Harmonization Requirements for MSFD and EcAp (Contaminants) in the ADRION Region: From Sampling to Data Visualization

The overall increase in maritime activities along the Montenegrin coast, and in the Adriatic–Ionian (ADRION) Region in general, may pose serious risks of pollution from hazardous substances for several coastal areas. In order to promote the sustainable use of the seas and, at the same time, preserve Good Environmental Status (GES), Montenegro, as well as most countries of the Mediterranean region, ratified the Mediterranean Action Plan of United Nations Environment Program (UNEP-MAP), aiming to reach and maintain GES in the framework of the Ecosystem Approach (EcAp), by implementing an Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme (IMAP) coherent and consistent with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the overarching European Union legal instrument for the marine environment. Countries that share a marine region or sub-region should cooperate to assure a coherent approach to environmental monitoring and the definition and assessment of Good Environmental Status. However, in the ADRION Region, bordered by EU and non-EU countries, the level of coherence is still low and efforts are needed to improve a harmonized and coordinated approach to face environmental problems, with particular regard to marine pollution. Thanks to the cooperation among research institutions and environmental agencies of most countries bordering the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, supported by European Union Interreg ADRION Programme, a comparison of monitoring, analytical protocols, data management, and visualization approaches was carried out to evaluate the level of coherence of information of marine chemical contaminants in the ADRION Region. The results of the comparison allowed to identify and prioritize methodological aspects to improve a harmonized approach to monitoring chemical contaminants and managing marine data in the Adriatic–Ionian Region.