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MonStur in the Danube addresses one of the Danube Region’s most critical ecological challenges: the loss of migratory fish, particularly sturgeons, due to fragmented river continuity. The project will create a transboundary sturgeon monitoring system, uniting DRB countries to safeguard sturgeon populations, their habitats and ecological corridor and improve data integration for policy and conservation.

Specific Objective 1 - Build a joint, transnational sturgeon monitoring system, facilitate expert and data user buy-in

SO1 is focused on building a sturgeon monitoring system as a new, sustainable, DRB-wide tool enabling the assessment of transboundary sturgeon populations shared by multiple countries. Its main features include:

A habitat inventory built on location data from DTP MEASURES updated by an EC service contract and available additional updates of DRB expert institutions, and - for the first time - adding information on habitat quality;
The first-ever DRB population database compiling data from a wide range of previous projects;
Ensured compatibility with the TNMN and DRB-wide data collection processes (e.g. the JDSs);
DRB-wide support from expert institutions engaged in formalised cooperation and enjoying benefits of adopting existing standardised monitoring guidelines and elaborating joint protocols for the smooth collection, management, analysis and sharing of information;
Serving further research and policy improvement via a comprehensive analysis report on key learnings.

Specific Objective 2 - Foster shared governance and ensure increased stakeholder cooperation and awareness

SO2 is focused on fostering sustainability of the sturgeon monitoring system through commitment and cooperation of policymakers, and intensive stakeholder involvement. It ensures that the system will serve (1) as a principal, long-term solution to integrate existing and future data generated by publicly funded projects and research, and (2) as a basis for comprehensive information and tailored data queries on Danube sturgeons. Key ambitions:

Better cooperation between national biodiversity and water management authorities for effective data use, coordinated conservation measures, compliance to monitoring obligations (HD, WFD, Bern Convention, CMS);
Integrating knowledge on marine life-cycle of migratory sturgeons;
Improved national policy environments and clearer monitoring responsibilities via stakeholder-involved identification of missing policies and recommendations for existing ones;
Enhanced macro-regional cooperation of policymakers and sturgeon conservation stakeholders.

Specific Objective 3 - Applicable monitoring methods closing knowledge gaps and helping new, targeted conservation measures

SO3 enhances knowledge on key life-cycle sturgeon habitats such as spawning, nursery or wintering sites, especially to identify and describe spawning grounds, currently only vaguely known in very few Middle and Lower Danube cases. This will support new policies aimed at preserving most critical
habitats. Ambitions include:

Close critical knowledge gaps on Danube sturgeon habitats (e.g. location and characteristics of spawning grounds by side-scan sonar (SSS) mapping and confirmed presence in tributaries with yet unknown status by eDNA sampling);
Habitat descriptions to monitor changes in relation to river modification interventions or climate change and base future restoration measures on justified knowledge;
State-of-the-art, cost-efficient monitoring methods applied to survey key locations in 10 countries, available for use beyond the project;
New policy documents focused on conservation measures and increased protection of known and newly discovered habitats.