Marine Forests of animals, plants and algae: nature-based tools to protect and restore biodiversity
Informations
- Funding country
Norway- Acronym
- -
- URL
- -
- Start date
- 1/1/2022
- End date
- 12/31/2025
- Budget
- 364,449 EUR
Fundings
| Name | Role | Start | End | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MILJØFORSK - Environmental Research for a Green Transition | Grant | - | - | 364,449 EUR |
Abstract
Underwater forest habitats such as seagrass meadows, kelp forests and coral gardens are high-biodiversity ecosystems important for numerous organisms by acting as nurseries, shelter and feeding grounds, protection of coastal systems and carbon capture. Conservation and restoration of such habitats are important for continued provision of ecosystem services from these systems in the future. RESTORESEAS is an international collaborative project comprising eleven countries to develop new methods to protect and restore these ecosystems. This includes restoration strategies, long-term estimates of previous and current distribution, and forecasting of future scenarios for vulnerable areas. NORCE contributes with environmental DNA ecological analysis to gain insights into past and present organism communities from sediment and water samples associated with these ecosystems, ranging from Norway to Brazil, and monitoring of disease and pathogens. The coordinated efforts of RESTORESEAS partners will provide a comprehensive view of the challenges connected to marine forest conservation and restoration, so that management strategies can preserve important ecosystem services over the long term in light of anthropogenic impact and climate change.