Green Bubbles RISE Project

The project

Bubbles is an EU-funded project dedicated to recreational SCUBA diving, an activity engaging millions of people worldwide. Green Bubbles will maximise the benefits associated with diving while minimising its negative impacts, thus achieving the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the system.

Funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 643712, Green Bubbles is run by a consortium of nine entities, including universities, research organisations, educational organisations and SMEs from Italy, the Netherlands, Malta, Turkey, South Africa and the United States.

Executive Summary

Recreational SCUBA diving has become a mass leisure activity engaging millions of divers worldwide.

The diving industry generates large direct and indirect revenues for local communities and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Other benefits linked to diving include the promotion of environmental and ocean stewardship, contribution to scientific research, fostering social inclusion and personal development. Yet, diving has also negative impacts, due to damage or disturbance of habitats and organisms and to conflicts with local communities for the access to/use of the same resources, equity issues, or cultural clashes. These aspects clearly relate to the three pillars of sustainability, covering environmental, economic and social dimensions and can only be addressed by a systemic approach.The central objective of Green Bubbles is to maximise the benefits associated with diving, whilst minimising its negative impacts, thus achieving the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the system.
This will be done by:

1. Carefully assessing and modelling the system itself;
2. Developing innovative products based on the issues and needs highlighted by assessment and modelling;
3. Promoting the uptake of such products by the system designing tailored business models and marketing plans. Direct engagement with selected stakeholders (divers, professionals, operators, certification agencies - CAs, MPAs, NGOs) will ensure relevant feedback throughout the project’s lifetime, as well as effective uptake of results at the end of the project.

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