Among the participants were the BBF team working within the BLUE CONNECT project, alongside representatives of organisations and institutions from the Local Stakeholder Working Group (LSWG – Burgas Bay). Their participation focused on identifying opportunities for future collaboration and sharing of good practices.
The forum featured thematic panels dedicated to the sustainable development of Black Sea coastal communities, marine environment protection and climate change adaptation, the role of the maritime sector in the transition to a blue economy, as well as innovative and digital solutions for sustainable resource and coastal zone management. The discussions highlighted a shared vision: the future of the Black Sea depends on close cooperation between institutions, science, local communities, and business — a core principle also embedded in the BLUE CONNECT project.
During the forum, the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation was acknowledged for its pioneering role in seagrass restoration. Since 2020, the first targeted measures in Bulgaria for restoring the seagrass Ruppia maritima have been implemented in Atanasovsko Lake — a coastal lagoon at the Black Sea shore, resulting in the expansion of the underwater meadow from 30 m² to 3000 m² in just two years. The experience gained offers a practical model that can also be applied in open sea conditions to restore key marine habitats.
After the official programme, participants had the opportunity to engage in informal discussions, creating conditions for productive contacts and future collaboration among representatives of institutions, science, business, and civil society.
The full programme of the event is available here: https://bluegatesproject.com/en/
