Background The EU's Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) addresses water quality assessment, control and management. In Italy, marine coastal environments are protected under Legislative Degree 979/82 (Disposition for the protection of the sea). Further regulations and decrees govern protection of marine and underground waters, dealing with pollution and recovery of polluted water bodies. The coastal areas of the North-Western Adriatic and rivers up to 10 km from the coastline are identified as sensitive areas for protection. Objectives The EMMA project aimed to develop a local integrated strategy for reducing the environmental and socio-economic impact of hypoxia and /or anoxic seasonal events (i.e. no or low oxygen conditions) in the marine and coastal zones of the North Adriatic Sea. This was meant to involve: transfer of scientific and technical knowledge to local authorities so that degradation of the marine ecosystem can be countered; raising awareness about the need for and use of integrated environmental management systems, including those of local authorities not directly involved in the project; and exchange of experiences, to enable diffusion of the model throughout Italy and to other parts of Europe. Results The project successfully developed a local integrated strategy for reducing the environmental and socio-economic impacts of hypoxia and/or anoxic seasonal events in the marine and coastal zones of the North Adriatic Sea. EMMA fully managed to transfer complex scientific and technical know-how to local authorities in order to counteract the degradation of the marine ecosystem. The project entailed the following main actions, which were fully carried out maintaining a correct scientific approach: Precise definition of a complete sea-monitoring system, including a fixed station and spot locations; Deployment of an offshore fixed monitoring station (buoy); Implementation of a forecasting model and connection to the monitoring system. In particular, a 3D hydrodynamic model - able to predict vertical mixing - was implemented to forecast dissolved oxygen concentration within 2-3 days. One of its major strengths has been its adaptability to a variety of environmental conditions; coupling it with an ecological model improved the forecast accuracy of oxygen dynamics; Implementation and testing of a Decision Supporting System (DSS) aimed at assisting institutions and socio-economic operators in the management of situations of environmental risk and in the assessment of appropriate intervention strategies in order to mitigate the impacts of hypo-anoxic events; Transfer of the scientific and technical knowledge to those operators that, at the end of the project, will be responsible for the management of the monitoring system. These include local public authorities and other local operators involved in territorial management; Elaboration of short-term strategies with temporary rules to manage ongoing anoxic events, based on the integrated monitoring and forecasting system, and on a DSS Elaboration of long-term strategies to adopt concrete measures to prevent and reduce the negative impact of anoxia in the area by including project results in public management/planning tools. While agreements have not yet been signed and participated planning process to adopt long-term strategies have not yet been launched, the agreements to run, manage and maintain the buoy and the forecasting system have been stipulated and the Municipality of Rimini shows an interest in implementing the short-term strategies. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report (see "Read more" section).