ECOMARE: Protecting marine biodiversity and providing care to injured animals

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🗞️ Driving the News: The ECOMARE project led by the University of Aveiro in Portugal is dedicated to marine life sustainability, conservation, and rehabilitation, examining climate change impacts on marine species
• It encompasses the CPRAM hospital, treating over 1,000 animals annually, and the CEPAM research center, advancing biotechnology and marine life research

🔭 The Context: The CPRAM hospital, operating 24/7, can treat over 1,000 injured animals annually, mainly birds, but also dolphins and turtles, like Costa Nova, who has been under care for seven months after being caught in a fishing net
• The €4.8 million ECOMARE project, with significant funding from the European Union, continues to shine as one of the EU's fifteen best initiatives in the last 15 years

🌍 Why it Matters for the Planet: ECOMARE’s conservation and research initiatives play a crucial role in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss
• Their commitment to restoring marine life and ecosystems is evidenced by the release and tracking of rehabilitated animals, and their biotechnological research revealing the untapped potential of oceans in medical advancements

⏭️ What's Next: The ongoing explorations in biotechnology and marine rehabilitation posit ECOMARE as a crucial contributor to future ecological and medical breakthroughs

💬 One Quote: “We use a lot of coral to study biotechnology issues. Coral is full of chemicals that could be used in the discovery of new drugs to cure cancer and other illnesses, such as neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's" (Ricardo Calado, scientific coordinator of CEPAM-ECOMARE)

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