The MARINER-MANIFESTS Knowledge Tool is an online repository that includes a comprehensive compilation of marine research and technical resources specifically focused on the preparedness and response to HNS (Hazardous and Noxious Substances) spills.
The Resources included in this database were carefully extracted from two main types of sources:
This online database can be accessed by using tailor-made search engines that help browsing the list of projects and organisations considered during the collection process (click on “Projects” or on “Organisations”) or selecting the resources of interest from a list of more than 700 records (click on “Resources").
There are several EU R&D projects that have focused on HNS maritime spills in the past, however their research outputs are often fragmented and not easily accessible. Moreover, there is a number of specialised organisations that have developed useful resources and guidance too. In MARINER we believe that improving the availability and the dissemination of these resources can improve our capabilities to cope with HNS spills. The MARINER-MANIFESTS Knowledge Tool intends to address this issue by identifying existing knowledge and resources and providing user-friendly access to this information.
The MARINER-MANIFESTS Knowledge Tool allows users to search for relevant knowledge and resources by major HNS themes, organisations, projects, type of output/resource, and funding source. Through a combination of simple and advanced queries, users can have direct access to the resource or when appropriate, to the author’s website.
In 2021, a new project continued the work stablished in MARINER, with focus on addressing the lack in response guidance on dealing with airborne releases and with decisions over sheltering or evacuation of the crew, responders and the coastal population. The project seeks to improve response capacities of marine pollution responders through the development of innovative decision support tools and operational guidelines and by facilitating access to relevant knowledge and databases, particularly on volatile HNS spills.
In the framework of the MANIFESTS project, the knowledge tool was updated and upgraded including new resources of the different knowledge areas: Training, Exercising, HNS Characterisation, Human Health, Response Protocols & Equipment, etc., and also including more Organisations and Projects.
An ongoing review was performed during total the period of the project, searching for updates, new resources produced and projects launched, taking into consideration the geographic and linguistic diversity.
To identify and collect HNS-relevant resources, the sources of information used were:
Considering Projects, the collection of HNS-relevant resources focuses on Knowledge Outputs in the form of exploitable results. This methodology is based on the one developed by AquaTT in the frame of MarineTT project, which in turn was upgraded under the umbrella of STAGES and COLUMBUS projects.
For the knowledge tool purposes, and as proposed by AquaTT, a Knowledge Output was defined as:
“A unit of knowledge that has been generated out of a research project. It is not limited to de-novo or pioneering discoveries but may also include new methodologies/processes, adaptations, insights, alternative applications of prior know-how/knowledge”
The Projects and Organisations selected were included in the database and further investigated for the identification and extraction of the Knowledge Outputs (from Projects) and Resources (from Organisations) that specifically tackled HNS-issues. For the sake of simplicity, all the items selected from Projects (i.e. Knowledge Outputs) and Organisations (i.e Resources) were integrated into a single list under the denomination of Resources. All these Resources were described, classified and linked to their source (project or organisation). Project coordinators and organisations are being contacted to validate the information compiled in the database.
After a first selection of sources of information (key organisations and European Funding Programmes that include research priorities pertaining to HNS preparedness and response), a deeper look was carried out to pick out the projects and sections/departments on organisations’ websites that offer knowledge and tools related to HNS preparedness and response.
In addition to that, the following criteria were also considered:
| Timeline | Geographical scope | Target environment | Resources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Projects | Projects starting from 2002. | Priority was given to EU and international projects, but also national projects were included. | Priority to marine projects, but also continental water and terrestrial projects. | Knowledge Outputs (KOs). |
| Organisations | Selection of the latest version of resources. | Priority was given to EU and International organisations, but national institutions were also considered. | Priority to organisations working on the marine and coastal environments, but also entities on the scope of continental water, terrestrial ecosystems, and human health protection. | Tools, manuals, guidelines, infographics, posters, videos, e-learning courses, etc. developed by the organisations targeted. |
Keywords to perform searches were: HNS, Hazardous and Noxious Substances, chemicals, shipping, maritime incident, modelling, monitoring, training, e-learning, spill, environmental impact, response protocols, exercises, etc.
The Resources compiled were classified according to the following criteria:
| Target environment | HNS areas of knowledge: | Type of resource: | Geographical area: |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Marine/coastal environments. Continental ecosystems. Fluvial ecosystems. Air. Human health protection. |
Case studies. Contingency planning. Environmental monitoring, impact & recovery. Harbour, Shipping & Industrial facilities. HNS characterisation. Human health. Liability and compensation. Modelling. Response protocols and equipment. Risk analysis. Training. Exercising. |
Book/review. Database. Dissemination materials. Guidelines/ Standards. Multimedia. Prototypes. Reports. Scientific publications. Services/Tools. Software/modelling tool. Training activity /Learning module. Other. |
The resources were assigned to the country or region that funded the production of that resource. |