The European Union has recognized the work of the MARINER project for enhancing cooperation in the planning, preparation and response to Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) spills. This award was received during the 5th Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference and recognizes the "excellent success" of this initiative for its relevance to the implementation of the Atlantic Action Plan, in the context of international cooperation.

 

The MARINER project - Enhancing HNS preparedness through training and exercising - involved the participation of institutions from 4 European countries, including Portugal (CIIMAR and Bentley Systems), Spain (CETMAR, INTECMAR, Uvigo), France (CEDRE) and United Kingdom (Public Health of England). This project stood out for developing tangible results, which can be applied to several geographic areas, to improve the preparation and response to HNS spills. The actions of the MARINER consortium allow to advance the collection and dissemination of existing knowledge, as well as to improve protocols for the response to HNS spills. Furthermore, tools and training materials were developed to promote preparation against spills. CIIMAR (Endocrine disruptors and Emergent Contaminants group) played a key role in the development of new tools to predict the environmental impact of HNS spills in the marine environment.

 

During the two years of joint work, the MARINER consortium gave particular emphasis on the dissemination of results, enabling their application by the competent authorities and pollution response teams beyond the scope of the Atlantic Strategy, hence the award now received on international cooperation.

 

Image credits: CEDRE