍Educational integration of real‑world coastal resilience challenges, enhancing knowledge exchange.
A Model for Community‑Led Coastal Stewardship
ATU Sligo’s comprehensive approach – blending rigorous science, participatory engagement, and creative communication – serves as a benchmark for all PRO-Coast case studies. Their work demonstrates that lasting coastal resilience is built not only on data, but on trust, dialogue, and shared ownership.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the ATU team for their unwavering commitment and exceptional results.
@ακόλουθοι

22/05/2026

🌍 PRO-Coast visits Comino Island, Malta – Beauty under pressure 🇲🇹
Last week, our PRO-Coast consortium – 20 partners from 14 countries – came together for a field visit to the Maltese case study, led by Friends of the Earth Malta (FoEM).
We explored Comino Island, home to the world-famous Blue Lagoon. But what we saw was both breathtaking and deeply concerning.
Guided by expertise 🧭
Our incredible guide was Annalise Falzon – a licensed nature walk specialist and environmental educator. She brought Comino's unique flora and fauna to life, from its coastal plants to its role as a haven for migratory birds.
Protected on paper – exposed in reality 📜⚠️
Comino is a Natura 2000 site with three official protections:
🟢 Special Area of Conservation (SAC) – for exceptional wildlife
🐦 Special Protection Area (SPA) – bird sanctuary & breeding grounds
🌊 Marine Protected Area – under EU Birds & Habitats Directives
Yet what did we witness?
❌ Thousands of tourists crowding the Blue Lagoon
❌ Visible waste and pollution
❌ Almost no enforcement or government presence
Only Friends of the Earth Malta is fighting daily to protect this fragile ecosystem.
Why PRO-Coast cares 💚
This is exactly why our project exists. Biodiversity loss isn't a distant threat – it's happening now, in protected areas, under the weight of unmanaged tourism.
We are working with local communities, scientists, and policymakers to find real, sustainable solutions.
Comino deserves better. Together, we can help.
@ακόλουθοι Costa Nostrum Friends of the Earth Malta Norges Miljøvernforbund Chris Mammides Jane Raamets Atlantic Technological University Alex Yendell Università del Salento CARTIF Ibercivis Vecinii de la Corbu TotalPR Tetiana Gardashuk UNIVERSITÄT LEIPZIG Perline Bastid

21/05/2026

🇲🇹 Day 2 in Valletta – Another Productive Day for PRO-COAST! 🎉
Our 6th Consortium Meeting continues at Europe House, hosted by Friends of the Earth Malta – and wow, what a day! 💙
We covered so much ground – here's what happened ⬇️
📊 5 More Case Studies Took the Stage!
We heard from our remaining case study leaders:
🇬🇧 United Kingdom (Anatrack)
🇳🇴 Norway (University of Bergen – 2 case studies!)
🇪🇪 Estonia (TalTech)
🇷🇴 Romania (TotalPR)
That's all 10 case studies now – from the Baltic to the Mediterranean! 🌍
🔬 Citizen Science Workshop by IBERCIVIS
A fantastic session on how local communities can get involved in real data collection. Because science is stronger when everyone joins in! 🧑‍🤝‍🧑📱
📢 WP7 – Dissemination & Communication (PR&More & ESUG)
Big plans ahead:
🎥 Videos, newsletters, social media, promo materials
🤝 Clustering with other projects
📄 Policy Guidelines – coming soon!
🎯 Final Conference – October 2026 in Brussels! (who's presenting what? already being planned!)
🌐 CUSP platform updates
📚 ESUG publications & Task 7.5 on lessons learned & replicability
📋 WP1 – Project Management (TERO & partners)
Important behind-the-scenes work:
📝 Amendments & final reporting
💶 Financial reviews
🗄️ Data management & Zenodo archiving
👥 General Assembly decisions
🏝️ THE BEST PART – Tomorrow we visit COMINO ISLAND! 🇲🇹🌊
The final day takes us to the stunning Blue Lagoon – our Maltese case study area! Field visit time! 🚤☀️ We can't wait to see this incredible place and learn from the local team.
Stay tuned for photos! 📸

19/05/2026

🇲🇹 Day 1 Done! PRO-Coast Consortium Meeting in Valletta – What a Start! 🎉

We've wrapped up the first day of our 6th PRO-COAST meeting, hosted by the wonderful Friends of the Earth Malta at the Europe House in beautiful Valletta! 🏛️💙

All 20 partners from across Europe came together in this historic city – and the energy was incredible! As we enter the final chapter of our Horizon Europe journey, the commitment to protecting Europe's coasts has never been stronger. 🌊✨

📋 What happened today?

🌿 Biodiversity & Tools
Updates on our CHUI platform (now being tested by local stakeholders!), KPIs, and publications. Nature is at the heart of everything we do. 🐚
⚙️ Transformative Change
Work on our CUSP platform continues – integrating tools for real community empowerment. Societal change is possible when we work together! 🤝
🌍 Case Study Highlights
5 of our 10 case study leaders shared amazing progress:
🇲🇹 Friends of the Earth Malta
🇮🇹 University of Salento
🇲🇪 Chamber of Economy of Montenegro
🇸🇮 University of Primorska
🇮🇪 Atlantic Technological University
💡 Brilliant insight from ATU's Dr. Salem Gharbia:
By engaging not just with stakeholders but also with rightsholders, their field surveys became much smoother. A powerful lesson for inclusive governance! 🗣️✅
🔧 Exploitation Workshop led by TERO + WP6 updates on the Wave 2 survey and final workshops.
💚 The vibe?
Positive, collaborative, and full of energy. Being in Europe House – a symbol of unity – reminded us why we do this: for healthy coasts, thriving communities, and lasting transformation. 🌱

Day 2 tomorrow! Stay tuned! 👀


@ακόλουθοι Costa Nostrum Friends of the Earth Malta Norges Miljøvernforbund Jane Raamets Atlantic Technological University