Welcome to the Centre for Marine Restoration
Denmark’s marine environment includes a wealth of shallow coastal ecosystems with a diverse flora and fauna, and its coastal nature represents Denmark’s most significant global contribution to the planet’s biodiversity. Despite decades of efforts to improve water quality in our coastal marine environment, the ecological status remains unsatisfactory, and even the protected habitat types have an unfavorable conservation status.
There is a growing recognition that reducing nutrient input alone is not sufficient to achieve improved ecological and environmental conditions within a foreseeable future. In many cases, active restoration is a necessary supplement to restore lost habitats and secure the valuable ecosystem services and benefits provided by the sea, which support resilient marine habitats (Orth et al. 2020).
In recent years, interest in active marine restoration has been increasing, driven by a range of motivations - from the desire for more fish in coastal waters to opportunities for experiencing a more diverse natural environment. However, the projects carried out so far have only to a limited extent provided knowledge about their ecological and environmental effects. Therefore, there is a strong need for a knowledge-based approach to ensure a better understanding of the ecological, technical, and economic factors that contribute to the success of future projects.
The Centre for Marine Restoration aims to promote the knowledge-based implementation of marine restoration to enhance the resilience of marine ecosystems, ecological balance, and a wide range of ecosystem services in Danish waters. The centre will disseminate expert knowledge and provide guidance on ecological, technical, and economic factors that improve project success and minimize failures. It will ensure scientifically and professionally well-founded counselling to support national planning for marine restoration and active nature-enhancing solutions that contribute to improving the conditions of seas and fjords.
Marine Restoration Projects