Objectives
The research Programe Biological Effects of Environmental Pollution in Marine Coastal Ecosystems-Beep is an interdisciplinary project as a consequence of its focus on scientific interfaces between chemistry, biology, biochemistry and ecotoxicology.
HOW BIOLOGICAL MARKERS MAY BE USED TO DETERMINE THE INCIDENCE OF CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION ON MARINE ORGANISMS IN MONITORING PROGRAMS?
Scientific goals of the project
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Development of new cellular and molecular biomarkers as biomonitoring tools for early assessment of the biological effect of complex mixtures of pollutants.
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Development of biomarkers based on gonadal and hormonal disruption, indicative of pollutant alteration of reproductive performance, revealing secondary effects at population/community levels.
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Validation and intercalibration sets of common biomarkers for three different European zones exposed to different pollution impacts.
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Validation of a methodology for the biomarker use in ecological risk assessment.
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Preparation of information and advices to decision-makers and fishery institutions about biological effects of chemical contamination on costal marine resources.
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Getting biomarkers applied in environmental monitoring schemes and integrated in national and international monitoring programs.
Socio-economic goals of the project
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Establishment of a network of biomarker researchers around Europe to promote the use of biomarker approach in national and international monitoring programs.
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Development of sensitive cost-efficient environmental monitoring systems of biological effects.
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Development of tools for environmental risk assessment and acceptance criteria for monitoring effluents that can safeguard the interests of the precautionary principle.
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Presentation of advices to the user's group, the public, politicians and decision-makers about ecological risks of contamination of the marine environment.
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Presentation of information and advice to fishery institutions about biological effects of pollution on fish stocks.
The Biological Effects of Environmental Pollution in Marine Coastal Ecosystems-Beep project will provide a comprehensive and integrated study between :
- Different biomarkers at different levels of organizations (from cellular level to reproduction level).
- Different biomarkers at different stage of development (from research biomarker) developed in the lab to validated biomarkers in the field.
- Different set of data produced into three different European coastal environment (North Atlantic Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea).
- Pollution impacts and activity of user group of marine resources.
THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO PROVIDE THE DETERMINATION OF CRITICAL CHEMICAL POLLUTION LEVELS THAT HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE FUNCTION AND BIODIVERSITY OF MARINE ORGANISMS.
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