SUMES (SUstainable Marine Ecosystem Services)

Managing and using the marine environment sustainably is a major challenge today. Human activities continuing to increase and becoming more diverse is one of the main reasons. It is therefore interesting for companies to know exactly which impact their activities have on the environment, so they can strive for more sustainability.

However, there is currently no general method to measure this impact. The SUMES project therefore aims to develop an extensive model that assesses the extent to which the marine ecosystem is able to deliver certain products and services. This model will allow us to gain more insight into the local, regional and global impact of (socio-)economic activities. The aim is to obtain a better knowledge of cause-effect chains.

In order to achieve this, methods and indicators for ecosystem services, risk assessment and life-cycle analysis are used. This provides a lot of useful information that is very valuable to marine actors and research institutions. These data will be stored in a database. Additionally, a framework is being developed to support the decision-making process.

During the project, the focus will be on the Belgian continental shelf. Understanding the multidisciplinary and intensive use of this zone will allow us to develop specific measures in terms of climate change, food and energy security, and human health.

The involvement of all stakeholders is essential for the success of the project. Companies, scientists and government agencies will all contribute to make the SUMES model a reality.