On March 24, the project launch seminar "Research of marine protected habitats in EEZ and determination of the necessary conservation status in Latvia" (hereinafter - “LIFE REEF project”) took place online and was attended by more than eighty participants.

Andrejs Svilāns, Director General of the Nature Conservation Agency, Aivars Bērziņš, Director of the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, and Anda Ikauniece, Director of the Daugavpils University Agency “Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology” greeted and addressed the participants of the seminar.

Andrejs Svilāns, Director General of the Nature COnservation Agency, pointed out the interaction between the sea and humans, where man-made changes in nature have become much more influential in many places than previously thought, and this project will provide a broader view of changes in the marine environment.

Aivars Bērziņš, Director of the Institute for Food Safety, Animal Health and the Environment BIOR, expressed satisfaction with the involvement and selfless work of the staff during the preparation of the LIFE REEF project application and wished the best success in achieving the project goals over the next five years.

Anda Ikauniece, Director of the Daugavpils University Agency “Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology”, emphasized that this project has been long awaited and will make a significant contribution to deep-sea research.

In order to inform the general public about the goals, tasks and expected results of the LIFE REEF project, the project implementers gave presentations. The participants of the seminar were deeply interested in the issues of invasive species, or the already known data on the impact of the round goby on habitats, as well as the research methods used in the study of the seabed.

The LIFE REEF project team would like to thank all participants for their participation in the seminar and their genuine interest. Seminar presentations are posted on the LIFE REEF project website reef.daba.gov.lv, under the section Activities and results

Within the framework of the LIFE REEF project, it is planned to map and study specially protected marine habitats of European Union significance Sandbanks and Stony Reefs in the Baltic Sea area covering 4116 square kilometers. Research is needed to prepare criteria for the assessment of marine habitats and to improve the monitoring methodology for the assessment of marine protected habitats and species. Only by learning about natural resources and carrying out scientific research can the sustainable existence and management of these habitats and the species that inhabit them be promoted.




The LIFE REEF project is implemented by the Nature Conservation Agency as a leading partner in cooperation with the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR and the Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology. Its total budget is 4 million EUR, of which 60% is covered by the EU environment and climate action program LIFE, but 40% - by the Latvian Environmental Protection Fund and project partners.