Project description
Restoring European deep-sea ecosystems
In the hidden depths of the ocean, vital deep-sea habitats crucial for carbon sequestration are under threat, battered by the impacts of human activities. These habitats, hosting sea pens and deep-water and bamboo corals, among other threatened marine life species, face degradation, which jeopardises their contribution to climate mitigation and the functioning of the global ocean. The EU-funded REDRESS project aims to restore these crucial ecosystems and rebuild European deep-sea biodiversity. Using cutting-edge technologies and 136 days of ship time, the project goes beyond existing methodologies, offering nature-based solutions to authorities, policymakers and practitioners. With socio-economic data and insights into active vs passive restoration, the project will chart a course towards a resilient marine future, transforming EU marine restoration strategy.
Objective
REDRESS aims to provide a key contribution to the EU commitments towards restoring degraded ecosystems, especially in the deep sea. REDRESS will provide solutions to prioritize future restoration actions, extend deep-sea restoration to previously neglected habitat types, and demonstrate the feasibility, potential, and value for success of deep-sea ecosystem restoration. The project will focus on habitats that have great potential to contribute to carbon sequestration and climate mitigation but have been degraded by deep-sea fishing, especially trawling. Specifically, we will study vulnerable marine ecosystems, including sea pens and bamboo corals on soft sediments, coral gardens, cold-water coral reefs, sponge fields, and cold seeps. REDRESS will map degraded deep-sea habitats and identify habitat refugia to prioritize restoration efforts that will adapt to future scenarios of climate change. To adopt and adapt cutting-edge solutions for both restoration interventions and monitoring, REDRESS will make a significant technological investment and will benefit from a relevant ship time by in-kind contribution (136 days). REDRESS will offer nature-based solutions to public authorities and operators to advance ecosystem restoration in the deep sea. Building on the MERCES experience, REDRESS will go beyond the state of art, either developing new methodologies, using sophisticated technologies, defining success indicators, and expanding the target habitats also to cold seeps. The results will enable a significant advancement in the EU's marine restoration strategy. The project will also provide socio-economic data, protocols, and tools to plan, and upscale restoration interventions in deep-sea habitats. REDRESS will provide novel insights into the advantages and limits of active vs passive deep-sea restoration, and related cost-benefit analysis in different deep-sea habitats supporting policies and decision makers in the future application of the Nature Restoration Law.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation ActionsCoordinator
60121 Ancona
Italy
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Participants (21)
28006 Madrid
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29280 Plouzane
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24148 Kiel
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3526 KV Utrecht
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19013 Attikia Anavissos
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H91 Galway
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3810-193 Aveiro
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405 30 Goeteborg
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31905 Haifa
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220 Hafnarfjörður
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00185 Roma
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75006 Paris
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80121 Napoli
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3083 Limassol
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
06200 NICE
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60121 Ancona
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
1070 Anderlecht
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31080 Haifa
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6708 PB Wageningen
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9501 801 Ponta Delgada S Miguel Acores
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
9901-862 Horta
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Partners (4)
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
SO14 3ZH Southampton
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
EH8 9YL Edinburgh
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
PL1 3DH Plymouth
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
BN26 6EA Polegate
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