LIFE A-MAR NATURA2000: more than 9.6 million people reached to make Europe’s protected sea better known

The European project coordinated by Federparchi – Europarc Italy confirms the strategic role of communication, citizen science and participation in bringing the wider public closer to Marine Natura 2000 sites

Knowing Marine Natura 2000 sites is the first step towards protecting them. This was the starting point of LIFE A-MAR NATURA2000 – Knowing and loving the Natura 2000 marine sites to protect them, a project coordinated by Federparchi – Europarc Italy together with Triton Research, Fundación Biodiversidad and LIPU, with the co-financing of Asinara, Tuscan Archipelago and Cinque Terre National Parks.

The project had a clear objective: to make Marine Natura 2000 sites better known, more recognisable and easier to understand for the general public. These sites are often perceived as technical instruments or administrative restrictions, while they are in fact essential for biodiversity conservation, the quality of marine ecosystems and the future of coastal communities.

Key figures

The overall result is significant: communication, awareness-raising, training and dissemination activities reached 9,604,722 people according to the final KPI monitoring system. This figure brings together several channels and actions, including territorial campaigns, digital tools, websites, newsletters, social media, citizen and stakeholder engagement, dissemination materials and activities implemented by the partners.

These numbers show that LIFE A-MAR NATURA2000 was not simply an information campaign, but a structured action connecting citizens, protected areas, marine operators, tourists, administrations and local communities.

Knowledge as a political condition for conservation

The Marine Natura 2000 Network is one of Europe’s most important ecological infrastructures. However, for it to fully achieve its purpose, it is not enough for sites to be identified, regulated and managed: people must recognise them as a common heritage.

This is where the political value of projects such as LIFE A-MAR NATURA2000 becomes clear. Conservation is not confined to management plans, European directives or administrative acts; it enters public communication, operator training, sustainable-tourism choices, civic participation and the daily responsibility of those who live by or use the sea.

When a Natura 2000 site is not known, it risks being perceived as a constraint. When it is explained, communicated and experienced, it can become an opportunity for environmental quality, local economies, territorial identity and a new culture of the sea.

Widespread communication, citizen science and training

One of the most representative actions was the LIFE A-MAR sailing campaign, which brought the Natura 2000 message directly to ports, protected areas and coastal communities. The boat became an itinerant communication tool, reaching different audiences and turning the sea itself into a place for information and participation.

Alongside the sailing campaign, the project promoted citizen science, participatory meetings, guided visits, good-practice competitions, training sessions and stakeholder initiatives. The Good Practices Competition, with 822 applications from Italy and Spain, demonstrated the existence of a widespread heritage of positive experiences and behaviours. The 39 training sessions, involving 917 participants, strengthened the skills of operators and stakeholders involved in the management and communication of Marine Natura 2000 sites.

The Layman’s Report: three languages and visual communication

At the end of the project, the Layman’s Report was produced as the final public dissemination report, available in Italian, English and Spanish. Each version consists of 21 pages and is accompanied by 2 promotional infographics for web and social media, for a total of 6 infographics.

The report uses a strongly visual language based on photographs, data, infographics and concise texts. The aim was to make the results understandable also for people without technical expertise in marine conservation or the Natura 2000 Network. Digital dissemination made the materials accessible, downloadable and reusable beyond the formal conclusion of the project.

Statement by President Santini

“With LIFE A-MAR NATURA2000 we have shown that protecting the sea also depends on our ability to make it understandable and close to people. The Natura 2000 Network should not be perceived as a matter for technicians only: it is a European heritage that concerns citizens, coastal communities, economic operators and institutions. Reaching more than 9.6 million people means strengthening the cultural and social basis of marine conservation and building a concrete bridge between protected areas, Europe and the wider public.”

The project leaves a concrete legacy: dissemination materials, training formats, data, citizen-science experiences, stakeholder networks and digital products that can continue to be used in After-LIFE activities.

LIFE A-MAR NATURA2000 demonstrates that protecting the sea also means knowing how to communicate it. Knowledge of Marine Natura 2000 sites is not only a communication objective: it is a political, cultural and social condition for building more effective, participatory and shared protection