Marine ecosystem restoration

Problem addressed

Many marine ecosystems—such as seagrass meadows, intertidal zones, and estuaries—have lost functionality due to pollution, physical alterations, climate change, dredging, or loss of connectivity. This degradation affects not only biodiversity but also key ecosystem services, including coastal protection, carbon sequestration, and nursery habitats for juvenile stages of many species. Active restoration is often required when passive recovery measures are insufficient.

What we do and how we do it

• Mapping existing and potential seagrass meadows through field surveys and habitat suitability (HS) models.
• Collection of transplants and seeds of Zostera noltei from donor sites, followed by transplantation and seeding in recipient estuaries.
• Medium- to long-term ecological monitoring to assess survival, development, coverage, biomass, and restored ecosystem functions (e.g. carbon sequestration).
• Modelling future scenarios to anticipate impacts such as sea-level rise on seagrass meadows and to assess their vulnerability.
• Development of adaptive strategies, selecting optimal restoration sites based on scientific criteria and working with public authorities and local stakeholders on permits, funding, and long-term management.

Key benefits

• Demonstrated restoration of seagrass meadows, with recovery of biodiversity and ecological functions.
• Improved coastal resilience to climate change and reduced impacts of coastal erosion.
• Increased blue carbon sequestration and recovery of regulating ecosystem services.
• Valuable evidence to support regional policies, land stewardship initiatives, and environmental planning.
• AZTI brings proven experience in successful seagrass restoration projects in Basque estuaries, supported by more than a decade of monitoring.