Via Pontica Foundation

09/10/2026

Better climate adaptation starts with understanding local risks and sharing knowledge across borders.

MoreAdaptBSB connects research, environmental data and community experience to help coastal and urban areas prepare for a changing climate, with nature-based solutions supporting both ecosystems and people.

08/10/2026

Eight species account for more than 95% of the world’s farmed seaweed production. How much potential are we overlooking?

A study published in September in npj Ocean Sustainability explores how the biological characteristics of seaweeds could help identify new species suitable for cultivation.

The researchers compared commercially farmed species with a wider global database and found significant potential to diversify production. Their findings offer a starting point for choosing candidates for further research and cultivation trials.

For the seaweed sector, this raises an interesting question: which locally occurring species deserve a closer look?

Learn more about SeaGrow and its work on regenerative ocean farming: https://www.seagoinggreen.org/seagrow-home

Read the study: https://lnkd.in/eQjaFJVd

06/10/2026

Как водораслите могат да се използват за намаляване на замърсяването и за устойчиво производство в оранжерии?

Тези приложения ще бъдат във фокуса на международната научна конференция „Turning Green into Blue: Algae-Driven Innovation for Circular Greenhouse Production and Aquatic Sustainability“, която ще се проведе на 2–4 декември 2026 г. в кампуса на ELGO–DIMITRA в Терми, Солун, Гърция.

Конференцията се организира в рамките на AlgaeRevive (BSB00091), с водещ партньор Фондация „Виа Понтика“ и подкрепата на Програма Interreg NEXT „Черноморски басейн“ 2021–2027.

Изследователи, специалисти и заинтересовани организации ще обменят резултати и опит в областта на възстановяването на екосистеми, синята икономика, водораслите като възобновяем ресурс и мониторинга на морското замърсяване.

Крайният срок за подаване на резюмета е 15 ноември 2026 г. Работният език е английски.

Прочетете повече и вижте поканата за участие в Algae K-Hub:
https://algaehub.org/2026/10/06/call-for-abstracts-algaerevive-international-conference-in-thessaloniki-2-4-december-2026/

#синяикономика #Водораслите

Abstract submissions are open for “Turning Green into Blue: Algae-Driven Innovation for Circular Greenhouse Production and Aquatic Sustainability”.

The international scientific conference will take place on 2–4 December 2026 at the ELGO-DIMITRA Thermi campus in Thessaloniki, Greece, within AlgaeRevive (BSB00091).

Researchers, practitioners and stakeholders will exchange findings on algae-based solutions for ecosystem remediation, pollution reduction and sustainable blue growth, alongside applications in circular greenhouse production.

Abstract submission deadline: 15 November 2026
Conference language: English

Read more and access the call for papers on Algae K-Hub:
https://algaehub.org/2026/10/06/call-for-abstracts-algaerevive-international-conference-in-thessaloniki-2-4-december-2026/

06/10/2026

Днес, 6 октомври, от 12:00 ч. българско време можете да проследите онлайн конференцията „Да защитим здравето, водите и биоразнообразието от пестицидите“.

Представители на Европейската комисия, ирландските институции, научни експерти и граждански организации ще обсъдят предложените промени в правилата за безопасност на храните и фуражите и последиците им за хората и природата.

Прочетете повече и намерете линка за излъчването на живо в pesticidi.info:
https://pesticidi.info/2026/10/06/zashtita-na-zdraveto-vodite-i-bioraznoobrazieto-ot-pestitsidi/

#пестициди #биоразнообразие PAN Europe (Pesticide Action Network)

02/10/2026

A wetland can look quiet. But beneath the surface, a lot is happening.

Peatlands, one type of wetland, cover only around 3% of the Earth’s land surface, yet they store about twice as much carbon as all of the world’s forests combined.

Wetlands also act like natural sponges. They hold water during periods of heavy rainfall, help reduce flood risk, support biodiversity and store carbon that would otherwise enter the atmosphere.

And yet, since 1970, almost half of the natural wetlands in the Mediterranean have been lost.

That makes protecting the wetlands we still have about much more than conserving a landscape. It is also about water, climate and resilience.

This is one of the questions at the heart of : how can we better understand and use the natural functions of wetlands as part of climate adaptation?

Learn more: https://wetland4change.interreg-euro-med.eu/

Natural Heritage

01/10/2026

A valuable day of networking and knowledge exchange with the Black Sea community.

Via Pontica Foundation took part in the Common Maritime Agenda (CMA) for the Black Sea Stakeholder Conference, held in Burgas on 30 September 2026.

The opening programme featured Charlina Vitcheva, the European Commission's Director-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), Evtim Miloshev, Bulgaria’s Minister of Culture, and Ivan Paligorov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food.

For our team, the conference was an important opportunity to exchange experience with colleagues working on the marine environment and build connections relevant to SeaGrow and AlgaeRevive Project.

Alongside the discussions, the Black Sea Solutions & Knowledge Corner provided a dedicated space for meeting project teams, discovering their work and exchanging ideas across organisations.

These opportunities to learn from one another and explore potential cooperation are particularly valuable for our ongoing project work.

Thank you to the organisers and everyone we met for the productive conversations. We look forward to continuing the exchange!

28/09/2026

Climate adaptation is increasingly moving from strategies to concrete action at local level.

A new European Commission assessment shows that 292 regional and local authorities across Europe are already implementing climate adaptation measures, while nearly 1,000 practical solutions are being tested under the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change.

This is especially relevant for coastal and urban areas, where the impacts of heat, flooding, drought and the degradation of green spaces are becoming increasingly visible.

This practical approach is also at the core of MoreAdapt BSB Project, where Via Pontica is a project partner. The project combines remote sensing, climate vulnerability assessment and Nature-based Solutions to support the restoration and resilience of green spaces across Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Ukraine.

For us, effective adaptation starts with reliable data, but it must lead to solutions that can be applied in real local conditions.

MoreAdaptBSB: https://moreadapt.eu/

25/09/2026

Във Via Pontica Foundation вярваме, че нелегалните пестициди нямат място нито в земеделието, нито в хранителната верига.

Когато продукти за растителна защита се продават без необходимия контрол, с неясен произход или съдържат забранени вещества, рискът не остава само на полето. Той може да засегне почвите, водите, биоразнообразието и в крайна сметка храната, която достига до потребителите.

Нов случай в България отново поставя този проблем на дневен ред и показва колко важни са проследимостта, ефективният контрол и информираният избор.

В новата публикация на Pesticidi.info разглеждаме как работи нелегалният пазар на пестициди и защо това засяга всички нас:

https://pesticidi.info/2026/09/25/nelegalni-pesticidi-bulgaria/

25/09/2026

Europe’s aquaculture sector is asking an increasingly important question: how can we produce more from our seas while creating more space for nature?

As Aquaculture Europe 2026 begins next week, topics such as offshore aquaculture, low-trophic species and smarter use of marine space will be high on the agenda.

These are also central questions for SeaGrow.

Through large-scale regenerative ocean farming demonstrations in Galway Bay, SeaGrow is exploring how seaweed cultivation can move beyond production alone. The project will combine seaweed and scallop farming through Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture, while measuring ecosystem benefits and developing practical tools to support future investment and responsible expansion.

The ambition extends beyond one demonstration site. SeaGrow will also assess opportunities for transferring regenerative ocean farming approaches to other European sea basins, including the Black Sea.

Scaling aquaculture is only part of the challenge. The real opportunity is learning how to scale it while strengthening marine ecosystems at the same time.

25/09/2026

Better observation leads to better decisions for our seas.

As Lead Partner of AlgaeRevive, Via Pontica Foundation welcomes the growing international focus on stronger ocean observation systems, an important foundation for understanding water quality, ecological change and pollution pressures in the Black Sea.

You cannot protect what you cannot observe.

This week, ocean observation moved higher on the international agenda.

On 23 September, global partners gathered in New York to strengthen support for the OceanEye International Alliance and the Global Ocean Observing System, a network that already brings together 64 countries and thousands of ocean-observation platforms worldwide.

Why does this matter for algae and aquatic ecosystems?

Changes in algal communities, nutrient concentrations, temperature and water quality can develop rapidly. Reliable observations, especially when satellite information is combined with measurements taken directly in the water, allow researchers to detect these changes earlier and understand them in context.

This is also highly relevant to the work behind AlgaeRevive. Monitoring is not simply about collecting data. It is about building the evidence needed to understand ecological change, identify pollution pressures and support better restoration and water-management decisions across the Black Sea region.

Europe’s emerging Digital Ocean ecosystem is pushing this further by bringing together data from EMODnet, Copernicus Marine and other European observation services, with the European Digital Twin Ocean planned to support real-time monitoring and predictive modelling.

For projects working at the intersection of algae, pollution and aquatic restoration, better observation means better decisions.

Read the latest EMODnet feature on Ocean Observation