The background of the project

MARS builds on the outcome of previous and ongoing research initiatives, for example:

  • The development of assessment methods for rivers and lakes (e.g. WISER)
  • New findings on how hydromorphological degradation affect rivers (REFORM)
  • The effects of climate change on freshwater ecosystems (REFRESH)
  • The assessment of services provided by European ecosystems (e.g. OpenNESS; DURESS)
  • The implementation of the Marine Strategy Directive (DEVOTES)