Restoring Our Seascapes: Evidence and Actions for Coastal Habitat Restoration at Scale

UK seas have been integral to our heritage as an island nation. Vital marine and coastal ecosystems have supported a wealth of biodiversity and provided food, resources and jobs for people. Yet these habitats and species have faced unprecedented threats from human activity, causing widespread degradation and fragmentation. Globally, marine ecosystem restoration has never been more pressing, we are amid the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, yet so far there has been significantly more focus on land than in the ocean.

In the UK, marine and coastal restoration efforts have primarily focused on single key habitats and are often viewed in isolation. There is an urgent need to better understand the ecological connectivity across these habitats within the seascape, and the benefits they collectively provide for people, nature and the climate. More must be done for seascape restoration to garner the same level of recognition, evidence and delivery as landscape restoration if we are to reach the global target to restore 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030.

This report serves as an evidence-based guide for policymakers, practitioners and funders providing insights into historical loss, functions and restoration potential of key marine and coastal habitats. It highlights the critical importance of ecological connectivity in temperate marine environments and sets out policy recommendations that would enable the UK to become a world-leader in achieving seascape scale restoration.