EU-Funded BioProtect Initiative Launches to Restore & Protect Marine Biodiversity in the Atlantic & Arctic Oceans

In response to the pressing challenges posed by human activities and climate change on marine ecosystems, BioProtect, a newly-funded EU project, has been officially launched. Coordinated by MATIS in Iceland, the 8 million EUR bring together 18 partners from 8 countries. Over the next four years, these partners will collaborate to develop innovative, adaptable, and scalable ecosystem-centered solutions aimed at safeguarding and restoring biodiversity across European seas, from the Arctic to the Atlantic Ocean.

The project will consolidate these solutions into an Area-Based Management Decision Support Framework (ABM-DSF), which will be demonstrated at five different study sites across Europe, including Norway, Iceland, Ireland, the Azores, and Portugal. BioProtect will actively engage with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation and utilisation of its solutions by end-users. By raising awareness and enabling stakeholders and citizens to participate in the decision-making process, BioProtect empowers them to protect and restore marine ecosystems and biodiversity.

With its robust framework and collaborative approach, the BioProtect project holds promise and potential for introducing a new era of marine biodiversity conservation and restoration in European seas.

Blue Resource will be quantifying socio-economic activities and assess socio-economic impacts of management scenarios in Demonstration Areas. This will support the evaluation of suitable socio-economic methods in different contexts.

BioProtect started 1. May 2024, and runs for four years. The project is funded by Horizon Europe and is a collaboration between 18 research institutions, from 8 different European countries.