Aquatic ecosystems are home to an array of different species and habitats, and provide numerous benefits called ‘ecosystem services’ to society. These ecosystems are under significant threat by human activities. If aquatic ecosystem health continues its current decline, the negative effects will affect their capacity to provide ecosystem services and ultimately human well-being. In response, the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy has been put in place to tackle the loss of species and habitats and establish targets to protect and preserve biodiversity.
In an effort to halt biodiversity loss across freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems, the project AQUACROSS had the following four goals:
1. To support the implementation of the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy and thereby improve functioning of aquatic ecosystems as a whole;
2. To explore, advance and support the implementation of the ecosystem based-management concept, which is understood as management or policy options intended to restore, enhance and/or protect the ability of an ecosystem to remain in good health;
3. To specifically identify and test management and business models and tools to identify the benefits of aquatic ecosystems for stakeholders, businesses, and policy-makers; and,
4. To mobilise policymakers, businesses, and societal actors at global, EU, Member State, and case-study levels.