[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/da\/article\/modal\/10396\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n        \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n  \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EOn a mission to save our islands \u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu\/en\/horizon-magazine\/una-mision-salvar-nuestras-islas\u0022\u003Eversi\u00f3n en espa\u00f1ol\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u2018We have nowhere else to go\u2019\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJord\u00e0 and his team at SOCLIMPACT project have designed a way to measure the expected impact of climate change on different EU islands to help them better prepare for its effects.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022text-center text-blue font-bold text-2xl w-full lg:w-1\/2 border-2 border-blue p-12 my-8 lg:m-12 lg:-ml-16 float-left\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cspan class=\u0022text-5xl rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003Cp class=\u0022font-serif italic\u0022\u003ECarrying out research into the expected consequences of climate change on a local level enables the islands to develop solutions specific to their local environment and empower locals to take part in growing a sustainable blue economy in Europe and beyond.\u003C\/p\u003E\n  \u003Cfooter\u003E\n    \u003Ccite class=\u0022not-italic font-normal text-sm text-black\u0022\u003E\u003C\/cite\u003E\n  \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo an outside observer, they may seem like parcels of paradise, but Europe\u2019s islands are on the front line of climate change. Not only are their coastal communities under direct threat from rising sea levels, but their economies \u2013 often heavily dependent on tourism \u2013 are at risk from increasingly extreme weather patterns and ecosystem damage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECarrying out research into the expected consequences of climate change on a local level enables the islands to develop solutions specific to their local environment and empower locals to take part in growing a sustainable blue economy in Europe and beyond.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETrouble in paradise\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile scientific research into the expected impacts of climate change includes projections for the impact of climate change globally, there is a knowledge gap when it comes to how specific island ecosystems like Mallorca, where Jord\u00e0 is based, will cope.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo plan how best to adapt to a changing climate, he teamed up with researchers from EU islands across the world, including Corsica, the Azores, the Canary Islands, Crete, Malta and the West Indies, to develop concrete predictions about what things we can expect to happen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We need to produce very accurate and local results for each one of the islands,\u2019 explains Jord\u00e0. But he has found that even if each island faces different challenges depending on its geography, bringing together a wide range of geographical perspectives has been helpful in building a picture of the far-reaching consequences of climate change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Port in Palma de Mallorca, Balearic islands (Spain)\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022file\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u00221392ae67-29c5-4524-9849-8096d330ca5f\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/Soc1.png\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022italic mb-4\u0022\u003EPort in Palma de Mallorca, Balearic islands (Spain)\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is not just geographical diversity that has driven the success of their research. Alongside meteorologists, oceanographers and marine biologists, Jord\u00e0\u2019s team has worked with economists who are building predictions about how local societies will be impacted by changes which \u2013 in many instances \u2013 are already taking place. Working with experts from such a mix of disciplines was not always straightforward, but ultimately this was what allowed the team to cover new ground and come to vital conclusions about how islands communities will cope in the future. \u2018This took us out from our comfort zone but it was really really fruitful,\u2019 Jord\u00e0 explains.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022text-center text-blue font-bold text-2xl w-full lg:w-1\/2 border-2 border-blue p-12 my-8 lg:m-12 lg:-ml-16 float-left\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cspan class=\u0022text-5xl rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003Cp class=\u0022font-serif italic\u0022\u003EMore sustainable local economy and society can be developed thanks to scientific research into how best to protect and preserve our oceans and seas.\u003C\/p\u003E\n  \u003Cfooter\u003E\n    \u003Ccite class=\u0022not-italic font-normal text-sm text-black\u0022\u003E\u003C\/cite\u003E\n  \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom knowledge to action\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilding meaningful plans for adapting to climate change based on the information they have gathered is a key priority for Jord\u00e0 and his team.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, they have made important discoveries about Posidonia Oceanica, a seagrass native to the Balearics that is home to a wealth of local species and is particularly vulnerable to heat damage because of rising sea temperatures. Contrary to what they thought before they began the research, it is the grasses located a little further from the sea\u2019s surface that suffer most from heatwaves, since those closest to the surface are better able to recover thanks to easier access to nutrition sources. Using this knowledge, they realised the best way to alleviate the worst damage in the short to medium term would be to limit boat anchoring and water pollution in hotspots for the seagrass.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the sea around other islands such as Cyprus is home to different varieties of seagrass, with different behaviours, locals can still benefit from the way Jord\u00e0 and his team did their research and apply it to their own local situation. By extrapolating the results from places like Mallorca, actionable plans can be drawn up for many other coastal areas beyond islands themselves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022 Lagoon beach on Mallorca, Balearic islands (Spain).\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022file\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022558ab489-3dde-4d95-a56d-83dfcb4df388\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/Soc2.png\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022italic mb-4\u0022\u003ELagoon beach on Mallorca, Balearic islands (Spain).\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe far-reaching consequences of climate change are already affecting us all, so it is important for Jord\u00e0 and his team to reach out to local citizens and business to communicate their findings and get them on board for the next steps, in addition to making recommendations to local government.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this way, a more sustainable local economy and society can be developed thanks to scientific research into how best to protect and preserve our oceans and seas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScience, research and innovation: our secret ally\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis research is part of the EU\u2019s efforts to discover new ways to prepare for climate change, protect our oceans and waters, and fight cancer. Together, EU countries can work more effectively, by pooling funding and expertise from around the world, coordinating international efforts, and benefiting from local knowhow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThanks to EU investments, it is possible for international research collaboration to address challenges too big to be addressed by one country alone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoin researchers on a mission to protect our planet and society, by sharing, liking and following the stories of #ResearchImpactEU.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n            \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n      Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-p6vb0k9cdg3mm-hioggi-rkjymljkwunmitzci7kovs\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-P6Vb0K9cdg3MM_HIOgGI-rkJYMLjKwUNMitzcI7kOVs\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]