International conference celebrates MEDCORE project's achievements
The MEDCORE project took shape with the support and funding of an EU programme. Set up as part of the INCOMED framework, its overriding goal was to study the ecology of Mediterranean coastal zones to promote sustainable management. Thirteen separate research institutions were involved in the project. During the three years that the project ran, it shaped the creation of a childrens' book on sea grass meadows to the development of early warning indicators of beach degradation. The University of Florence hosted the conference entitled 'The Mediterranean Coastal areas from watershed to sea: Interactions and Changes'. About 300 participants attended the conference. During these four days, researchers presented their results, all with the shared aim of preserving the natural heritage of these coastal zones for future generations. Attending the conference were members of the research network but also environmental managers, with a stake in keeping informed on this research. The general framework of the conference focused on the general themes of socioeconomic aspects, changes in landscapes and inhabitants, marine ecology, diversity in the catchments areas and sandy beach environments. Accompanying the conference was a brochure printed by Firenze University Press. The document includes 55 abstracts of spoken and paper presentations of the MEDCORE project. The abstracts are in both English and French and are about one or two pages each. 120 authors from 16 countries contributed to the volume, which totalled 109 pages. A picture logo designed by artist Luigi Scarpini illustrates the cover, whilst the first pages display the names, e-mails and addresses of the authors. There is also a list of the sponsors, institutions and committees involved in the project. This is available to download for free in PDF format at http://eprints.unifi.it/information.html
