The implementation of sustainable blue economy in a coastal industrial area

The coastal ecosystems sustain a series of serious pressures derived from human activities. As a result, environmental degradation is a major threat for the already vulnerable coastal ecosystems. Under this scheme, the implementation of sustainable blue economy framework is needed for the protection of the coastal zone and the maintenance of the coastal ecosystems. Case study of this paper is the industrialized area of Thriassion plain in Attica, including Elefsis Bay and the naturally protected environment of Lake Koumoundourou. Within the study area operate multiple industrial plants, such as oil refineries, steel works, shipyards, cement factories, as well as chemical, mechanical, tire and plastic factories. Thus, the Thriassion plain is a recipient of serious environmental pressures deriving from anthropogenic activities that endanger the health and the preservation of the ecosystem and the services it provides to the society and the environment. Moreover, the coastal zone of Elefsis Bay includes numerous sights of great cultural heritage, while Lake Koumoundourou is a protected archaeological site and a wetland that accommodates an abundant of species of flora and fauna, especially avifauna. In this case study an ecosystem management approach is used, to define the challenges for the implementation of sustainable blue economy in the coastal ecosystem of Elefsis Bay.