The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), together with the University of Malta and Heritage Malta, will start implementing a new project addressing issues linked with Marine Protected Areas. CORALLO is an EU funded project which was formally approved for funding in October 2020.
ERA has designated 35% of Malta’s marine waters as ‘Marine Protected Areas’ under the Natura 2000 network. Notwithstanding this, awareness on the immense variety of living and non-living elements present within these sites is unfortunately limited. Such lack of awareness is expected to be addressed by the CORALLO project, which aims to achieve its goals through a diverse array of tools focusing on education and entertainment.
Such tools will include various resources and means of informal education for a varied spectrum of audiences and will be installed at four popular visitors’ centres: the Malta Maritime Museum; the Għar Dalam Museum; Ħaġar Qim/Mnajdra; and the White Tower Bay Visitors’ Centre. These are operated by either Heritage Malta or Din l-Art Ħelwa and the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA).
CORALLO is the only funded project within the Interreg V-A Italia-Malta 2014-2020 2nd Call for proposals and will be coordinated, led and was incepted by the University of Malta, through Prof. Alan Deidun, resident academic within the Department of Geosciences at the Faculty of Science.
Besides the University of Malta, ERA and Heritage Malta from the Maltese side, the seven-partner project Consortium also includes ARPA Sicilia, the University of Palermo, the Consorzio Plemmirio and Corissia from the Italian side.
This is a 30-month project which is expected to end in 2023.
Further info on UOM Website.
20 November 2020
