The iMERMAID project is now part of the Marine Shield Cluster, a significant new initiative bringing together several EU-funded research projects under a unified banner to combat water pollution more effectively. iMERMAID is proud to serve as the coordinator for this vital cluster.

The Marine Shield Cluster represents a powerful alliance dedicated to safeguarding our precious water ecosystems. Its efforts are structured around three core pillars:

  1. Advanced Monitoring: Developing and deploying innovative ways to detect and track pollutants.

  2. Effective Prevention: Implementing strategies to stop pollution at its source.

  3. Innovative Remediation: Creating and applying new methods to clean contaminated waters.

By pooling the diverse expertise, resources, and findings of its member projects, the Marine Shield Cluster aims to accelerate the development and uptake of actionable, science-based solutions for cleaner waters across Europe and beyond.

Cluster Mission: Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing

The Marine Shield Cluster’s mission is to foster a vibrant network of collaboration by actively exchanging knowledge, insights, and expertise among member projects and with similar research initiatives. A key objective is to inspire and promote joint dissemination activities, ensuring that valuable insights and innovative findings are effectively shared with the broadest possible audience, including policymakers, industry stakeholders, and the public.

Stronger Together

The formation of the Marine Shield Cluster marks a significant step forward in consolidating expertise and amplifying the impact of EU-funded research in the critical area of water pollution. By working together, these projects aim to accelerate the transition towards healthier, more resilient aquatic ecosystems.

Meet the Marine Shield Cluster Projects:

The cluster brings together a dynamic group of projects, each tackling critical aspects of water pollution:

  • iMERMAID

    • Focused on protecting the Mediterranean Sea by integrating innovative strategies for preventing, monitoring, and remediating chemical contamination. iMERMAID fosters collaboration on advanced sensor and remediation technologies, supports stronger regulations, enhances economic opportunities, and trains the next generation of water champions through capacity building and open calls for third-party projects in associated regions.

  • CONTRAST

    • Advances understanding of the properties, occurrence, fate, and effects of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) in marine ecosystems, delivering solutions for integrated assessment and effect-based monitoring, particularly in deep-sea environments. 

  • DIGI4ECO

    • Pioneers the use of Digital Twin technology for 4D ecological monitoring of restoration efforts in fishery-depleted areas, making past, current, and future environmental data accessible to address climate change and regulate human activities.

  • MOBILES

    • Develops advanced electronic and organism-based biosensors for real-time, portable detection of harmful organic chemicals, antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, and pathogens across soil, water, and air, alongside metagenomic analysis of contaminated soils

  • REMEDIES

    • Focuses on monitoring, collection, valorisation, and prevention of plastic litter through community building and testing innovations across numerous demonstration sites, aiming to create a plastic-conscious society and significantly reduce marine plastic pollution.

  • RHE-MEDiation

    • Establishes a responsive governance hub to reduce chemical pollution (heavy metals, pesticides, PFAS) in the Mediterranean Sea, testing and validating micro-algae remediation technology and deploying advanced sensing systems integrated with EMODnet.

  • SUNBIO

    Develops an integrated triple-use system combining offshore renewable energy production (floating PV, wave, thermal gradient) with marine biodiversity support and carbon sequestration, harmonizing human development with ecosystem conservation.