When I started my IVY experience at the Parco Naturale Regionale “Costa Otranto – Santa Maria di Leuca e Bosco di Tricase”, I knew I would have the opportunity to learn more about environmental protection and European cooperation. What I did not expect was to discover how much can be achieved when different countries, organisations and communities work together towards the same goal.
The project I am currently working on is SEALIFE – Strengthen cooperation to develop joint solutions for the Mediterranean Monk Seal’s Protection in the programme area, funded by the Interreg VI-A Greece–Italy 2021–2027 Programme.
One species, two countries, one shared challenge
SEALIFE focuses on the protection of the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus), one of the rarest and most vulnerable marine mammals in the Mediterranean.
The species is highly mobile and does not recognise borders. This is precisely why cooperation between Italy and Greece is so important. Protecting the monk seal cannot be the responsibility of a single organisation or a single country: it requires shared knowledge, coordinated monitoring and common conservation strategies.
The project brings together Italian and Greek partners with different areas of expertise, including the Parco Naturale Regionale “Costa Otranto – Santa Maria di Leuca e Bosco di Tricase”, ARPA Puglia, ISPRA, Archipelagos – Environment and Development and the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research.
Together, they are working to improve knowledge of the species, monitor marine caves and coastal habitats, collect data and develop common tools and protocols for its long-term protection.
My role as an IVY volunteer
As an IVY volunteer, my role is connected mainly to communication and visibility. I am supporting the Park in communicating its activities and projects, particularly through digital channels and social media.
This may sound different from the scientific activities of SEALIFE, but I have learned that communication is an essential part of a European project.
Scientific research, monitoring and conservation efforts are important, but they also need to be communicated. People need to know what is happening in their territory, why protecting biodiversity matters, and how European cooperation can create concrete benefits for local communities. Through my work, I am therefore trying to help make these activities more accessible and understandable, especially to a younger audience.
What I am learning from SEALIFE
One of the most interesting aspects of this experience is understanding European cooperation from the inside. Before starting my IVY experience, I knew about European projects mainly from the outside. Now I can see how cooperation works on a much more practical level: different partners contribute their knowledge and skills, communicate with each other, and work towards common objectives. SEALIFE has also shown me that environmental challenges are not limited to administrative borders. The Mediterranean is a shared ecosystem, and its protection requires a shared vision. For me, this is one of the most valuable lessons of the project: European cooperation is not only about working together; it is about understanding that some challenges can only be solved together.
From the local territory to Europe
Working in the Parco Naturale Regionale “Costa Otranto – Santa Maria di Leuca e Bosco di Tricase” has also changed the way I look at the territory around me. The coast, the caves, the sea and the biodiversity of this area are often seen mainly from a tourism perspective. Through SEALIFE, I am discovering another side of the territory: its ecological value and the responsibility we have to protect it.
A local project can therefore have a much wider European dimension. What happens along the Apulian coast is connected to what happens across the Adriatic and Ionian seas, and cooperation between Italy and Greece can help build a stronger and more effective approach to conservation.
My IVY experience is still ongoing, but SEALIFE has already taught me something important: protecting our natural heritage starts locally, but it does not have to stop at our borders.
– Marika, IVY Project Partner at Parco Naturale Regionale Costa Otranto – Leuca e Bosco di Tricase, for the Interreg Greece-Italy project SEALIFE – strengthen cooperation to develop joint solutions for the Mediterranean Monk Seal’s Protection in the programme area.
