The MOVE-ON project, under the coordination of Fundo Regional da Ciência e Tecnologia, successfully completed its mission after 45 months, ending its ambitious work plan in September 2023.

The project aimed to overcome some barriers encountered for the advancement of the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and Services (MAES) in EU overseas, underpinning the implementation of four Anchor Projects in French Guiana, Reunion Island, Macaronesia, and South Atlantic region.

In the Azores, in collaboration with the University of the Azores, the Regional Directorate of Maritime Policies and the Regional Directorate for the Environment and Climate Change, the project enabled the implementation of a pilot study to map marine habitats in the Marine Protected Area of the Vila Franca do Campo islet (São Miguel Island, Azores) and evaluation of ecosystem services, emphasizing the importance of marine habitat mapping for the establishment of marine protected areas, and the definition of their boundaries for preserving keystone marine habitats with ecological and socioeconomic value.

Today MOVE-ON participating territories are supplied with the required knowledge, tools, and methodologies to embrace the current and future challenges addressing biodiversity, ecosystems, and nature protection. In a testament to their commitment, MOVE-ON partners voluntarily signed a pledge during the project’s final meeting to continue some project activities, bridging the gap between biodiversity research and policymaking in ORs and OCTs, extending beyond the project’s timeframe.

For more information on MOVE-ON project https://frct.azores.gov.pt/en/projecto/move-on-2/, check its official website https://moveon-project.eu/homepage/.