The LIFE Lophelia team (back row: Ann Larsson, Susanna Strömberg, Iga-Maria Nestorowicz and Anita Tullrot) with REDRESS (Anthony Grehan and Simone d’Alessandro), LIFE DREAM (Federica Foglini) and LIFE ECOREST (Andrea Gori) participants at the Final Conference, Grebbestad, Sweden, 2–3 September 2025.
The EU LIFE Lophelia Final Conference took place on 2–3 September 2025 in the scenic coastal town of Grebbestad, Sweden. The six-year project developed and then deployed 160 artificial reef structures to enhance the recruitment and re-establishment of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa (syn. Desmophyllum pertusum) in the Kosterfjord-Väderöfjord area, located in the Kosterhavet marine national park off Sweden’s west coast (Map 1). Although the Kosterfjord-Väderöfjord was historically home to several sites that contained coral, today only two sites support living cold-water coral (L. pertusa) reefs. During the Final Conference, the LIFE Lophelia project team shared key scientific, technical, and practical results with an audience of researchers, managers, and other stakeholders (Fig. 2. An international perspective was provided by invited presentations from REDRESS, LIFE DREAM, LIFE ECOREST, and Ocean Citizen.
Day 1 focused on scientific and technical outcomes from LIFE Lophelia, REDRESS and partner projects. Presentations covered cold-water coral ecology, biodiversity at restoration sites, environmental conditions guiding site selection, and innovations such as artificial reef design, surface structure effects on larval settlement, and testing of different concrete mixes. Sessions also addressed monitoring methods, artificial reef manufacturing and deployment. Marina Carreiro Silva provided an overview of restoration approaches for deep-sea ecosystems adopted by REDRESS while Anthony Grehan and Simone D’Alessandro focussed specifically on restoration of deep-sea coral reefs. Day 2 was dedicated to applied learning and stakeholder exchange. Participants were introduced to the EU Nature Restoration Regulation before engaging in workshops on restoration planning and implementation. A highlight of the programme was a boat trip aboard R/V Nereus, where attendees visited the restoration site and, via live video feed, observed living coral reefs and deployed artificial structures. The conference concluded with plenary discussions that synthesised lessons learned and explored how scientific knowledge and practical experience can support the achievement of Europe’s restoration goals.
Finally, we are pleased to announce that REDRESS and LIFE Lophelia have agreed a collaboration whereby a number of LIFE Lophelia ‘reef-stars’ will be deployed in REDRESS deep-water restoration sites in France, Ireland and the UK.
Further information about the LIFE Lophelia project is available at: https://www.lifelophelia.se/en/
