Recent studies prove that restoration is able to restore not only ecosystems, but also their functions by focusing on key species such as algae or coral.
Society needs to protect, conserve and restore marine ecosystems in order to preserve their well-being and move forward in a sustainable way. At present, many of these ecosystems are highly anthropized, although they are suitable for recovery projects which, ideally, should be designed considering the input and needs of all marine environment users, including bathers, managers, fishermen and also the scientific community.
However, this ideal scenario, does not guarantee a return to the original ecosystem, i.e. the sand and mussels we played with as children, but rather what is defined as a "new ecosystem", a rehabilitated ecosystem that is different from what we had in more pristine conditions. This has happened, for example, with many tropical coral reefs -much better studied than reefs in temperate seas such as the Mediterranean or cold water reefs at greater depths- thanks to the establishment and good management of some marine protected areas (MPAs).
The effectiveness of these areas has been proven on several occasions with different types of species and environments. For example, a recent study led by the ICM-CSIC has revealed that MPAs are capable of recovering species in record time. The work focuses on the recovery of the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) in a small protected area of 10 km2 located between the fishing grounds of Roses and Palamós (Girona), where the species had been intensively exploited for decades until it almost disappeared. The study results show that the population in the protected area doubles that of adjacent areas, where in recent years the fishery has continued.
According to the scientific community, nature-based solutions such as MPAs are successful because they consider the ability of nature to recover by removing the pressures to which it is constantly subjected. At the same time, this ensures the resilience of ecosystems and safeguards the ecosystem services they provide to society. This is why we have been hearing about them for some time, although the main novelty of the most recently established ones is that they are cross-sectoral, i.e. they combine protection with habitat restoration or sustainable fisheries management, among other measures.
Restoration’s main challenges
Despite its success, restoration is currently facing four major challenges. The first relates to "shifting baselines", a term coined by the Frenchman Daniel Pauly that describes a phenomenon of reduced expectations where each generation considers an increasingly poorer environment to be normal. With this, the expert wanted to explain that, although the will is to recover pristine ecosystems, this is no longer possible, as human influence will always be there.
The second challenge facing restoration is the different response of species to the measures applied, and this is closely related to their life traits, such as the growth rate or the habitat in which they live. It is therefore important to adapt restoration plans locally and to consider the species that inhabit each site. In this regard, slow-growing species will need more time to recover, but will then have a better chance of survival, as recent studies indicate.
The third major challenge of restoration is to recover the functionality of ecosystems, i.e. the functions they perform at the ecosystem level. According to the experts, to achieve this, it is essential to focus on the recovery of key species, such as the "habitat-forming” species, where many other species find refuge. A good example would be seaweed, which has been proven to be capable to restore the functionality of ecosystems in just a few years. However, this is also possible with species with much slower dynamics and growth rates such as coral. In this case, however, the scientific community recommends replanting large colonies to gain time to recover the community.
Finally, the success of marine restoration depends on the involvement of all those who use the marine environment, as mentioned above, hence the importance of projects such as LIFE ECOREST, an initiative led by the ICM that aims to restore 30,000 hectares of marine habitats between Vilanova i la Geltrú and Llançà (Girona, Spain) over the next four years thanks to the involvement of all marine environment users, especially the fishing sector.
Once these challenges are overcome we will be able to enjoy the multiple benefits of marine restoration, for which the scientific community requires increased long-term funding, in the longer term and strictly scientific criteria to be followed. According to them, this is the only way to preserve biodiversity and promote its resilience against climate change impacts.