On 8 April 2025, ICES and BlueMissionAA joined forces to deliver a dynamic webinar, “Recovery & Restoration – Policy needs from Science,” bringing together over 200 participants from across Europe and beyond. The event was a direct continuation of the joint ICES – BlueMissionAA Workshop on “Nature Restoration and Recovery” (WKREST), contributing to the European Union’s Mission Ocean objective to restore marine and freshwater ecosystems.
From Workshop to Webinar: Aligning Research and Policy
The webinar highlighted key outcomes from WKREST, a pioneering expert workshop jointly organised by ICES and BlueMissionAA. WKREST addressed the growing demand for science-based restoration guidance in support of the EU Nature Restoration Regultaion. Its report (DOI: 10.17895/ices.pub.28759463) identifies critical knowledge gaps, promotes long-term monitoring frameworks, and calls for improved modelling tools to assess ecosystem recovery.
A Global and European Perspective on Restoration Opening remarks from Colm Lordan (ICES Advisory Committee Chair), Valerie de Liedekerke (AIR Centre), and Harald Hasler-Sheetal (ICES) set the stage by emphasizing the value of mission-driven coordination and international collaboration. Daniela Diz (Heriot-Watt University) delivered the keynote, linking marine restoration to international legal
frameworks and identifying operationalisation challenges for emerging legislation.
Thematic presentations explored diverse restoration efforts, from oyster reefs and kelp forests to deep-sea habitats, offering transferable insights for science, policy, and practice.
The afternoon keynote by Chris Patrick (Virginia Institute of Marine Science) showcased the success of eelgrass restoration in the US, highlighting the importance of context, sustained monitoring, and local engagement.
Find the full agenda here.
Challenges and Opportunities
Participant polls revealed strong interest in aligning restoration efforts with governance and policy, but also highlighted persistent challenges: long-term impact tracking, standardizing indicators, and ensuring stakeholder inclusion. A recurring theme was the need for scalable, practical Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and financial mechanisms that support restoration beyond pilot phases.
What Comes Next?
The webinar concluded with a forward-looking session on ongoing projects (e.g., CLIMAREST, REDRESS, BioProtect, and PHAROS), showcasing real-world applications of restoration science. The positive feedback the high interested underscored the growing
momentum for integrated, mission-driven marine research.
With the WKREST report published in the ICES Library, the collaboration between ICES and BlueMissionAA is a clear step forward in creating a coherent science-policy interface for ecosystem recovery. The webinar exemplifies how marine science can meaningfully contribute to Europe’s ambitions for nature restoration.