The issue of concern of the AWARE project is the anthropogenic deterioration of water ecosystems, in particular in coastal areas. The new approach proposed by the AWARE project to enhance connectivity between research and policy-making exploit the concept of integrated adaptive ecosystem management, engaging scientists, policy makers and the public (the latter including both stakeholders and lay citizens/water users) into comparable case studies of participatory scenario-building. The emphasis given to the role of the public enlarges the concept of organisational learning to the wider concept of social learning. The specific objectives and WPs of the AWARE project will include therefore: WP1: to design and prepare the pilot experiments of participatory scenario-building; WP2: to perform three case studies of participatory-scenario building in different coastal regions of Europe; WP3: to make an evaluation and assessment of the pilot case studies and of the proposed approach; WP4: to foster networking between science institutions, policy authorities and stakeholders in the case study areas and at EU level, and disseminate the approach elsewhere in Europe. The AWARE consortium includes 14 partners of complementary expertise in the field of aquatic ecosystems studies (UU, UPMC, ULB, UNIPR), social sciences (ADELPHI, ICCR, Missions Publiques), system analysis (ISIS, JRC-IES, UNISI) and integrated water management (BIOFORSK, POLIEDRA), plus the Environmental Service from the Provincial Administration of Ferrara and the Baltic Environmental Forum (BEF). The consortium will be complemented by an advisory group of 10 policy makers and stakeholders.