Ocean floor restoration could make or break 2030 goals

The ocean is in trouble. Two-thirds of our coastal regions have already been altered or damaged. Fishing methods that drag gear across the ocean floor, known as bottom-contact fisheries, disturb nearly 5 million square kilometers of marine habitat every year requiring eventual restoration.

And that’s just one piece of the puzzle. Marine litter and chemical pollutants are adding more pressure. These intrusions interfere with natural processes that sustain life in the ocean, and biodiversity is paying the price.

Oil and gas drilling is typically limited in space, but when something goes wrong – like the Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010 – the consequences ripple across the deep sea for years. Now, seabed mining is poised to enter the scene. The Pacific’s Clarion-Clipperton Zone is one of many deep-sea regions that could be affected as this industry grows.

Ocean protection isn’t enough

The UN Agenda 2030 sets a bold goal: protect 30% of the ocean by the end of the decade. Scientists from the University of Naples and the Polytechnic University of Marche, working through EU-funded projects like CLIMAREST and REDRESS, are developing strategies to support this goal.

However, the researchers noted that protection alone won’t be enough. “This target may be insufficient to reverse current declines in specific habitats and overall ecosystem functionality,” said Roberto Danovaro, project coordinator of REDRESS.

To truly help marine ecosystems recover, we need more than just protected zones. Restoration must be part of the solution. That means actively reintroducing the very organisms that build marine habitats – such as seagrasses, mangroves, kelp, corals, and cold-water animal forests.

“Several coastal habitats need to be restored for their crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and sustaining ecosystem processes in the ocean,” said Professor Simonetta Fraschetti. Letting nature recover on its own – called passive restoration – can work, but it’s a slow road. In some cases, full recovery could take up to 200 years.

That’s especially true for habitats where the key species take decades to establish themselves. “Active restoration measures, such as stabilizing the seafloor and planting organisms, can significantly accelerate recovery,” said Cristina Gambi, project manager for REDRESS.

Ocean restoration works

The idea of marine restoration might seem new, but it’s already been tested many times. In a study published in the journal Nature, researchers reviewed 764 marine restoration projects around the world.

The results? A 64% average success rate. Restoration efforts have succeeded across many environments, from shallow coastal areas to the deep sea, with especially strong results for coral reefs and habitats built by foundation species like saltmarshes.

“In this work, we show that the development of new approaches to marine ecosystem restoration enables expansion of efforts over larger spatial scales and even within impacted areas, as demonstrated by an increasing number of success stories showing the effective recovery of diverse habitat types,” said Fraschetti.

These stories matter. They prove that ocean floor restoration isn’t just possible – ecosystems and the vast marine life can thrive again.

“Success stories from marine ecosystem restoration are crucial to motivate society and private enterprises to invest. We need to show that these efforts can meet the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration targets,” noted Danovaro.

Rethinking ocean restoration

Another major takeaway from the research: you don’t have to wait for perfect conditions to begin restoration. In fact, restoring even the most degraded sites can still produce meaningful results.

According to Danovaro, this changes how we should think about restoration. Rather than postponing action until threats are reduced, we should begin work immediately. Early ocean floor restoration can give us faster returns and buy time for long-term solutions.

What makes a project succeed?

To figure out what drives restoration success, the researchers studied 618 case studies. They identified four main factors that made the biggest difference.

First, the specific methods used for restoration had the strongest impact on whether a project succeeded. How the restoration was carried out mattered more than any other single factor.

Second, ongoing maintenance after the restoration began played a crucial role. Continued care and support for the restored habitat – often in partnership with local fishers and dive centers – significantly improved outcomes.

Third, careful selection of the restoration site was essential. Projects fared better when located in areas with strong ecological connectivity, natural protection from physical disturbances like storms and wave action, and environments that offered refuge to species sensitive to climate change.

Finally, the creation of buffer zones around the restored area helped reduce human pressure. Establishing marine protected areas or fishery-restricted zones near the project sites often contributed to higher success rates.

But restoration doesn’t always go to plan. When conditions were unsuitable, extreme weather struck, or the wrong methods or species were used, some projects failed entirely.

Ocean restoration: Three types of support

Success in the water depends on strong support on land. According to the team, every restoration project relies on three essential types of support.

First, policy support is critical. This includes the creation and enforcement of laws and regulations that prioritize the restoration of damaged habitats. International efforts like the UN’s ecosystem restoration targets and regional initiatives such as the EU’s Nature Restoration Law play a central role in setting the direction.

Second, economic support is necessary to fund restoration efforts. While governments currently provide the bulk of this funding, private companies are beginning to recognize the value of investing in ecosystem repair. These investments not only benefit the environment but also create new job opportunities and encourage eco-friendly innovation.

Third, technology support is vital. Advances in tools and scalable restoration methods are making it more practical to restore a wider range of marine habitats across different regions of the world.

“All these types of support are crucial for successful marine ecosystem restoration and really needed considering present degradation state of our marine ecosystems,” concluded Fraschetti.

The full study was published in the journal Nature Communications.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates. 

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–