Project MIMAR+

The MIMAR+ project is aligned with the National Strategy for the Sea 2013-2020 and with the Sea and Fisheries thematic area of ​​RIS3 Azores. With regard to the National Strategy, the Azores are considered a central strategic asset for the National Blue Economy, as initiatives are encouraged that aim at a better understanding and use of living and non-living resources.
Not that I am referring to RIS3, this project is directly related to the strategic priority MAR3, whose objective is to foster collaborative relationships and promote innovative activities related to the sea. In addition, MIMAR + contributed to fulfilling the ambition, embodied in the Smart Specialization Strategy, to strengthen or position the Azores as a nerve center for research related to the Sea

As seen with the execution of the MIMAR project, several scientific studies have demonstrated an accelerated process of tropicalization of marine biota in the Macaronesian zone, correlated with the increase in the surface temperature of the sea. This has favored the arrival of species from tropical areas and the natural expansion of their distribution. In this way, new species populate marine habitats, which can modify ecosystems and affect coastal uses and activities, and human health. These organisms arrive by their own means or favored by maritime transport. In order to conserve biodiversity and protect the health of the inhabitants of the region, it is necessary to know and measure the changes that are “producing in the most relevant habitats, identifying the new threats to health and human activities with the execution” of the MIMAR project, now it is necessary to deepen early detection and action.