"Understanding the processes that drive sea-level variability is a complex issue, as it involves various local, regional and global features with different time scales, some of them still poorly understood. For this reason, our current capability for producing reliable projections of future sea-level rise is very limited. Advancing the scientific understanding of the key processes that drive sea-level variability is thus required to reduce the uncertainties associated with present projections and allow effective adaptive coastal planning. In this project we attempt to improve our understanding of the sea-level variability observed during the last decades in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, identifying and understanding the processes that are crucial to refine sea level projections for the future, all in the geographical framework that is most relevant for the European coasts. The project will make use of in situ data sets, including long tide gauge records and Argo floats, as well as remote sensing data from a variety of satellite sensors including radar altimetry, gravimetry and scatterometry. Ocean models will be used to understand the dynamics of the different processes that drive long-term sea level variability. Focus will be on regional-scale trends, and decadal fluctuations in addition to the underlying long-term trend. In particular, we will study the relationship between the Atlantic and the Arctic oceans, and examine the dynamics of low-frequency basin-scale fluctuations. We will also assess how changes in the Atlantic affect Mediterranean sea level. In particular, we will determine the role of the Strait of Gibraltar in the relationship. The project will provide an international scientific platform through which the fellow can gain exceptional training and establish international and multidisciplinary collaborations with scientists at the forefront of this research field."