Improving Marine Habitat Status by Considering Ecosystem Dynamic (113152)

Most marine habitats and species protected under the EU Habitats Directive remain in poor condition, especially in Northern Europe’s Kattegat-Skagerrak region. MARHAB aims to improve this by applying an ecosystem dynamics approach to restore and maintain protected habitats. Using advanced tools like genomics, tracking, in situ monitoring, and machine learning, the project will bridge the gap between fisheries management and biodiversity conservation. It will also generate critical knowledge for managing these overexploited but productive ecosystems. MARHAB is urgent, timely, and innovative - addressing severe habitat degradation, aligning with international biodiversity targets, and focusing on a region with limited data on marine protection effectiveness. The project also emphasizes stakeholder engagement and tailored communication to raise awareness among the public and policymakers.

Funding
The project is funded by EU Horizon Europe.

Research area: Ecosystem based Marine Management
Research area: Fisheries Management
Research area: Population Genetics