Project Title: Technological Boats for the Cleaning of Marine Seabeds

Acronym: Bat Net Mar

Lead Partner: ISMed CNR Palermo branch

Partners: FLAG Golfi di Castellammare e Carini, Mediterraneo Consulting, National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies (INSTM), Notre Grand Bleu (NGB), National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia (INAT)

Associated Partners:

• LUMSA University – Palermo branch
• Agency for Coastal Protection and Development (APAL)
• National Higher School of Engineers of Tunis (ENSIT)

Project Coordinator: Angela Cuttitta

Administrative Manager: Donatella Spera

Scientific Manager: Tiziana Masullo

(Code: A1-2.7-206, CUP: B73C25000280006)

Total funding amount: 1,083,044.11 €

ISMed CNR funding: 249,199.62 €

Abstract

The project aims to develop a small technologically innovative vessel for the removal of non-industrial anthropogenic waste from the seabed and the water column in tourist-oriented areas in the municipalities of Monastir and Bizerte.

The overall objective is to create new local entrepreneurship through the project’s know-how by exporting the model also at the cross-border level, as well as to improve the healthiness of the target areas, with positive effects both on the environment and the marine communities present and on tourism and commercial activities.

The vessel will in particular be equipped with an onboard suction and sieving system and will therefore not require the assistance of scuba divers. Detection and collection activities will be supported by a system based on artificial intelligence, which will identify the presence, type and location of waste. The use of video systems connected to artificial intelligence will also make it possible to recognize, sort and classify nektonic and benthic species, providing useful information for understanding community structure and spatial relationships across a variety of habitats.

Project actions, in addition to including interventions aimed at the active removal of waste, also provide significant and structured awareness-raising, outreach and dissemination actions on environmental sustainability through a circular economy approach to plastics, based on reducing consumption, reuse, the search for alternative products with lower impact, improved waste management, increased recycling and the expansion of the market for secondary materials.