Workshops List (1-8)
Workshop 1 – Posidonia oceanica seagrass restoration
Max #Participants: 20
Main-conveners : Vasillis Papathanasiou (Fisheries Research Institute, ELGO-Dimitra) & Dimitris Poursanidis (FORTH / terraSolutions m.e.r.)
In 2024 Guidelines for Posidonia oceanica restoration have been produced in the framework of the Mediterranean Posidonia Network, with
the financial support of L’Office français de la biodiversité (OFB).
As initiated by other international or regional agreements (e.g. OSPAR, UNEP-MAP), seagrass restoration operations require an analysis of existing practices in order to identify what is “working” (operational techniques) and what is still considered as Research and Development (R&D).
This workshop will focus on both disseminating ‘operational techniques’ whilst exploring potential project synergies and the opportunity for collaboration and future ‘R&D’.
If you are currently involved with, or interested in practically delivering a Posidonia oceanica restoration project then this workshop is for you.
Workshop 2 – Cymodocea nodosa seagrass restoration
Max #Participants: 20
Main-conveners : Dr. Lázaro Marín-Guirao (Centro Oceanografico de Murcia) & Prof. Dr. Fernando Tuya (Universidad de Las Palmas)
In 2024 a Handbook of seagrass transplants was produced in the framework of LIFE TRANSFER that includes guidance on Cymodocea nodosa restoration (Reference: LIFE19 NAT/IT/000264)
As initiated by other international or regional agreements (e.g. OSPAR, UNEP-MAP), seagrass restoration operations require an analysis of existing practices in order to identify what is “working” (operational techniques) and what is still considered as Research and Development (R&D).
This workshop will focus on both disseminating ‘operational techniques’ whilst exploring potential project synergies and the opportunity for collaboration and future ‘R&D’.
If you are currently involved with, or interested in practically delivering a Cymodocea nodosa restoration project then this workshop is for you.
Workshop 3 – Zostera marina seagrass restoration
Max #Participants: 40
Main-conveners : Prof. Dr. Richard Unsworth (Prifysgol Abertawe and Project Seagrass) & Prof. Dr. Per-Olav Moksnes (Göteborgs universitet)
A number of guidelines have been produced for Zostera marina. Starting with the Handbook for restoration of eelgrass in Sweden which was published in 2016; the English translation came in 2021. Also in 2021 the Seagrass Restoration Handbook (produced thanks to support from the Environment Agency, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the LIFE Programme of the European Union) and the Seagrass restoration in Scotland – handbook and guidance (produced thanks to NatureScot) were published.
As initiated by other international or regional agreements (e.g. OSPAR, UNEP-MAP), seagrass restoration operations require an analysis of existing practices in order to identify what is “working” (operational techniques) and what is still considered as Research and Development (R&D).
This workshop will focus on both disseminating ‘operational techniques’ whilst exploring potential project synergies and the opportunity for collaboration and future ‘R&D’.
If you are currently involved with, or interested in practically delivering a Zostera marina restoration project then this workshop is for you.
Workshop 4 – Nanozostera noltii seagrass restoration
Max #Participants: 20
Main-conveners : Dr Ana Sousa (University of Aveiro) and Anna Cucknell (Zoological Society of London).
In 2024 a Handbook of seagrass transplants was produced in the framework of LIFE TRANSFER (Reference: LIFE19 NAT/IT/000264).
As initiated by other international or regional agreements (e.g. OSPAR, UNEP-MAP), seagrass restoration operations require an analysis of existing practices in order to identify what is “working” (operational techniques) and what is still considered as Research and Development (R&D).
This workshop will focus on both disseminating ‘operational techniques’ whilst exploring potential project synergies and the opportunity for collaboration and future ‘R&D’.
If you are currently involved with, or interested in practically delivering a Nanozostera noltii restoration project then this workshop is for you.
Workshop 5 – Remote Sensing
Max #Participants: 20
Main-conveners : Dr Bárbara Ondiviela Eizaguirre (IHCantabria) & Cristina Galván Arbeiza (IHCantabria).
Towards a new European seagrass map through community led remote sensing and in field validation.
Seagrass meadows are declining in many European regions. However, selected areas show human intervention and reducing stressors can turn this around toward substantial recovery of seagrasses.
Achieving that recovery requires knowing where seagrasses are, which is hampered by scarce and sometimes contradictory information. Current European maps are incomplete, and therefore don’t provide reliable information on seagrass seasonal distribution changes or vulnerability to current and future human-mediated impacts.
We propose a new European mapping effort, expanding the existing management support tool Visor Nano (across species and geographies). If you are interested in co-developing a scientifically robust and repeatable, mapping and monitoring approach for the Europes’s seagrasses then this workshop is for you.
Workshop 6 – Financing seagrass restoration
Max #Participants: 20
Main-conveners : Lisa Wiatschka (Bax) and Pere Giralt Dunjó (Bax)
President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen has come out in favour of creating a market in ‘nature credits’ in the EU, and putting “nature on the balance sheet” is one route to unlocking the required scale of investment (upwards of $600+ billion per year). However the real challenge is how do we do this?
Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes that target multiple ecosystem services need to be both replicable and adaptable. We need to be conservative about ex-ante projections on future gains (or preferably issue credits that are allocated based on actual results). We need transparency and robust regulation (including accountability for non-compliance). We need empirically validated metrics based on real place-based data (not proxy’s) and we also need to remember that people are part of the ‘system’ and so benefit sharing must be equitable.
If you are interested in aligning financial flows to reach the global biodiversity goals then this workshop organised by the Artemis Interreg Euro-MED team is for you.
Workshop 7 – Stakeholder Engagement
Max #Participants: 20
Main-conveners : Timi Løvholt Banke (Syddansk Universitet) and Stijn den Haan (The Fieldwork Company)
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) regards local communities as partners in ecosystem restoration (IPBES, 2019) and many restoration programmes repeatedly acknowledge the importance of engaging local communities as a key principle for the long-term success of restoration projects.
However, many ecosystem restoration projects have focused primarily on improving those techniques that manipulate ecological processes, and have neglected the critical social and economic factors that are essential for both effective and equitable restoration. The goal of restoration projects is to assist in the recovery of damaged habitats. These projects not only need scientists and researchers to succeed—they need land managers, local officials, and stakeholders, too.
The lack of engagement of local stakeholders is still reported to be the primary obstacle that causes project failure in ecosystem restoration.
If you are interested in effectively engaging key stakeholders in seagrass restoration programmes then this workshop is for you.
Workshop 8 – La Fresque Océane (The Ocean Collage)
Max #Participants: 14
Main-conveners : Caroline van Heule (Patagonia)
La Fresque Océane is an engaging, fun, and collaborative workshop which raises awareness of ocean-related issues and the impacts of our activities on this vital ecosystem through a systemic approach.
Ocean literacy is characterised by a comprehension of how the ocean impacts individuals and how individuals affect the ocean. On an individual level, this implies that an ocean-literate person possesses the following qualities:
- Makes informed and responsible decisions regarding the ocean and its resources.
- Recognizes the significance of the ocean for humanity.
- Can effectively communicate about the ocean in a meaningful manner.
To date, over 11,000 participants have engaged in La Fresque Océane facilitated by more than 70 educators across France and in 10 other countries. If you are interested in engaging in a fun and collaborative workshop to develop your Ocean Literacy then this workshop is for you.
Workshop List (9-16)
Workshop 9 – Blue Carbon
Max #Participants: 40
Main-conveners : Dr Inés Mazarrasa (IHCantabria) and Dr Oscar Serrano (El Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes)
The term Blue Carbon is used to describe the disproportionately large contribution of marine and (often coastal vegetated ecosystems) to global carbon sequestration. The role of Blue Carbon in climate change mitigation and adaptation has now reached international prominence.
At this meeting workshop data needs, data ambitions and data opportunities for improving blue carbon ecosystem research and management, particularly with respect to management interventions such as passive and active seagrass restoration, will be identified and discussed.
Workshop 10 – Biodiversity
Max #Participants: 20
Main-conveners : Dr Rune Steinfurth (Syddansk Universitet)
Seagrass restoration has become an important management-tool to counteract the widespread losses of seagrass meadows and their associated biodiversity. However, consensus on how to evidence the improvement in local biodiversity and ecosystem functioning from restoration programmes is yet to be reached.
If you are interested in discussing how to most appropriately standardise the measurement of biodiversity gains (e.g. infauna and epifauna) that result from restoration) and to explore to how best evidence the connections between healthy seagrass meadows and the diversity and abundance of mobile fauna that moves in and out of the seagrass meadows, then this workshop is for you.
Workshop 11 – Seascape Connectivity Modelling
Max #Participants:20
Main-conveners : Kasper Meijer (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen) & Courtney Stuart (Oxford Seascape Ecology Lab).
Seascapes (the marine counterpart of landscapes) are dynamic, spatially heterogeneous ocean spaces shaped by multi-scale processes that influence habitat quality for marine species and life stages.
Within our seascapes coastal habitat quality and quantity have been significantly eroded by stressors operating and interacting across the land−sea interface, prompting a recent proliferation in coastal restoration programs worldwide.
These initiatives often recognize ‘connectivity’ as a critical driver of ecosystem functioning, and yet most do not include connectivity as a spatially explicit, quantitative criterion during the planning process.
Seascape connectivity modelling could be deployed to reveal locations where restored seagrasses are likely to benefit most from enhanced functional connectivity, emphasising the importance of considering both seascape composition and configuration in restoration design.
If you are interested in how Seascape Ecology principles can contribute to exploring the viability of future seagrass restoration programmes then this workshop is for you.
Workshop 12 – Engineering Solutions for seagrass restoration
Max #Participants: 20
Main-conveners : Prof. Dr. Mogens Flindt (Syddansk Universitet) and Dr. Maike Paul (Leibniz Universität Hannover)
A number of engineering solutions for seagrass restoration have already been deployed at restoration programmes globally, from mechanised seed collection, to seagrass planting robots. Additionally large scale sand-capping programmes have been piloted in order to overcome barriers and enable meadow recovery.
If you are interested in exploring how novel technologies could be deployed in support of seagrass restoration then this workshop is for you.
Workshop 13 – Seagrass Nurseries – a solution for scale?
Max #Participants: 30
Co-conveners : Prof. Dr. Laura Govers (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen) & Emily Yates (Project Seagrass).
Seagrass nurseries are becoming increasingly recognised as a important tool for not just for supporting the scaling of seagrass restoration efforts in the field, but critically for developing the scientific knowledge that underpins restoration success.
The long term aim for seagrass nurseries will be to produce seagrass seeds and/or propagules (rhizomes/plants/sods) in semi-controlled conditions in order to maximise germination success rates and seedling survival.
If you are interested in the role that seagrass nurseries can play in supporting your restoration programme then this session is for you.
Workshop 14 – The Genetic Component of Seagrass Restoration
Max #Participants: 20
Main-conveners : Prof. Dr Thorsten B. Reusch (GEOMAR) & Dr Aline Finger (Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh)
Despite the proven importance of genetic research to perform successful restoration projects, genetics is an often overlooked component of successful seagrass restoration programmes. Furthermore, to date the selection of donor populations from local gene pools has been the norm, since it was thought that they would be the best adapted to current conditions. However, in the face of a rapidly changing climate, alternative approaches such as the use of climate-adjusted or admixture genotypes could well provide more sustainable options to secure the long term survival of restored meadows.
If you are interested in the genetic component of seagrass restoration then this workshop is for you.
Workshop 15 – Microbiome
Max #Participants: 20
Main-conveners : Prof. Dr. Fiona Tomas Nash (IMEDEA-UIB-CSIC) & Prof. Dr. Ryan Mueller (Oregon State University)
Attempts to manipulate the seagrass microbiome for the purposes of enhancing restoration success in seagrass are now being explored.
In seagrass sediments, microbial communities are involved in
carbon-, nitrogen-, and sulphur- cycling, which can aid plants with nutrient uptake and toxin removal. However, understanding the natural variation of microbial communities inhabiting seagrass rhizospheres needs to be first understood in order to manipulate the seagrass microbiome to enhance future seagrass restoration programmes.
If you are interested in the microbial component of seagrass restoration then this workshop is for you.
Workshop 16 – Water Quality
Max #Participants: 20
Main-conveners : Dr Esther Thomsen (GEOMAR) & Florane Le Bihanic (L’Office français de la biodiversité OFB)
Across Europe there are numerous examples of where poor water quality (in particular from livestock waste, sewage discharges and excess fertiliser use) reduces the ecosystem services that seagrass meadows are able to provide .
In some instances poor water quality is providing a barrier to natural recovery or active restoration efforts.
This workshop will explore the indicators for minimum site requirements for water quality (that should be established before embarking on active restoration programmes).
Discussion will also focus on the need to better enforce current policies to tackle water quality issues at source, reducing the pressures on seagrass meadows (allowing passive restoration to take place).
Terms and conditions: Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained on this website is correct at the time of going to press. ESRA will use reasonable endeavours to deliver the programmes and other services in accordance with the descriptions provided.
However, changes may be reasonably required to the programmes, workshops and services delivered to keep the programme current and accurate or to respond to changes which are outside the reasonable control of ESRA.
Other circumstances outside ESRAs control would include, but not be limited to, third party industrial action, unexpected lack of funding, government restrictions, health and safety considerations, fire, etc. Where such a change arises, we will notify you as early as possible.