With the keen understanding that marine ecosystems possess vast temporal and spatial scales and dynamics which interact with the land and the atmosphere, and increasingly, with socio-economic systems; on April 3, 2009 and under the patronage of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and in collaboration with the Italian Embassy in Lebanon, and in the presence of notable Italian and Lebanese authorities, the CNRS inaugurated the CANA-CNRS Marine Research Vessel, the first of its kind in the Middle East.
 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS)
NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, CNRS 59, Zahia Salmane Street, Jnah P.O. Box: 11-8281, Beirut, Lebanon Tel: + 961 1 850 125 | Fax: + 961 1 822 639 Website: www.cnrs.edu.lb E-mail: canaproject@cnrs.edu.lb
Visit our website: www.cana-cnrs.gov.lb
 
Herein lies the History of a Vessel, the Workings of a Project, and the Promise of Sustainable Development
 A history of a vessel that tells us the chronicle of arduous efforts and
continuous challenges, gratification, enterprise, knowledge and much
more.
The CANA-CNRS Research Vessel, a former fishing trawler, reveals the
 story of success based on mutual support and collaboration resulting in
 placing science at the service of the Lebanese community.
The CANA Project on “Establishing Monitoring and Sustainable
Development of the Lebanese Sea” tells us mainly the story of two
countries partnering for the sake of reaching sustainable development,
 preserving the environment, and contributing to the advancement of
 scientific research.
Basic research and applied science have found their home in the vessel,
hand in hand with free spaces; peculiarities of the Lebanese sea; and a
community of managers, scientific researchers and technicians lavishing
efforts to unravel the mysteries hidden below the water’s surface.
As we celebrate 50 years since the establishment of the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) in 1962; the CNRS has endeavoured to enhance its role in scientific research and increase its services to the Lebanese community. Throughout the years of its existence, and through its regular Grant Research Programme (GRP) and Associated Research Units (ARU), the CNRS has strived to support with significant human, scientific and financial resources the Lebanese scientific community towards guaranteeing a positive impact in priority scientific fields while keeping track of community development as a whole.
In 2009, a new vision was developed to implement crucial initiatives and projects in the field of Marine Research. No sooner was the need for a Scientific Marine Research Vessel put forward, that the Italian Government bought the vessel and transferred ownership to the CNRS which named the vessel “CANA” in recognition of the same town in
 
the South and its symbol in the eyes of the Lebanese people, but also because of its cultural and historical significance…
… This is where the adventure of CANA began.
It has always been recognized that the Mediterranean basin shares a common destiny in good and bad times. The throb of the Mediterranean Sea accompanied its civilizations for hundreds of thousands of years, thrusting peoples towards exchanging cultures, development and goods and facing challenges, crises and conflicts.
Lebanon and Italy have capitalized on existing and established relations to implement an enduring and comprehensive collaboration aiming at providing actual and long term benefits to both sides. Together, we have engaged in a unique partnership benefiting both countries through the common efforts undertaken by several institutions to improve the environment in the Mediterranean.
The CANA-CNRS Research Vessel and the subsequent CANA Project is a tangible sign of this fruitful collaboration.
A collaboration towards detecting, assessing, predicting and mitigating the common challenges we face: (1) in nurturing sustainable development in areas subject to enormous pressure, primarily induced by human activities; (2) the effects of persistent and systematic stress factors on ecosystem processes critical for living population structures and community interactions; (3) significant socioeconomic effects on human communities and living conditions, health and welfare in coastal areas; and (4) the combined effects of global c limate change and human induced alterations of the environment, particularly pronounced in the coastal areas where population densities are rapidly increasing.
In facing these challenges, through an interdisciplinary and multidimensional approach to environmental research and management, CANA-CNRS becomes an essential tool for Lebanese researchers and the international scientific community: rendering a lasting and reliable service towards protecting, restoring and managing the environment; reinforcing marine research while creating a new generation of scientists and researchers working in this field; establishing an international institutional support and exchange network; and creating solid scientific bases towards building a sustainable future for the Mediterranean.
For the past two years, the CANA-CNRS vessel has worked to advance the project by undertaking various missions f or hydro-biological analyses highlighting the hot spots of chemical and organic pollution, sampling plankton, analysis of meiofauna, study of cetacean, and biodiversity conservation; it has efficiently contributed towards the implementation
of the various tasks foreseen within the project, and outlined within.
From the time when CANA was just an idea on paper, and well into its inception and implementation phase, it has been a true honour and pleasure to work closely with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/  General Directorate for Development Cooperation, the Italian Embassy and Development Cooperation Office (UTL) in Lebanon, the CIHEAM Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (IAM, Bari), the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) in Lebanon, and a number of esteemed colleagues and experts working in various fields of Marine Sciences.
The continuous support and assistance received are but an extension of the long standing friendship and cooperation between two countries; for this and much more, we are truly thankful.
We hope you will share our adventure by turning the pages of this book, and delve with us into the journey and workings of CANA: the Research Vessel and the Project.
MOUÏN HAMZÉ Secretary General of the CNRS PMU Chairman of the CANA Project
 
The largest part of our planet is covered by seas, from where most
of the world population draws its animal protein intake, our economies
depend largely on maritime exchanges and, last but not least, our
modern energy is a legacy of prehistoric sea life. Our history developed
along coast lines where culture, traditions and knowledge evolved
among different societies. Nevertheless, we still know so little about it
and its dynamics. Too often the sea represents a resource exploitation
spot and too often the final dumping site of our rejects.
The Mediterranean Sea makes no exceptions. Being a enclosed
sea with over 15 countries sharing its waters and its resources, its
management cannot be reduced to a mere affirmation of sovereignty
and commercial exploitations as this approach will eventually lead to an
increase of tension and significant environmental concerns. Instead, its
characteristics should lead us to a different scenario where, in line with
the latest international laws, resources are managed trough agreements
ensuring sustainability for present and future generations rather than
applying the “first come first served” approach. Each country has its
share of responsibility and shall thus contribute to its management
accordingly. Research and awareness are among these responsibilities
and Italy strongly believes in this approach, as it is clearly demonstrated
by the environmental initiatives funded in Lebanon, where sustainable
resource management is the main tool to ensure environmental
mainstreaming in all sectors of the Country.
Today I am proud to witness that Italy merged its efforts with Lebanon
into the CANA research vessel, allowing the Lebanese National Council
for Scientific Research to perform important marine studies and ensuring
that a proper data collection and research protocol that will provide
Lebanese policymakers and administrators with tools to protect and
manage their share of the Mediterranean. Another important aspect I
want to underline is that Italy participated in the CANA Project through
several institutions, different for juridical statute and competencies, but
united to reach the same goal: Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Italian
Cooperation, IAM Bari, Federpesca and CNR.
This boat represents a unique occasion to exchange, with other
researchers, knowledge and information about the Mediterranean Sea
and to look for common strategies. This aspect is also strengthened by
the fact that an important component of the project is training, in Italy
and in Lebanon, of CNRS researchers.
This book represents a statement of their efforts and their passion. To
whom and to their Italian colleagues go my warm thanks for the goals
accomplished and my best wishes for the work yet to be done, in order
to ensure an environmentally friendly and efficient management of the
Mediterranean Sea and its resources.
The Italian Ambassador to Lebanon,
His Excellency GIUSEPPE MORABITO
 
Introduction
Project Management
The Donor
Testimony:  Alessandra Savini
Dolphins In Beirut Offshore
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3
Task 4
Task 5
 
The Mediterranean Sea is not only a physical place but also a rich imaginary journey back through time, touching on places, myths and cultures and spanning distances from Greece to Rome, from Carthage to Alexandria, from the Bosphorus to Les échelles du Levant.
The Mediterranean is a closed sea at the crossroads of three continents, and a waterway that enables an active exchange among different cultures and populations; and where, not surprisingly, philosophy, literature, and sciences have flourished for thousands of years.
INTRODUCTION
Mediterranean Basin
Today the Mediterranean is a sea under siege and while its coastal resources are now under threat of ecological collapse due to mismanagement and abuse; social and political crises such as war, poverty, immigration, and political strife have also taken their toll on natural resources.
 
Although the Mediterranean Sea covers only one per cent of the world’s marine area, it contains some six per cent of its marine species. Among these, some of the world’s most endangered species can be found.
In Lebanon, the country’s main economic and social activities are concentrated along the Mediterranean coast. The environmental risks associated with such activities are having a negative impact on the marine ecosystem. In addition to that, increasing coastal industrial activities are affecting people’s quality of life. Future development will require an integrated vision and approach that considers economic parameters, as well as environmental impacts.
Within this framework, the Lebanese Government, its institutions, and the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) intend to give the coastal development process a new importance in an integrated approach that takes into consideration economic activities such as tourism, fisheries, aquaculture, trade and infrastructure needs; as well as the productive sector such as roads, markets, houses, hotel construction, and maintenance services; in addition, the welfare of coastal communities and environmental safety have to play a major role.
THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
The National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) is a public institution, and the main scientific and Research & Development (R&D) institution in
Lebanon. Reporting directly to the President of the Council of Ministers, the
CNRS is an autonomous institution administered by a Board of Administrators
and a General Secretariat headed by the Secretary General.
Since its establishment by law, 50 years ago, on 14 September 1962, it has
strived to enhance its role in scientific research both in its advisory capacity: linking scientific research with national policy and advising the government on
all science and technology issues; as well as through its executive capacity to
promote and realize these policies in programmes of action implemented in its
own research centres or in collaboration with other academic, research and
development institutions: locally, regionally and internationally.
As part of its main mission, the objective of the CNRS is to develop and
support scientific research in Lebanon and to direct that research to respond
to the needs and socio-economic development of the country and to the
evolution of science, research and development worldwide.
THE CNRS ALSO MANAGES AND CONDUCTS RESEARCH THROUGH ITS
FOUR AFFILIATED AND SPECIALIZED CENTRES:
National Centre for Geophysics
Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission
 
The Lebanese coastal zone extends over approximately 150,000
ha of coastal plains and hills with a coastline length of 220Km. Until
1975, the urban structure in Lebanon was organised around few poles
of regional growth, mainly located along the coast.
During the civil war years (1975-1990), urban structure underwent
major transformation in terms of urban hierarchy and development,
population distribution, and regional dynamics of growth. The country
witnessed a double movement of decentralisation and multi-polarisation
of the civil and economic space. As a result the narrow coastal strip from
Tripoli in the north to Tyre in the south has become one long stretch of
densely populated urban settlements - randomly built and lacking in
services.
These circumstances have had a severe impact on Lebanon’s
fragile environment through accelerated and chaotic urbanisation,
encroachment on coastal plains, traditional rural land abandonment
and degradation, forest destruction, saline water intrusion into aquifers,
dumping of solid and liquid wastes on land and in coastal waters. This
widespread landscape degradation and the neglect of natural and scenic
areas had a serious negative impact on Lebanon’s biodiversity.
According to UNEP, the total built-up area along the coastal zone in
1995-1996 was estimated at 40,000 ha which represents approximately
26% of the surface area of the coastal zone. According to various
sources, the current coastal urbanization ranges between 40% and
55%. The METAP / World Bank report issued in 2009 claims that, if kept
unchecked, this trend could lead to a total urbanization of the narrow
Lebanese coastal corridor by 2025 and carry more than 85% of the
Lebanese population.
Lebanese coastal waters are polluted primarily as a result of direct
sewage and industrial effluent discharges into the sea, as well as solid
waste dumping along the shoreline. Wastewaters from urban areas
are being discharged without adequate treatment or monitoring into
the hydrological network or directly into the Mediterranean, raising a
potential public health hazard. The efficiencies of the operating plants,
which are mostly small-scale community-based wastewater treatment
plants, are not adequate to comply with international standards for
treated wastewater. According to the CNRS - National Centre for Marine
Sciences, coastal waters in several areas are unfit for bathing due to high
bacteriological contamination.
TERRITORIAL CONTEXT
 
In the wake of the devastating war and aggression of Israel in the
summer of 2006, and within the framework of existing cooperation
between the CNRS and Italian institutions, particularly The Mediterranean
Agronomic Institute of Bari (MAIB; CIHEAM-Bari) affiliated to the
International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies
(CIHEAM); and in light of the deepening marine crisis caused by the
Israeli bombing of the Jiyeh power plant and the subsequent oil spill;
The Italian Government proposed a valuable donation in the form of a scientific vessel aimed at supporting marine studies and research in Lebanon.
The CANA-CNRS Research vessel would facilitate the ability of the CNRS
to plan and execute scientific investigations in the sea independently -
thereby reducing the existing “knowledge gap” and constraints within
Marine Research studies in Lebanon.
Fishermen on Rosa Marina retrieving trawling nets in front of Apulia coats
THE VESSEL Shortly after, the initiative received the consent and support of the
Presidency of the Council of Ministers and every encouragement from
the Lebanese Army, which has agreed to house and provide maintenance
of the Vessel at the Naval Base in Beirut.
The Italian government bought the vessel - an Italian trawler named
Rosa Marina - and transferred ownership to the CNRS which named the
vessel “CANA” in symbolic recognition of the same town in the South
and what it represents to the L ebanese people culturally and historically.
The vessel Rosa Marina, built in 1996 at the shipyard of Ortona Navi
S.p.A. (Ortona, Abruzzo, Italy) was registered at the port Bari in the
Apulia region, and dedicated to trawling activities on the bottoms of the
area located between Adriatic and Ionian Sea
In May 2008, in light of the CNRS’ high
priority for the study and the protection
of the Lebanese marine ecosystem, work
commenced on the vessel to renovate and
refurbish it for scientific research purposes
(according to the Reg UE 2792/99) and
convert it into a scientific vessel specialized
in marine and environmental research.
The vessel, in Ortona, underwent the first
essential rehabilitation of all engines and
hydraulics instruments and was equipped
with the necessary laboratories and
training rooms.
equipment was installed, as well as
scientific equipment including: a zodiac
boat, a remotely operated underwater
vehicle (ROV) with the capacity to film up
to 200 m depth, instruments to measure
the physical and chemical characteristics
of sea water, microscopes, in addition to a
bacteriological laboratory.
The refurbishment of the vessel held in the shipyards of Ortona
 
On April 3, 2009 and under the patronage of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, in collaboration with the Italian Embassy in Lebanon, and in the presence of notable Italian and Lebanese authorities, the CNRS inaugurated the CANA-CNRS marine research vessel, the first of its kind in the Middle East.
Flag changing ceremony onboard of CANA-CNRS vessel.
Official Inauguration of the CANA-CNRS vessel 
On December 16, 2008 at the port of Bari, the Lebanese flag was hoisted on the CANA-CNRS research vessel. Manned by a Lebanese- Italian crew, the vessel sailed to Lebanon, reaching the Beirut Naval Base on the morning of December 22, 2008.
INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF THE CANA-CNRS VESSEL & PROJECT
“The CANA vessel is an important step forward towards deepening the knowledge of the Lebanese coast line. It not only constitutes an important opportunity to promote marine and environmental research and data collection for management and conservation of natural resources, but also promotes linkages between the various cultures that are rooted in the Mediterranean basin.”
H.E. GABRIELE CHECCHIA, Ambassador of Italy in Lebanon
 
Ce bateau scientifique, joliment baptisé CANA-CNRS, Monsieur le Premier Ministre, est, à partir de ce moment, fonctionne au service de la recherche scientifique libanaise. Le projet du bateau CANA est pour nous tous, un signe tangible du succès de notre coopération méditerranéenne, symbole extraordinaire d’amitié entre les peuples. Le CANA-CNRS va bientôt sillonner les eaux de cette belle mer qui unit nos rives, nos cultures et nos espoirs de paix et de prospérité.
Je remercie Son Excellence Monsieur le Premier Ministre Fouad Siniora et tout le Liban, bien représenté à cette belle cérémonie, pour avoir toujours entretenu des relations d’amitiés avec notre organisation, et d’avoir participé efficacement au développement de ce territoire méditerranéen, connu pour sa fragilité et ses conflits, mais où on a le plaisir de vivre.
Le directeur de l’Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen- IAM de Bari, Cosimo Lacirignola
 
The CANA-CNRS Vessel, 27 meters length with a gross weight of 123 tons, features a tapered steel hull that provides stability and a safe cruising speed of 8-10 knots.
Name
7 m
900 Hp
12 knots
3 people
At present, the vessel is moored at the Military Naval Base in Beirut under the responsibility of the Captain: Michel Youssef - 20 years of experience in the Lebanese Army - and his crew: George Nachar – mechanic with 23 years of experience in t he Lebanese Army, and George Touma – sailor with 12 years of experience in the Lebanese Army.
CANA-CNRS vessel description
In parallel to the above initiative, the CNRS in collaboration with
the Development Cooperation Office of the Italian Embassy in Lebanon,
the CIHEAM-Bari Institute and the Council for Development and
Reconstruction (CDR, Lebanon), developed a Lebanese-Italian project
proposal with the main objective of supporting marine research in
Lebanon.
On April 2, 2009; a 3-year cooperation agreement was signed between
the Government of the Italian Republic - represented by H.E. Ambassador
Gabriele Checchia - and the CNRS - represented by the president of
the Board of Administrators, George Tohmé and the Secretary General,
Mouïn Hamzé - for the execution and implementation of the initiative
and project “Establishing Monitoring and Sustainable Development of
the Lebanese Sea” co-funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/ 
Italian Cooperation and the Lebanese National Council for Scientific
Research (CNRS).
Signing of the cooperation agreement for the implementation of the CANA Project 
THE PROJECT
 
Flags on CANA-CNRS Research Vessel 
The overall objective of the project is to increase the available knowledge
of coastal and marine environments towards preparing guidelines for
an integrated coastal policy. The project intends to prepare a complete
picture of the condition of the sea and its resources aimed at identifying
sustainable and relevant economic approaches to the activities along the
coastline of Lebanon.
The CANA Project is divided into 6 tasks, responding to the complexity of the project. One task is dedicated to management of the project, working to support five major scientific tasks/fields of intervention, as follows:
1. Sea Physical Environment (bathymetry of the coastal area)
2. Hydrology, hydrobiology and biodiversity
3. Mammalian and fishery (halieutic marine resources)
4. Coastal pollution
5. Scientific dissemination
These five technical tasks/components are managed by the two CNRS
National Centres for Geophysical Research and for Marine Sciences.
The Steering Committee (SC) is the body that provides the strategic guidance
to the project. It is composed as follows:
George Tohmé  CNRS President of the Board of Directors - SC Chairman
Mouïn Hamzé  CNRS Secretary General - PMU Chairman
Palma D’Ambrosio  First Secretary of the Italian Embassy
Guido Benevento  Director of the Italian Cooperation Office (UTL)
Wafaa Sharafeddine  CDR representative
Teodoro Massimo Miano  Italian technical expert
Project Management Unit (PMU) is the Secretariat of the SC. Members attend
SC meetings, providing the necessary background, information and facilitating
services. The PMU meets regularly to deliberate and take decisions toward the
active implementation of the project. Its composition is as follows:
CNRS Secretary General - PMU Chairman
CNRS Director of the National Centre for
Geophysics - Task Project Manager
Marine Sciences - Task Project Manager
 Scientific Project Coordinator
Office (UTL)
Mouïn Hamzé
Alexandre Sursock
Gaby Khalaf 
Stefano Lelli
Jacopo Monzini
Rula Atweh
 
The “Italian Cooperation” represents the General Directorate for
Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the executive body
managing development aids distributed to beneficiary countries, as it is also a
fundamental part of the Italian Foreign Policy.
With around 70 projects ongoing or in pipeline for an overall amount of funds,
including the initiatives already concluded, equal to almost 240 million of Euros
divided between soft loans and grants, Italy is strongly involved in the process
of reconstruction and development of Lebanon. According to recent OECD data,
Italy represents the third main donor in Lebanon, after France and USA, while,
considering the overall amount of aid since 2006, Lebanon is the second recipient
of Italian development aids (after Afghanistan).
In the field of environment and water, with an overall investment of almost 100
million Euros (76 million as loans and over 20 millions as grants) Italy represents
one of the main donors active in the Environmental sector. The implemented
initiatives focus especially on waste management, irrigation canals construction/
rehabilitation, waste water treatment plants construction, forest fire prevention,
Protected Area protection with the collaboration of the Italian Civil Protection and
Marine Environmental research and conservation.
The National Centre for Geophysical Research (NCGR) was established in 1975 by the Lebanese Government as a successor of the Observatory of Ksara, run by the Jesuit Fathers since 1909, which was due to cease its operations. We are proud of this legacy: a century that represents a considerable amount of works in geophysics reflecting the importance of this discipline in Lebanon.
Accordingly, besides other mandates, the Government’s decree establishing the Centre pinpoints its primary mission as the seismic and tectonic monitoring of the Lebanese area to improve the understanding of the earthquake hazards we are exposed to. Since 1980, the NCGR keeps a 24/7 watch of seismic activity for near real-time localization of events. As of January 2011, the national seismic network GRAL ( http://www.cnrs.edu. lb/gral/The_Network.html ) is rich of 8 stations and expanding. Specialists and the public may find on the web seismic activity monthly and annual bulletins and maps ( http://www.cnrs. edu.lb/research/grdownload.html ).
In this same framework, the Centre has conducted over the last decade a number of critical projects: among them, reconstruction of the history of large earthquakes over 12,000 years; study of the deformation of the crust with GPS space geodesy; marine geophysics covering almost the whole maritime domain of Lebanon. These works constitute a great step forward in our understanding of the geology and growth of Mount Lebanon.
The National Centre for Marine Sciences (NCMS) was established in 1977. The decision to establish such a centre was the national response, by the CNRS, to the 1972 Stockholm Conference.
The main mandates of the centre are:
• Monitoring of the coastal zone by creating a national network of observation, modelling of the cycles of the contaminants and usage of the bio-indicators.
• Evaluation of the specic diversity by characterizing the invasive species and their habitats.
• Production, transformation and transfer the matter in the coastal and marine ecosystems.
The Centre’s major research interests include the effects of marine pollution on plankton and community structure, drift and coastal currents, environmental monitoring, recreational water quality, marine chemistry, coastal sediments, impact of coastal structures on habitat, biodiversity, and contingency planning.
The library of the centre is open to the specialists and interested public. It provides analytical services, documentation services to students and professionals.
As a main project output, guidelines for a strategic approach for sustainable coastal development will be drawn based on the technical and scientific results of the project, as well as stakeholders’ interest analysis.
NATIONAL CENTRE FOR MARINE SCIENCES
NATIONAL CENTRE FOR GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH
THE DONOR
 
cooperation merge? Indeed, CANA Boat
is an initiative that perfectly answers that
question.
engaging in development initiatives
enhancing Cooperation resources. These
well as tools that support the development
of some of Lebanon’s key economic
sectors—including maritime trade and
transport, sheries, and tourism. And,
for the rst time in Lebanon and in the
Levantine Sea, science has enabled
the production of remarkable studies—
The offshore coastal strip, object of task one of the project, is
characterized by a very narrow continental shelf, crossed by deep
canyons that, from a short distance from the coast, go down to depths
of one thousand meters. The seabed topography is the continuation of
inland geomorphology with its almost absent coastal plain on which
the main Lebanese cities have developed, and
a steep mountain belt exceeding in elevation
3000 meters 20 km from the coast. The
submarine canyons are nothing else than the
continuation of steep inland valleys which
correspond, more or less to active tectonic
faults.
topography of the seabed, and producing a
morpho-bathymetric map represent a priority
for Lebanon in order to valorise the biological
and cultural resources of the sea. In the frame
of the Task 1 of the CANA project, the CNRS-
National Centre for Geophysical Research
(NCGR) intends to conduct a bathymetric
study in the area of coastal shallow waters,
and to complete studies already executed in
2003 by the French-Lebanese team and the
IFREMER.
In July 2010 and July 2011, under the mandate of the International
Hydrographic Organization, the French institute SHOM surveyed the
approaches of some harbors giving an idea of the means needed in a
study of the Lebanese coastal zone. A member of the NCGR staff was
onboard and was associated to the operations.
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
TASK 1: SEA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (BATHYMETRY OF THE COASTAL AREA)
bathymetric maps of the coastline,
environmental monitoring, underwater
I am convinced that by reading this
book, among all of the other important
messages, it will become clear that such
scientic initiatives are not only locally
relevant, but are also important for the
whole Mediterranean Sea. It constitutes
a milestone and important step in the
formation of a large network of joint
research and shared regional development.
Eng. GUIDO BENEVENTO , Director 
 Italian Cooperation Ofce (UTL)
 
During September and October 2003, in the framework
of a French-Lebanese partner-ship, the R/V Le Suroît of
the Ifremer fleet surveyed an area extending 100 km off
the shores of Lebanon in order to complement the land
studies about the exposure of the country to seismic risk.
One of the main outcomes of this survey (code-named
SHALI-MAR) was this new multibeam bathymetric map.
The main objective of the SHALIMAR cruise was to study
recent deformation, including seismic faulting, offshore
Lebanon in the Mediterranean, using a combination
of marine geological and geophysical techniques.
Such deformation has been inferred from neo-tectonic
studies on land to be linked with the formation of
Mount Lebanon, itself a result of crustal shortening
in the restraining bend of the Dead Sea fault system
represented by the Yammouneh fault.
The sea-floor bathymetric coverage was obtained using
the SIMRAD EM300 multibeam sounder. Particularly
remarkable is the very steep bathymetric gradient near
the shore between Beirut and Tripoli. Here, the water
depth increases from 100 m to 1500 m in less than 5
km. The base of this steep topographic front is bounded
by slope breaks that appear to mark a ctive, stepping,
oblique thrusts. In deep water between Saida and Tripoli,
the seafloor is uplifted, warped by folds, cut by fault
scarps, and incised by flat-floored canyons (probably
turbidite channels) down-slope from the deep river
gorges seen on land.
interdependent, to result from Pli o-Quaternary movement
on interacting, active thrust and lateral ramps. Several
of the ramps appear to be submarine continuations of
faults documented ashore. The strikes of fold axes and
of deviated or abandoned submarine canyons imply
NW-SE to WNW-ESE shortening, consistent with the
growth and rise of Mount Lebanon. In fact, the strongest
deformation visible on the seafloor faces the steepest,
highest relief and the place where the great Harissa
flexure of the Mesozoic strata that bounds the west side
of the Mt Lebanon mega-anticline tangents the coastline.
Such deformation, and the more than 4.5 km elevation
difference in less than 30 km suggest that it is the most
ac-tively growing mountain range in the Mediterranean.
South of Beirut, particularly south of Saida, the submarine
bathymetric gradients are less steep. Two shallow (less
than 500 m below sea level), gently seaward sloping
shelves, with smooth surfaces extend 6 to 8 km from
shore, facing the Beirut platform and the Nabatiyeh
plateau. They are separated by three merging canyons.
One of them trends approximately NS and is roughly
aligned with the base of the Beirut-Saida shelf slope
and the most prominent lateral ramp west of Beirut and
Jounieh. It likely repre-sents a west step of the Roum
fault, itself an oblique sinistral thrust ramp. In deeper wa-
ter farther west, a couple of roughly parallel, NE-trending
channels may be guided by underlying folds, consistent
with the regional NW-SE shortening direction.
South of the Litani deep-water channel, and in the
extreme north, offshore the Akkar plain, the continental
slope is typical of that of passive margins. Yet in the
south, at 1200 to 1500 m depths on either side of the
Litani channel, there are numerous, small, closely spaced,
NE-trending scarps that attest to young, distributed
dip-slip faulting. These faults appear to be normal and
form an en echelon, west-stepping, dextral array. Finally,
at the southern extremity of our survey, we observed
NW-trending normal fault scarps aligned with the Mt
Carmel-Haifa fault, which does not appear to extend far
into the Levant basin.
Nahr el Kelb and Nahr Ibrahim canyons reach the abyssal
plain of the Levantine basin, whose gentle morphology
is characterized by large fields of dune or ripple-like
features.
the structure of the Kyrenia ridge, in order to compare
folding and thrusting offshore Mt Lebanon with
shortening due to north-directed subduction under the
Cyprean Arc. It confirmed, in particular, that the Roum
fault does not continue north of 34.5°N, all the way to
the Cyprus plate-boundary, as previously suggested by
some authors. Rather, it appears to act simply as a lateral
ramp of the offshore Mt Lebanon fold and thrust belt.
(Adapted from the Shalimar team report)
THE SHALIMAR BATHYMETRIC SURVEY
The Shalimar Cruise IFREMER-IPGP-CNRS
(2003)
 
Crucial importance had been given to the selection of a seabed mapping system capable of meeting all relevant project’s needs and international standards. An Italian/Lebanese working group had been appointed for backing the selection phase and all challenging steps that the project will eventually face. The contract for the purchase of a high resolution Multibeam Echosounder system (MBES) along with an integrated highly accurate Positioning System has been awarded to a leading company of the sector. At the time of publishing of this book, the MBES system has been delivered and is being tested in order to finalize the installation and start running first tests at sea as soon as possible.
I have been involved within the CANA
 project as a member of the international
group of experts in seaoor mapping
that was established in July 2010, by the
Project Steering Committee. The group
is supporting the project activities of the
task one of the project, which concerns the
bathymetry of coastal waters of Lebanon.
In particular, the task 1 of the project
was designed to take actions aimed at
completing the high resolution bathymetric
chart of the coastal zone of Lebanon.
The coastal strip of Lebanon is characterized
by a very narrow continental margin cut
by deep canyons. The unknown part of this
area extends up to ten kilometres from the
shoreline, in a range of depths between 0
to 1500m. To reach the objective of the
task one and to complete the acquisition
of high resolution bathymetric data, that
begun with the IFREMER cruise (thus
connecting the offshore data with the
observed inland geological structures), a
dedicated oceanographic survey has to
be carried out in order to collect proper
geophysical data.
on the preferable geophysical device to be
selected, the acquisition of new data should
be performed by the use of a modern
medium to high-frequency Multi-Beam
bathymetric data from medium to shallow
depth. Indeed, to complete the seaoor
mapping of the EEZ of Lebanon, the depth
belt that must be surveyed range from 10
to at least 600m of water depth. A MBES
survey planned to acquire data in such a
depth range will denitely ll the gaps of
multibeam bathymetric information along
improve the knowledge about seaoor
features, partially mapped and identied on
the upper slope, by the survey carried out
in 2003. These features might be indeed
key-seaoor features to interpret and
assess the geological and geomorphologic
framework of the EEZ of Lebanon.
Since multibeam bathymetric data
for modern marine research in a number
of studies (marine geology, marine
geophysics, marine biology, marine
chemistry, marine ecology, marine
acquisition of a new MBES system (able to
collect those bathymetric data that will ll
the gaps in Lebanon seaoor mapping) will
fully support the development of a proper
management of the Lebanon coastal waters
and will especially promote the growing
of the Lebanese marine research team,
fostering its capacity to carry out marine
researches.
Geologist, Assistant Professor at the
University of Milan “La Bicocca” 
 
Through the “Hydrology, hydrobiology and biodiversity” task, the project aims to determine the interactions between biological and hydrological parameters in different marine ecosystems, by studying vertical and seasonal variations of physico chemical parameters, plankton populations, and examining the sediments and the associated fauna. It will also study and analyse the macro-benthos and nekton of the Lebanese coastal waters.
The global ocean ecosystem is essentially dependent upon plankton, an often unseen, vast, and generally microscopic group of organisms.
Phytoplankton, the plankton that lives in euphotic layer where there is sufficient light to support photosynthesis, is the original source of food for nearly all higher microscopic and macroscopic marine organisms.
In the oceans, those ubiquitous microscopic organisms account for approximately half the production of organic matter on Earth. For this reason, taken as a whole, phytoplankton represents a category of life on Earth that has a profound global effect.
Plankton is usually microscopic, with some macroscopic species ranging from several millimetres up to 15 meters in length f or the largest jellyfish. Plankton is either unable or has limited swimming ability, and are thus unable to swim against currents. However, many plankton species are able to control their vertical position in the water column.
Nekton includes many organisms that can swim freely and are generally independent of currents, such as fishes and squids. Benthic organisms (or benthos) are those
that live on, in, or near the seafloor. Many animals considered classic examples of nekton and benthos start out their life as tiny members of the plankton and gradually transition to their final shape as they grow.
A well-adjusted system of sampling surveys and analyses is carried out seasonally by the CNRS-National Centre for Marine Sciences (NCMS) on water column, sediments, soft and hard bottoms and wave-washed
TASK 2: HYDROLOGY, HYDROBIOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY
 Dinoflagellates  (on the bottom)  and diatoms (on  the top) represent   a large fraction of   the phytoplankton  in Lebanese  coastal waters.  Pictures by Marie  Abboud-Abi Saab
Picture by M. Abboud Abi-Saab
Sampling activities
terraces. Italian consultants are supporting CNRS’ staff on methodologies, equipments and strategic actions. Most of the equipments needed for this task have been acquired such as the water sampling system, multi- parameter probe CTD, and the grab. These systems of new generation will be used at their best through training courses and support provided by international experts.
Moreover, the task of mapping and analysis of this biodiversity may support the identification of stakeholders’ priorities and interests leading to a correct identification of conservation areas and, in general, to an efficient management of the coastal zone.
 
The main output of the third task is the protection plan both for mammalian and fishery resources on the basis of qualitative evaluation of marine fauna. Research and studies on t he Cetaceans in the Lebanese waters aim at detecting the existence of their habitats, their areas of distribution and density, their status and development, their proliferation and migration patterns and routes, breeding areas and food requirements.
Different investigations that spread over several days have been carried out in order to scientifically observe cetacean habits and trends. This was done with the support of cameras, recording machines and software for detecting their routes. The mammalian scientific campaign is connected to the ACCOBAMS (Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Contiguous Atlantic Area) project. This is a cooperative tool for the conservation of marine biodiversity in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, focusing on the presence of cetacean, their identification, their abundance, and their area of distribution.
Capture fisheries and aquaculture are considered as a strategic component of the CANA project. Both sectors are strictly related to economic and strategic interests. Interventions not carefully planned may easily lead to frictions between and within groups. Therefore the project has entered into a collaboration with the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) in order to maximise the effectiveness of its efforts, creating synergies with the actors involved in the sector. The objective is to prepare guidelines that could be used to develop the fishery and aquaculture sectors within the framework of collaboration between the CNRS and the MoA. Technical support has been provided by the CANA project in order to assess and identify aquaculture perspectives in Lebanon and to develop possible pilot projects.
TASK 3: MAMMALIAN AND FISHERY (HALIEUTIC MARINE RESOURCES)
Marine biodiversity is under increasingly significant pressure, frequently of anthropic origin, which causes degradation and regression of species in such vast ecosystem. The threats to animal and vegetal species are numerous and vary from one species to another and from one region to another. The main threats may be summarized as follows:
- Dumping of domestic and industrial sewage
- Dumping of solid waste
- Landfills and backfills
- Modification of sediment streams and coastal sand extraction
- Competition with invasive species
- Tourist activities and trampling
Hence there is the need to establish st rategies and actions for the valorisation and the protection towards the conservation and sustainable management of the marine and coastal biodiversity.
In its strategy STIP (Science and Technology Innovation Policy), the Lebanese CNRS has chosen a rather ambitious program for research and development of the Lebanese marine environment that includes several actions aiming at introducing new elements
STATUS OF THE MARINE BIODIVERSITY IN LEBANON: AN OVERVIEW
for the protection and at undertaking a continuous monitoring of the marine biodiversity.
CANA project, along with the donation of the scientific vessel CANA-CNRS itself, and with the assistance of different Italian scientific institutions, provided the essential tools (hardware, technical expertise, training...) for the execution of activities in marine and its biodiversity.
The results already obtained are quite conclusive as to the loss of several species both vegetal and animal, the destruction of vermetid platform and seagrass beds, the depletion of fish stocks and crustaceans, the turtle migration, the stranding of cetaceans, the invasion of alien species and their settlement to the detriment of local species ...
The CANA project in its task “dissemination” is spreading the obtained results for a better regulation of the Lebanese marine environment and for a sustainable management aimed to maintain natural resources as undamaged as possible for future generations.
GABY KHALAF, Director of the CNRS
National Centre for Marine Sciences
Fishermen of Tyre
The fishing port of Dora
 
The “Coastal pollution” task is concerned with human activities causing pollution and performs measurements of chemical contamination levels along the Lebanese coast, in addition to bacteriological, organic (hydrocarbon) and metallic contaminants. The main output is the pollution risk map and the proposal for coastal protection.
Coastal and estuarine ecosystems have been deeply influenced by the increase in human pressure through pollution and habitat loss. Coastal pollution and its related impacts have resulted in a number of environmental issues including the accumulation of organic matter in enclosed waters, pollution by chemicals such as oil or pesticides, and sedimentation due to land-based activities. Over 80% of all marine pollution originates from land-based sources which are primarily industrial, agricultural, and urban.
TASK 4: COASTAL POLLUTION
 Potential contamination sources in Ramlet el Bayda (Beirut). This public beach is highly polluted by microbial contaminants
Dolphins have been observed in Lebanese waters and sometimes they are caught accidentally by fishermen. Observation campaigns are underway for species monitoring and studies aiming at the identification of important areas for protection, similar to other areas of the Mediterranean Sea. The areas of distribution and abundance of cetacean populations present in the Levantine basin of the Mediterranean region are for the majority unknown, this is the case also for Lebanese water. This task of the CANA-CNRS project aims to detect the existence of cetaceans’ habitats in addition to their areas of distribution in
DOLPHINS IN BEIRUT OFFSHORE
the Lebanese waters for the implementation of suitable measurements of conservation, allowing also for the identification of a map of cetacean’s distributions and density along the Lebanese coastal water. This study aims to enhance the awareness of the Lebanese citizens, fishermen and stakeholders to show the importance of the cetaceans and their role in marine tropic chain and the ecological balance. The creation of a map of cetaceans’ populations’ distributions and density may be useful as scientific tool in order to encourage ecotourism and propose possible actions to reduce the catching of the dolphins by the fishing gears.
Twenty-five sampling points were chosen for bacteriological study along the Lebanese coast. Moreover, sixteen sampling points were also selected for the study of heavy metal contaminants in biota and sediments according to their significance or because of their proximity to potential sources of chemical contamination. Most of the equipments needed, both for water column and sediment analysis have been purchased. These systems of new generation will be used at their best capitalizing training courses intended for the staff and the backing support of international experts.
 
As part of the task “Scientific Dissemination”, the Project developed mechanisms for the distribution of relevant information within the Lebanese community and stakeholders. This was done by running stakeholder analyses, seminars, consultations and dissemination of project results. The activities undertaken promoted research, improved the awareness of civil society to the essential value of the environment and biodiversity, educated key actors in marine related sectors, and gave sustainability to the project actions.
TASK 5: SCIENTIFIC DISSEMINATION
Beirut. Oil spill from the Jiyeh power plant during the war of 2006
 Activities of data collection on board of CANA-CNRS vessel Dissemination activity on board the CANA-CNRS Vessel, held by CANA Project Staff 
The focus of the CNRS in the marine field is the coordination of the activities of the CANA project between the CNRS Research Centres on the one hand, and the public and private bodies active in this field, on the other. Determining the significance of various project activities to Lebanon’s social and economic context is of special importance.
 
HIGH LEVEL SUPPORT The preparation of a strategic proposal that regulates the main social
and economic activities along the Lebanese coast needs high level
support. For this reason, CNRS decided to jointly elaborate a proposal
and to delegate, through a service contract, some t echnical and financial
implementation aspects of the project to CIHEAM – IAM, Bari with
which the CNRS has already concluded a long term agreement.
OUTCOMES
On March 7, 2010; the signing of the IAM, Bari Technical Assistance Contract between the CNRS (Mouïn Hamzé, Secretary General) and IAM, Bari (Cosimo Lacirignola, Director) in the presence of the Lebanese Minister of Agriculture, H.E. Hussein Hajj Hassan and Vedat Mir Mahmuto’ullari, Undersecretary of the Minister of Agriculture of Turkey 
International experts supporting field activities of the project 
Within the support and framework of the Service Contract with IAM,
Bari; a number of missions have been carried out by senior Italian experts
to support the various technical tasks of the project.
The CANA Project has thus had the opportunity to welcome onboard
A joint consultation mission of Italian experts: Stefano Cataudella, Guiseppe Lembo, Angelo Tursi and Biagio Di Terlizzi of IAMB was organized in the framework of the agreement between CNRS and IAM, Bari signed on March 7, 2010; which undertook fundamental deliberations towards the definition of future collaboration with other Italian experts for the implementation of project tasks and the creation of the basis for the realization of training courses intended for Lebanese staff. The mission took place
JOINT CONSULTATION MISSION
the vessel a number of esteemed international experts, well known
in their field of research, and who have actively provided support to
the project and its tasks: working under the direction of the project
Management Unit (PMU) and in close collaboration with project staff
to identify weak and strong points, and to recommended the use of
equipment and methodologies to sustain project actions.
between June 29 and July 2, 2010. Mission members worked jointly or independently to establish the ground for a long-lasting and reliable collaboration and scientific support to the Project.
The mission included site visits on the Cana vessel and to different CNRS Centres and laboratories involved in the Project. In addition, a number of Meetings with field personnel and project stakeholders were held, as was a visit to the Dora port.
 
more than twenty-ve years. I was here in
the 1980s, as part of an education project
funded by the European Commission on the
subject of marine ecology. For a couple of
years, I had the opportunity to cooperate
with a group of students, in Beirut (more
 precisely in Byblos and Jounieh) and in Bari,
Puglia, where I still teach today. My return
was lled with emotions. I found the same
friendliness and professionalism that I once
knew - as if time did not go by. Professor
Marie Abboud-Abi Saab, planktologist
young collaborators. My other colleagues
in the Laboratory (CNRS - National Centre
for Marine Sciences in Batroun) continue
to implement research activities devoted
to the study of benthic communities
and oceanographic characteristics of the
Lebanese marine waters.
It is my rm belief that it is not possible
to postpone any longer the need to
upgrade the scientic knowledge of the
whole Mediterranean, in particular in the
Middle Eastern countries, using the most
innovative methodologies available. A
scale, of the entire Mediterranean Sea
should be put into practice using local
expertise that still exists on the ground.
This expertise should be employed before
their retirement and supported by a group
of young people trained and interested in
the topic. These researchers ought to be
available to study in Italy, or elsewhere in
Europe, for at least six months or more,
before returning to Lebanon to apply what
they have learned.
these potentialities are available. They are
waiting for someone to transform them into
real opportunities. My University is ready to
receive and train the necessary researchers
thereby strengthening the feelings of
friendship which bind our two peoples.
ANGELO TURSI, Full Professor of
Ecology at the University of Bari “Aldo
Moro” 
The purchase of research equipment foreseen in the framework of the CANA Project is key for the implementation of the project. The most relevant equipments for water sampling and analysis and for the detection of the seafloor have been acquired by the project and are at present in Lebanon and at the disposal of the project and its implementation. First tests have been run in order to get the staff acquainted with these new devices. Others will be performed during the following months. Moreover, the CANA project is constantly undertaking the renovation and the maintenance work on the vessel as well as routine repairs and cleaning on board.
The vessel underwent major renovations on its structure, the axle of the propeller and its engine in the summer of 2011.
IMPROVEMENT OF THE VESSEL AND ITS FACILITIES
The CANA-CNRS vessel under maintanenace in the dry-dock
of Tripoli, in summer 2011
 
Training courses and capacity building are essential for the full achievement of the objectives and the sustainability of the activities implemented by the project, working on three levels of capacity building, towards a qualitative leap forward in Lebanon’s overall marine research capacities:
1. Upgrading and building capacities of senior researchers who can appropriately set the strategies of the country on the one hand, whilst also transferring their knowledge and initiating a potential multiplier effect on the other hand
2. Organizing or facilitating the access of young researchers, technicians, and the crew of the vessel to training and information sessions
3. Assisting and supporting the development of Lebanese marine professionals, focusing on research areas and expertise not currently available in Lebanon.
Oceanographic data collection is well established for both physical and biological parameters, and regular and continuous campaigns are performed in a number of stations during the whole year. The CNRS staff involved in this task has been enlarged, as requested by the task managers, with the addition of students and trainees from various Lebanese universities as well as researchers. In addition, by implementing different methodologies of study and by means of the remotely operated vehicle (ROV), the project provided a comprehensive
A collaborative effort with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) on the subject of capture fisheries and aquaculture aims at the implementation of a reliable system of data collection and analysis on fisheries and at the development of an adequate system of aquaculture. Moreover, in view of creating comprehensive synergies, coordination meetings have been carried out at the presence of the Italian Cooperation and the MoA with the representatives of FAO’s EastMed Project. Those meetings, held in the Summer of 2011, aim at creating a reliable and sustainable system of fishing meetings, held in summer of 2011, aimed at creating a reliable and sustainable system of fishing catch and effort assessment in Lebanon. Starting the year 2010, a Research Assistant of the CANA Project is constantly attending seminars and workshops on data collection and analysis organized by EastMed.
TRAINING COURSES
DATA COLLECTION
CAPTURE FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE
Training organized in Bari, Italy (November 21-2 7, 2010) by COISPA and in close coordination with the IAM, Bari focusing on the collection of data concerning fishing capacity; collection of socio-economic data; commercial landings; and  stock assessment.
Participation of staff of CANA project to the EastMed workshop held in Kavala, Greece on February 22, 2011
study on biodiversity of the Lebanese coastal waters, mapping and reporting more than 500 species.
It is expected that during 2011 approximately 51% of fish eaten in the world will be from aquaculture. Therefore, a comprehensive approach to fisheries management should consider aquaculture as part of the same system. That is why a whole system of business supported by law, as well as the improvement of the conditions of fishermen is needed. At the same time, Marine Protected Areas have to be established in order to increase stocks available for fisheries thereby supporting the wellbeing of the fishermen.
ROAD MAP FOR AQUACULTURE
 
lives near the coast, in the main cities
of Beirut, Tripoli, Tyre and Sidon and in
other small coastal towns. Very important
economic activities are concentrated along
the coast and the correlated environmental
risks are evident.
“environmental coastal ranger”, involved
biodiversity for future generations.
for CNRS to work with the Lebanese
Institution and with IAM BARI, within
the context of projects nanced by the
Italian Cooperation. The Institute has
the possibility to become autonomous in
the planning and execution of scientic
campaigns at sea, not to be conditioned
any more by losing inuence by other
Countries and/or Scientic Institutes.
The donation of the CANA scientic vessel
has been nalized to prepare a complete
 picture related to the sea condition and
its main natural resources, aiming at
identifying sustainable and relevant
the coast line.
with the useful inputs related to the
development process on the coast, taking
into consideration the complexity of the
economic activities, from tourism to
shery and aquaculture; from trade, to all
infrastructure needs connected with the
 productive sectors.
 project hope to have done their best to
 provide support to the Lebanese territory
and to its communities, for which is
therefore crucial to have integrated vision
and approach taking into account both
economy and ecology needs.
ROBERTO UGOLINI, CIRSPE Project
Manager, aquaculture expert 
A major effort to develop a road map for assessment and identification of aquaculture perspectives in Lebanon was performed. The “Road Map”, prepared by Stefano Cataudella, current president of the FAO - General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), considers aquaculture as a priority for the country, and the CANA project as the
right tool for the identification phase and a feasibility study for Lebanese aquaculture.
Consequently, and in responding to a request made by the Minister of Agriculture, H.E. Hussein Hajj Hassan (Ref. 4824/2 on August 9, 2010); and based on the identified priorities for the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture in the sector of aquaculture, and in acknowledgement of the importance of aquaculture in the diversification of marine production, and in recognition of the role of the CNRS and the CANA Project in enhancing the Country’s development through the improvement of scientific research and its applications: the CANA Project established a consultancy with Roberto Ugolini, who
on a number of missions to Lebanon had the opportunity to meet with various stakeholders and beneficiaries, and in continued consultation with the Ministry and the CANA Project, undertook the necessary data collection towards the feasibility Study.
The outcomes of the study, and the subsequent report on “Sustainable Aquaculture Development and Support to the Fishery Sector” was officially submitted to the Minister of Agriculture, H.E. Hussein Hajj Hassan, on June 7, 2011; in the presence of the Director of the Italian Cooperation in Lebanon, Guido Benevento; and representatives of the CNRS and CANA Project, headed by Mouïn Hamzé, Secretary General of the CNRS.
The report represents the essential starting point and a milestone for the development plan of a reliable aquaculture system in Lebanon.
 
On February 17 and 18, 2011 two roundtables on aquaculture and coastal bathymetry involving international expert s, Lebanese researchers and authorities were organized within the framework of the CANA Project and held at the CNRS Headquarters.
In accordance with its general goals, the CANA project is providing technical support to the Lebanese Government on strategy and policy pertaining to marine sciences. Thus, as a result of the cooperation established between the Ministry of Agriculture and the CNRS for conducting the aquaculture feasibility study, and under the patronage of the Minister of Agriculture, H.E. Hussein Hajj Hassan, the first CANA Day was devoted to a workshop on Aquaculture and Fishery Development Strategies.
Towards further visibility of the project, and dissemination of project activities and results, task managers and project staff have participated in workshops and scientific symposia and media presentation
The vessel also became the place for the implementation of training
CANA DAYS: TWO DAYS DEDICATED TO AQUACULTURE AND BATHYMETRY
DISSEMINATION
It was agreed on by all parties that the efforts to develop aquaculture cannot stand without the integration of scientific data. Major problems, such as pollution, overfishing and illegal fishing, should be addressed in parallel in order to create the basis f or a durable industrial activity in this field. Moreover, there is a broad consensus that the legal framework should be updated and that the enforcement of existing laws made more effective.
Moreover, social implications and the environmental impact have to be carefully taken into consideration. The involvement of the
Lebanese fishermen is mandatory and will lead to the amelioration of their living condition; otherwise aquaculture implementation risks the marginalization of traditional fishery activity. In addition, the environmental impact of aquaculture remains to be evaluated and the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) need be considered.
The second CANA Day was dedicated to the Coastal Bathymetry of Lebanon. It was the occasion to review the results acquired during the successful Shalimar oceanographic campaign conducted in October 2003 by a French-Lebanese team with the naval means of IFREMER and its research vessel, Le Suroît. During that campaign, among other very important findings, a complex and intricate network of submarine canyons was discovered off the coast of Central Lebanon. However, due to the sizable draft of the Shalimar vessel, it was not able to cover depths less than 200 meters, i.e. the continental plateau and slope. With its lighter tonnage, the CANA-CNRS research vessel will be able to survey shallower waters and map the existing gap; thereby giving scientists and authorities a complete view of the continental shelf. No need to say here that this information is of primary importance for fishery, aquaculture, knowledge of submerged heritage and many other industrial applications, such as pipeline and/or cable laying.
H.E. the Minister of Agriculture, Hussein Hajj Hassan giving his welcome address to the participants of the workshop on Aquaculture and Fishery Development Strategies
Panel discussion during the workshop on Coastal Bathymetry of Lebanon
 
courses and teaching campaigns that focus on marine resources and the importance of the environmental protection and management, special events on board the CANA-CNRS vessel, as well as planned specific meetings on the vessel for University professors, students, ministry staff, NGOs, divers, and municipalities.
Within the framework of the CANA-CNRS Project on Establishing Monitoring and Sustainable Development of the Lebanese Sea, the CNRS organized the first information day on November 27, 2010: November on CANA to introduce the CANA-CNRS Vessel, the CANA Project, and the related tasks and activities on board.
45 Participants took part in the event, representing various Public and Private Institutions, including: Ministries, NGOs, Universities, and others. The Information day, focused on Marine Pollution: Sources of Pollution, Sampling Methodologies and Sample Results. The training session was held
NOVEMBER ON CANA
by the project task managers with the support of the project staff.
During the day, an informative presentation was given which highlighted the history and the acquisition of the scientific vessel, as well as the 5 tasks of the project: the bathymetry of the coastal area; marine biodiversity protection; halieutic marine resources; the problem of coastal pollution; and scientific dissemination of the results. The Vessel then left its station at the Naval Base, for a Scientific Marine Cruise in which further demonstrations of sampling techniques were presented by the task managers and the crew.
Participants to a lecture on the subject of pollution given on the CANA-CNRS vessel (on the left). In the same occasion practical activities were shown to the invities to show methodologies of data collection and analysis
The official website of the project (www.cana-cnrs.gov.lb) plays a key role in both, project visibility and project implementation. The p rerequisite in designing the website was to serve as a mean to an end rather than an end in itself. The project website was thus developed with the intention to answer to two different needs: the dissemination of related project information to the general public, while also serving as an operative tool for the project supervisors and technician to collect and process data, and share relevant project documents.
Towards strengthening cooperation in scientific research between Lebanon and Italy, The CANA project is also taking an active part in the creation of an institutional network:
1- An agreement on scientific cooperation was signed on July 13, 2011 between the CNR-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Italy), represented by its president, Luciano Maiani; and the CNRS (Lebanon), represented by the President of the Board of Directors, George Tohmé; towards further strengthening collaboration in scientific research and to promote and support cooperation between qualified scientists in those areas of common interest t o both parties.
The Agreement also provided provisions for a cooperative program to establish joint research projects between Lebanese and Italian researchers. The first call within the cooperative programme was launched in the summer of 2011, with a focus on Marine Sciences and Management of Natural Resources.
  THE WEBSITE
  INTER-INSTITUTIONAL LINKAGES
 
2- On August 5, 2011; a fr amework agreement on scientific cooperation was signed between the Politecnico di Milano, represented by Rector Delegate for cooperation and Development, Emanuela Colombo; and the CNRS (Lebanon), represented by its Secretary General, Mouïn Hamzé; to promote activities and project of mutual interest; develop studies and collaborative research; exchange of knowledge and experience, exchange of documentation; and exchange of teachers, researchers, technicians and students.
Within the upcoming actions, the co-operation programme of the Framework Agreement will be defined on a yearly basis by a committee of members belonging to the contracting parties.
The main challenge for marine research during the past decades
has been to explore and understand marine ecosystems with their vast
temporal and spatial scales and dynamics. It is now equally important
to understand their interactions with the land, atmosphere, and socio-
economic systems.
ever-growing pressure on land-based resources
and an escalating demand for marine products.
In parallel, it is increasing the need for accurate
information regarding the sea, the seafloor and
the creatures living in it.
Marine research is increasingly becoming key to
strengthening the capabilities of the countries
for socio-economic progress while contributing
to the wellbeing and sustainable development
of human communities. The processes
activated by the CANA project aim at filling t he
gap with developed countries and at bridging
policy makers and scientists to fully establish
the necessary confidence and partnership.
Notwithstanding, major questions still have to
be formulated and addressed:
sustainable development?
regard?
challenge in itself.
CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES
 
have a long lasting history that started
several centuries ago and hopefully will last
much longer. Lebanon is a multicultural and
complex country. Therefore its needs are
challenging, dissimilar and multifaceted.
unexpected. Particularly, the rst thing
every donor, agency and NGO perceives
is the unique resilience of the country
that below a shell of fragility hides a
tough core made of hard work, culture,
traditions and nally of a great human
capital. Cooperating with Lebanon is
therefore not just a mere distribution
of funds or technical assistance. It is a
fascinating experience. Proof is that here
at CNRS at every step of the project, even
the more difcult and intricate, we have
never been discussing about problems but
of different solutions. To a rst sight, to
beginners, working in Lebanon might seams
complicate and, sometimes, absurd but if
one would just dare to listen and observe it
will clearly appear that, quoting Nietzsche,
one must have chaos within oneself, to give
birth to a dancing star.
JACOPO MONZINI , Italian Cooperation
Ofcer 
The cost, scale, and complexity of marine studies demand clear goals, international cooperation, and integrated plans. The road is still long but the CANA project is planting its seeds:
• Enhancing cooperation with concerned institution at local, regional and international levels.
• Demonstrating strong commitment to establish long-term observation systems and data evaluation, providing for long-term time-series datasets on the marine environment. Those are of crucial importance to facilitate: - Better understanding of ocean, earth and climate system processes; - Monitoring the rate and scale of environmental change; - Detecting of environmental hazards, risks and disasters; - Effective policy making for the sustainable management of sea
and coastal areas.
• Promoting the regional advancement and improvement of marine research, through the acquired technical facilities of the project: such as the vessel, the seafloor mapping system, and the water sampling system.
• Increasing knowledge and the continuous capacity building of individuals, researchers, technicians, and the crew of the vessel that will improve CNRS’ capacity and efficiency while also initiating a positive multiplier effect for human capacity development in Marine Research Fields in Lebanon.
• Enhancing knowledge of the marine environment as a whole, its physical and biological parameters and processes, with emphasis upon its characteristic as a habitat for living resources, its geological and geophysical properties, including non-living resources in shallow and deep areas.
• Continuing research and monitoring of marine pollution to measure and assess the effects of human activities, notably those resulting in degradation and contamination, especially in the coastal zones.
 
 
The CANA Project provides for an effective advance in knowledge through the use of new methodologies and technologies. Research on meiofauna, macrozoobenthos and ecotoxicology, among others, are important tools for understanding the dynamics of the Lebanese marine ecosystem and coming to grips with the negative impacts of pollution.
Moreover, thanks to the extensive support of the Italian Cooperation in Lebanon, the project will complement the assessment of the fishing catch and effort with a comprehensive map of the halieutic resources of the Lebanese sea.
Meetings and trainings will be organized aiming at enlarging the involvement of different sectors of the civil society and international institutions. This will represent a further opportunity for the CANA project to be a valuable tool for increasing knowledge and know how in the Country.
 CANA CNRS vessel represents the opportunity to create a new generation of   youth able to manage the challenge of a sustainable development of the Lebanese coastal areas
CANA-CNRS Research Vessel 
Thanks to the generous effort of the Italian Cooperation in Lebanon, solar panels will be lined up on the vessel CANA-CNRS within autumn 2011. This initiative reflects CNRS’ strong commitment in leading a new season of environmental awareness and reduction of carbon emission in Lebanon. The vessel’s architecture and the strong tractions that may be produced during the navigation had been carefully taken into consideration when designing the plans. Therefore, the roof of the
CANA GOES GREEN
cockpit will host m2 of high-efficiency solar panels constantly producing 1,5kW.
Solar panels on CANA-CNRS vessel will not save the Hearth from global warming but they will be the clear symbol that reducing the use of polluting and non-renewable sources of energy is possible. The system will be able t o run appliances, lights, computer and other electronic devices only through the power of the sun.
 
The CANA-CNRS Research Vessel is being equipped with a Multi-Beam Echosounder System in order to
survey a strip of coastal waters 200 km long and 10 km wide with the aim to connect inland geomorphology with the seabed relief already mapped during the bathymetric cruise SHALIMAR of 2003. This survey will
be a long process of exploration, accurate and detailed as necessary to fit the needs of pure scientific
objectives and applications as various as tsunami inundation modelling, coastal management, pipeline
laying, underwater archaeology, safety of navigation, etc. The task was designed having in mind other similar
projects, namely the Italian MAGIC project.
Expected results: detailed knowledge of the Lebanese coastal sea-floor.
Indicators: annual specific campaign
Outputs:  coastal bathymetric map (200 km long, 10 km wide)
Activities implemented so far: Modelling of navigation tracks for optimization of cost and duration of
survey. The acquisition of high performance MBES equipment - installation on vessel is in progress.
This task aims at determining the quality of marine waters, through studying vertical and temporal
variations of the physic chemical parameters and plankton populations and examining the sediments and the associated fauna. It aims as well at studying and analysing macro-benthos and nekton of the Lebanese
coastal waters.
Expected results: marine biodiversity scientific evaluation
Indicators: scientific campaigns for 2 years
Outputs: comprehensive biodiversity map / protection plan
Activities implemented so far: Sampling campaigns and analysis are carried out seasonally on water
column, sediments, soft and hard bottoms and wave-washed terraces. Key equipments such as the water
sampling system and the CTD, multi-parameter probe, have been acquired. The continuous use of these
equipments will start during the autumn campaign of 2011.
SEA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT HYDROLOGY, HYDROBIOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY
TASK 2TASK 1
Angelo Tursi Nino Plastina
Rachid Jomaa, Lama Inati
Angelo Tursi Alessandra Savini
 
This task includes a comprehensive survey on marine mammalian presence, aimed at their protection.
Moreover, a complete catch assessment of the Lebanese fishery will provide an exhaustive picture of the sector. This will be the major tool for defining a protection and management plan taking into account both
ecological and socio-economical aspects. Technical support on aquaculture to concerned institutions will be
an added value for the implementation of the task.
Expected results: mammalian and fish resources scientific evaluation
Indicators: scientific campaigns for 2 years
Outputs:  Mammalian/fishery protection and management plan
Activities implemented so far: Five mammalian observation campaigns, for two or three days each, have
been carried out so far. CNRS and MoA staff are been trained both by the CANA project and within the activities carried out by the FAO’s EastMed project. A road map followed by a comprehensive feasibility study
aimed at the development of aquaculture sector in Lebanon has been submitted to Lebanese Authorities.
This project task foresees activities for the pollution level/chemical contamination evaluation of the Lebanese
coast, for bacteriological, organic (hydrocarbon) and metallic contaminants. The organic contaminants analysis includes a comprehensive survey of ca¬rcinogenic and toxic polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
which have been trapped in sediments. Moreover, the most toxic trace elements will be analyzed on different
levels providing a global vision on the inorganic contamination in the water column, in the sediments and
in the bioindicator biota.
Outputs:  Pollution evaluation and coastal protection plan
Activities implemented so far: 25 sampling points have been chosen for bacteriological study along the Lebanese coast. For metallic contaminants, 16 sampling points have been selected according to their
significance or because of their proximity to potential sources of chemical contamination and for monitoring
the effect of the oil spill of 2006. Most of the equipments needed, both for water column and sediment
analysis have been purchased.
Milad Fakhri
Angelo Tursi Nino Plastina
Task Manager:
CNRS staff:
  International consultants:
 
The purpose of this project task is to promote research, educate key-actors of marine related sectors and
to give sustainability to the project actions while correlating the project activities with the country social economic context.
Expected results: Stakeholders mobilisation and scientific data dissemination
Indicators: seminars/consultations with stakeholders and civil society
Outputs:   stakeholder analysis, seminars, consultations and dissemination of the project results to the civil
society
Activities implemented so far: The activities implemented may be essentially summarized as follows:
- Task managers participated to workshops presenting CANA project, its activities and results.
- Invitations to several Lebanese and foreign television corporations providing details on the scientific
missions of the CANA-CNRS vessel, along with presentation of the field work and results.
- Preparation of special events on board and visit of various delegations
- Several articles on the CANA project and its tasks have been published in different Lebanese newspapers
- Activities of environmental awareness with students
- Involvement of students and trainees of different Lebanese universities in activities and master theses
- Development of the Project Website
SCIENTIFIC DISSEMINATION OF THE RESULTS
Project Management Unit
Task Manager:
CNRS staff:
International consultants:
TASK 5