Five golden principles to advance marine reef restoration by linking science and industry

Five golden principles to advance marine reef restoration by linking science and industry

ter Hofstede, R. (TU Delft Rivers, Ports, Waterways and Dredging Engineering; Van Oord)
Bouma, Tjeerd J. (NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research; Universiteit Utrecht; HZ University of Applied Sciences)
van Koningsveld, M. (TU Delft Rivers, Ports, Waterways and Dredging Engineering; Van Oord)

2023

Marine reef ecosystems have degraded massively worldwide, and restoration efforts have as yet not managed to realize the scale required to reverse continued degradation. To achieve effective scales, scientific insights in restoration methods should be paired with industry-based approaches used for infrastructural development. We illustrate by five principles how long-standing experience of marine contractors with executing large-scale projects, can support reef restoration: i) utilizing industrial techniques to achieve positive impact at scale, ii) landscaping infrastructure to optimize habitat for targeted species, iii) inducing life to overcome connectivity bottle-necks and steer community composition, iv) designing nature development efforts to be self-sustainable, and v) ensuring continuity beyond project boundaries by early stakeholder engagement. Consciously connecting scientific knowledge to industry-based activities increases the likelihood that marine infrastructure development and ecosystem rehabilitation can be aligned. We plead that synergizing practices by science and industry is needed to upscale restoration efforts and truly improve marine reef ecosystems.

reefs
upscaling
restoration
industry
infrastructure

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:297c1bb2-fb0f-4c5e-b067-54808bdbf51f

https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1143242

2296-7745

Frontiers in Marine Science, 10

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2023 R. ter Hofstede, Tjeerd J. Bouma, M. van Koningsveld