The main objective of the project THALES is the identification, maintenance and promotion of the cultural-environmental heritage related to the maritime and aquatic resources in the East Mediterranean. The distinct objectives of the project are: • To study the domestic and interregional cultural maritime and aquatic itineraries in order to identify the consequences of migration of specific groups in the shaping of the Mediterranean space from ancient times to nowadays. The proposed subject is of major interest to UNESCOs cultural routes program and addresses the issue of European territory unification. • To structure the information in two approaches: i. horizontally, to identify, analyse and process the specific thematic entities, (historical, tourism, cultural and environmental dimension) via the mapping of regional aquatic and maritime resources on the basis of environment and culture, and ii. vertically, to identify the defined maritime and aquatic itineraries, as well as, cultural resources and objects, such as, museums, monuments, archaeological sites, lighthouses, etc; • To develop the THALES system which will consist of a vertical portal, the digital mapping and the signalling of specific domestic and interregional cultural maritime and aquatic itineraries; • To adopt the appropriate rehabilitation policies regarding the specific cultural and environmental heritage; • To disseminate the results to the target groups (direct and indirect beneficiaries), in the perspective of: i. developing volunteerism in the local societies, via the organisation of promotional activities of the cultural heritage of each participating region, such as, organisation of school competitions, congresses and training seminars, boy scout support actions; ii. enhancing the cultural identity awareness factor in the Mediterranean region, which is defined on the basis of mutual respect and cultural diversity; iii. encouraging mobility in the form of cultural tourism. Expected Results: • Development of a unified labelling system of cultural maritime and aquatic corridors; • Production of cultural naval and tourist maps; • Establishment, enrichment and maintenance of a common inter-regional archives for harbours, lighthouses, lakes, rivers, monuments, archaeological sites and museums • Definition of a common inter-regional strategy for the effective and total protection and management of cultural maritime and aquatic corridors. • The acquisition and exchange of know-how, apart from engaging the partners in wider forms of collaboration between central administrations and regional/local authorities, it also results in the definition of best-practices concerning the maintenance and the exploitation of cultural maritime and aquatic heritage; • Promote the enhancement of cultural maritime and aquatic heritage as a factor of sustainable territorial development by producing a historical itinerary to be used for cultural tourism; • Raise public awareness in the regions involved in the project, for their common cultural heritage and consequently for the common features that structured their "Mediterranean" identity, an identity that co-exists or better co-forms their national diversification.