By participating in local communities, EU-funded researchers aim to restore marine ecosystems and turn citizens into marine administrators.
go through Michaela Nesvarova
Below the deep blue waters of Tenerife, is a dramatic sea view of the shape of an ancient volcanic eruption. The submerged lava tubes and jagged basalt formations create an underwater world that is different from the rest of the world.
This unique marine environment is located near the Canary Islands in Spain, accompanied by life. Divers may encounter endangered turtles, elegant eagle rays, elusive sharks, and even whales. It is worth noting that one-third of all marine mammal species on Earth have been found around Tenerife.
Marine biologist Isabelle Peeters is equipped with professional scuba diving gear to pass through these waters, the clearest waters she has ever seen.
Peeters is a senior marine biologist who is helping organize and lead diving trips to carefully collect samples and data from the seabed, as part of a research program called Ocean Citizen.
Ocean Forest
Marine Citizens bring together leading research and marine conservation experts from Denmark, Germany, France, Israel, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Their work will continue until the end of 2026, specifically targeting the regeneration of marine forests – seaweeds, seaweeds, sponge patches, corals and soft corals called Gorgonians.
“Given the state of the world and the environmental degradation we witness, we have reached a point of protection only,” Pittel said.
Therefore, actively restoring underwater life is something that the Ocean Citizens team focuses its efforts on.
Their goal is to develop a flexible, scalable model to regenerate, protect and manage five pilot sites in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Red Sea, Barents Sea and Denmark’s internal waters.
Unlike forests on land, marine forests are rich, complex ecosystems that can support a wide variety of life. These diverse marine habitats play a crucial role in maintaining marine biodiversity and resilience. They also play an important role in the environment by helping to store carbon.
“Marine forests are not only species that live side by side – they are built on complex biological relationships,” said Juanita Zorrilla-Pujana, a Spanish marine biologist and environmental educator.
Critical point
Despite what we know as key to life, these underwater ecosystems are severely damaged by human activities and global warming.
“Our oceans are under pressure,” said Zorrilla-Pujana, a science communication officer for marine citizenship. “For centuries we have taken everything from the ocean, and nothing is returned except plastic and pollution.”
Sergio Rossi, a marine scientist at the University of Salento, Lecce, Italy, and coordinator of the Ocean Citizen Team, also stressed that we are in a period of profound ecological change.
“Species that have been vanishing here for thousands of years.”
This shift leads to biodiversity loss, resource depletion, and the subdivision of complex food webs, harming communities that rely on fisheries. In addition, marine forests are a natural obstacle to storms and extreme weather disappearing.
“This is a huge problem and we cannot foresee what impact it may have in years or decades,” Rossi warned.
Needs quick action
The Ocean Citizens team worked at their five pilot sites and had been studying different ecological gases, ranging from 25 meters to 100 meters below sea level.
Their aim is to better understand the ecosystem while designing effective solutions to restore and protect local marine forests under various conditions.
“Because it’s more than just putting a piece of coral in the water. It’s much more complicated,” Zorrilla-Pujana said.
Each position faces its own specific challenges.
In Denmark, millions of stones were removed from underwater habitat, leaving certain areas without substrates to allow species to settle. Norway’s oceans are struggling, and the increase in sea urchin populations has swallowed everything on their path.
In Spain, waters are so polluted that protected turtles can be seen swimming in dark sewage, Petez said.
For Rossi, it was obvious that degradation happened so quickly that we needed to act quickly. “Our goal is to speed up the restoration of these marine forests and create the right conditions for them to expand in already established areas.”
Citizens are underwater gardeners
However, restoring the ocean’s forests is a huge effort and scientists cannot deal with it alone. That’s why the Ocean Citizen Team is not only getting help from marine biologists and professional divers, but also from the local community.
The program introduces the concept of a “marine gardener” who actively supports community members of the restoration project. Some will dive into the “plant” marine life on the bottom of the sea, while others will help nurture creatures on the land of the aquarium.
In addition to ecological benefits, this approach should also help promote the local economy. For example, in Tenerife, a business model is being developed where tourism participation helps fund recovery activities.
Marine forests can also be used as natural carbon sinks. Although precise carbon capture potential is still being studied, Rossi estimates that carbon content may range from 1.5 to 5 tons per year.
Transplant and artificial reefs
After two years of data collection and evaluation, the Ocean Citizens Team is now continuing the next step: actively resuming its pilot site.
Divers like Isabelle Peeters will begin transplanting large algae, seaweed, Gorgonians and black corals. At the same time, custom-designed artificial reefs will be installed to support regeneration.
By 2026, the Ocean Citizen Team aims to create a flexible and replicable protocol to guide future recovery efforts in Europe and beyond.
Nevertheless, as Zorrilla-Pujana points out, “The ocean is a mirror of human action for centuries. Our work is only part of a larger solution.”
The research in this article is funded by the EU’s Horizon Program. The views of respondents do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.
This article was originally published in the European Journal of Research and Innovation.
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