Middle Eastern Graduate Students Unite Over Shared Ecosystem

Twelve marine and environmental studies graduate students from the Middle East and Europe are taking part in a two-week Mediterranean research project off the shores of La Spezia, Italy, to protect the unique ecosystem shared by countries that might not typically have relations.

The project, which recently began is called “Environmental Impacts Know No Boundaries,” hosts graduate students from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Malta, Lebanon, Tunisia, Italy, Greece, Turkey and the UK, according to Israeli conservation NGO EcoOcean, one of the sponsoring organizations behind the venture.

EcoOcean worked together with Italian organization Environmental Ocean-Team, as part of an overall initiative to bring the region’s scientists together to find solutions for an often-threatened ocean habitat, the Israeli group said in a statement.
Providing students with a realtime sea laboratory to perform studies and explorations, the project is being hosted by the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development.

“Environmental issues many times transcend national borders and political restrictions,” said Daniel Schaeffer, director of EcoOcean, in a statement. “To develop and protect marine and coastal ecosystems, such as within and around the Mediterranean Sea, we must promote cooperation in marine research and management between nations.”
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Via www.jpost.com
Photo by andrewmalone