ERASMUS MARIS IN PRACTICE |
Regional implementation networks for quality-assured microplastic screening
Erasmus Maris is moving from pilot development and scientific validation towards regional implementation. In Flanders and the Comunidad Valenciana, schools, scientific partners, teacher-training organisations, public authorities and environmental actors are working together to build sustained local capacity for harmonised microplastics screening in freshwater and coastal marine environments.
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These first implementation networks show how the same Erasmus Maris framework can operate across different environmental, educational and governance contexts.
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Freshwater and river-basin implementation
Flanders (Belgium)
In Flanders, Erasmus Maris is being implemented in freshwater and river-basin settings through cooperation between schools, the regional environmental agency, teacher-training partners and scientific collaborators. The focus is on building recurring local monitoring capacity while linking school-based observations to water-management expertise and environmentally relevant sampling locations.
The Flanders implementation network
The Flanders Environment Agency (VMM) — water-management and site-selection expertise
Helps identify meaningful monitoring locations, provides environmental context and supports interpretation.
Trained VMM technicians also participate directly in monitoring activities.
Helps identify meaningful monitoring locations, provides environmental context and supports interpretation.
Trained VMM technicians also participate directly in monitoring activities.
Scientific partners — methodology, training and quality assurance
European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) — supports the scientific methodology, QA/QC framework, training and validation of the approach.
Ghent University — contributes scientific expertise, training support and practical implementation of the methodology.
European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) — supports the scientific methodology, QA/QC framework, training and validation of the approach.
Ghent University — contributes scientific expertise, training support and practical implementation of the methodology.