NaturCap: Take care of Cap de Creus
Short Description:
A collaborative WebApp that connects marine protected areas through cultural heritage, local knowledge, and biodiversity values.
Lead Institution:
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
Start / End Date:
April 2024 – December 2030
Geographic Focus:
Cap de Creus Marine Protected Area (Catalonia, Spain)
Ocean Decade Challenges Addressed:
Challenge 2 – Protect and restore ecosystems and biodiversity
Challenge 7 – Expand the Global Ocean Observing System
Challenge 8 – Develop a digital representation of the ocean
Challenge 9 – Skills, knowledge and technology for all
Challenge 10 – Change humanity’s relationship with the ocean
Description:
The Mediterranean Sea contains between 4 and 18% of the world’s marine species at the macroscopic level, despite representing only around 0.3% of the world’s ocean volume. Cap de Creus is one of the main points of biodiversity in the basin. At the same time, it is one of the sites with the greatest anthropogenic pressures as part of a general problem of the Mediterranean, which is one of the main tourist destinations in the world and one of the seas most affected by marine debris, particularly microplastics. Its biodiversity is extremely sensitive and vulnerable and is severely affected by climate change.
The heritage assets (seabed, red coral, cold water coral, oceanic posidonia, sunken ships, dolmens, fishermen’s huts, small-scale fishing, vineyards, etc.) bear witness to the history, socio-economic activities and culture that make up its personality. All this is reflected in its seascape of great biological and cultural diversity.
Understanding the potential of heritage value to promote pro-environmental behavior, the project places marine cultural heritage at the center of its mission to build a just and inclusive oceanic future. The pilot project aims to build bridges between initiatives, actions and projects, sharing and transferring knowledge that involves society with the environment on a larger scale, contributing to the creation of a network of equitable marine protected areas. By connecting marine protected areas (MPAs) through shared biodiversity values and cultural recognition, NaturCap is an invitation to create a space for cross-sector collaboration and solidarity among coastal communities.
NaturCap is a collaborative digital platform officially endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade under the Cultural Heritage Framework Programme. The project places marine cultural heritage at the center of its mission to build a fair and inclusive ocean future. By connecting Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) through shared values of equity, biodiversity, and cultural recognition, NaturCap creates a space for collaboration and solidarity across coastal communities.
The platform promotes ocean literacy and environmental justice by empowering users to explore, share, and participate in an open network of MPAs committed to heritage-based marine stewardship. NaturCap invites the global community to join this effort to restore not only ecosystems, but also the cultural bonds that shape how we live with the sea.
Anchored in the Cap de Creus Marine Protected Area in Catalonia, the initiative highlights the importance of cultural practices, memory and knowledge as vital dimensions of marine conservation. Through the web application, NaturCap documents and amplifies the cultural expressions of ocean stewardship, governance traditions and the historical relationships that coastal peoples have with their marine environments. The web application contains a gamified digital game to test users’ environmental, cultural and social knowledge of the Marine Protected Area. It disseminates ecological and cultural values and promotes eco-social practices and initiatives that foster the care and preservation of Cap de Creus. And it invites users to share geolocated experiences of connection with the marine environment through images that express emotions and feelings.
🌐 Explore the WebApp: https://www.naturcap-empowerus.eu/
Coordinating Members:
Collaborating Partners (in alphabetical order):
Ajuntament de Roses (Roses City Council), Cap de Creus Natural Park, Club Badia de Roses, Fisher’s Guilds of Cap de Creus, GEN Roses, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Inspira Gastronomia, IAEDEN, Platges Netes, Poseidon Diving Center, Roses Zero Plàstics, SK Kayak, Som Mar, Tintoreres.