The second policy brief developed through a collaboration between REDRESS, LifeMapper, and SERE is now available on the SERE repository on Zenodo.
Building on a decade of European scientific research, this document outlines critical actions to scale up marine restoration across European Seas. It presents Marine Ecosystem Restoration not just as an environmental mandate, but as a strategic, high-return societal investment aligned with the EU Nature Restoration Regulation and the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030.”
The 6 strategic pillars identified to guide the EU and its Member States:
- Active + Passive Restoration: Combining active interventions with strict protection frameworks (such as OECMs and MPAs) maximizes recovery success and safeguards investments.
- Clear Targets & Monitoring: Member States need robust ecological baselines and standardized tracking protocols to measure restoration success accurately.
- Maximizing Funding: Boosting public funding (e.g., EMFAF, Horizon Europe) while unlocking innovative private financing instruments like “blue bonds.”
- Policy Integration: Embedding restoration directly into broader frameworks, including climate adaptation plans and the upcoming EU Oceans Pact.
- Innovation & Deep-Sea Technology: Investing in R&D and advanced underwater monitoring technologies to scale up interventions into the deep sea.
- Community Engagement: Fostering capacity building and empowering local stakeholders, fishers, and citizens to ensure long-term societal acceptance and shared responsibility.
Here is the link to Recommendations for Advancing Marine Ecosystem Restoration in Europe: https://zenodo.org/records/22916491