1
An Ocean o
Collabo a ion:
eMRWG Long Te m Ne wo king and Replica ion S a egy
as pa o Deli e able 5.5, HEU CLIMAREST
The Eu opean Ma ine
Res o a ion Wo king
G oup
3
P epa ed by:
Saha S e enson-Jones
(Ma ine Res o a ion P ojec O ice , Eu opean Chap e o he Socie y o
Ecological Res o a ion)
App o ed by:
C is ina Gambi
(Associa e P o esso , Poly echnic Uni e si y o Ma che & Boa d Membe
a La ge, Eu opean Chap e o he Socie y o Ecological Res o a ion)
Bo is Ba o
(Chie Ope a ing O ice , Eu opean Chap e o he Socie y o Ecological
Res o a ion)
Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup
(by quo um on 4 h Sep embe 2025)
Ma a Pujol Ma in
(CLIMAREST P ojec Manage , SINTEF Ocean)
Ida Bea he Ø e jo de
(CLIMAREST P ojec Coo dina o , SINTEF Ocean)
Edi ion His o y
V_Final, 14 h Oc obe 2025
This p ojec has ecei ed unding om he Eu opean Union’s Ho izon
Eu ope esea ch and inno a ion p og amme unde G an Ag eemen No.
101093865.
Fo wa d
In oduc ion
Con ex
Ne wo k Mapping / Cu en S a e o Play
SWOT Analysis
C ea ing A Eu opean - Focused Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup
Thema ic Focus and Objec i es
Go e nance Model
Membe ship, Engagemen and Collabo a ions
Recogni ion by he Eu opean Commission Di ec o a e Gene al o En i onmen (DG En i onmen )
No e on he DG En i onmen Ma ine Expe G oup
Mission Ocean Cha e Ac ion
Funding Feasibili y S a emen
S a egic Vision 2030
Fi e Yea S a egic Ne wo king Policy Plan
Yea 1 - Building a Founda ion (Ends No embe 2025)
Yea 3 - Expanding Connec ions wi h a Eu opean Focus (Ends No embe 2028)
Yea 5 - Cemen ing Policy In luence (Ends No embe 2030)
Risk assessmen and mi iga ion
Moni o ing P ocess
Conclusions
Bibliog aphy
6
8
12
13
16
22
23
26
26
28
29
30
31
32
34
35
39
40
42
44
46
58
Table o Con en s
4
Figu e 1:
Diag am o illus a e he s eps leading o he es ablishmen o he
Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup.
Figu e 2:
Membe ship o e iew o he Eu opean Chap e o he Socie y o
Ecological Res o a ion’s Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup (MRWG).
Figu e 3:
Task Fo ce Objec i es and Leade ship 2024-2025.
Figu e 4:
The Mission Res o e Ou Oceans and Wa e s Ligh houses.
Figu e 5:
Vision and Mission o SER-Eu ope’s Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup
and a 5 yea oadmap o i s objec i es.
Figu e 6:
Examples o he SER-Eu ope Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup B and.
Table 1:
The s eng hs and weaknesses o known ma ine ela ed wo king g oups
o ne wo ks in Eu ope, as colla ed h ough he CLIMAREST Conso ium
(May 2025) and he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup (Sep embe
2025).
Table 2:
The oppo uni ies and isks o he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup,
as colla ed om he CLIMAREST Conso ium (May 2025) and he Ma ine
Res o a ion Wo king G oup (Sep embe 2025).
Table 3:
Risks, cu en measu es and u u e mi iga ion s a egies o he Ma ine
Res o a ion Wo king G oup.
Table o Figu es
Table o Tables
5
01.
Fo wa d
7
This Long-Te m Ne wo king S a egy es ablishes he need o and a
s uc u ed amewo k o guide he ole o he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo k-
ing G oup (MRWG) in ad ancing ma ine ecosys em es o a ion du ing he
i s i e yea s since i s incep ion.
De eloped in ligh o key policy de elopmen s, including he Na u e Re-
s o a ion Regula ion, he s a egy iden i ies ac ions o enhance capa-
ci y, ensu e easibili y, and s eng hen mechanisms o collabo a ion,
knowledge exchange, and he dissemina ion o bes p ac ice.
By si ua ing he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup wi hin a wide
“ne wo k o ne wo ks” bo h in Eu ope (unde he o e sigh o he Eu o-
pean Chap e o he Socie y o Ecological Res o a ion (SER-Eu ope))
and globally (unde he o e sigh o he Socie y o Ecological Res o a-
ion (SER)), he s a egy con ibu es o he e ec i e alignmen o egio-
nal and global e o s, he eby accele a ing ma ine es o a ion ou co-
mes and suppo ing he long- e m objec i e o heal hy, esilien ma ine
ecosys ems, in acco dance wi h he UN Ocean Decade 2030.
02.
In oduc ion
9
The Socie y o Ecological Res o a ion ecognises he u gen need o
es o e ma ine habi a s, p o ec biodi e si y, and p omo e sus ainable
p ac ices, in alignmen wi h global and egional e o s. These include
in e na ional ini ia i es such as he Uni ed Na ions (UN) Decade o O cean
Science o Sus ainable De elopmen and he UN Decade on Ecosys em
Res o a ion, as well as Eu opean Union (EU) amewo ks such as he Na-
u e Res o a ion Regula ion, he Ma ine S a egy F amewo k Di ec i e,
he Common Fishe ies Policy, he G een Deal, Mission Res o e Ou O cean
and Wa e s by 2030, and he Biodi e si y S a egy o 2030. Th ough
hese coo dina ed ac ions, he Socie y seeks o con ibu e o he es o-
a ion and conse a ion o ma ine and coas al ecosys ems wo ldwide.
Suppo ed by policy and unding including he LIFE p og amme, Ho izon
Eu ope, Eu opean Ma i ime Fishe ies and Aquacul u e Fund (EMFAF),
and Mission Res o e ou Ocean and Wa e s by 2030, key objec i es o
es o a ion include:
▷To achie e Good En i onmen al S a us (GES) o Eu opean ma i-
ne wa e s as de ined by he Ma ine S a egy F amewo k Di ec i e
(MSFD).
▷To es o e deg aded ma ine habi a s he eby suppo ing he EU Bio-
di e si y S a egy o 2030.
▷To enhance esilience o clima e change h ough na u e-based so-
lu ions.
▷To suppo he Blue Economy by ensu ing he sus ainabili y o ish-
e ies, aquacul u e and ou ism.
16
Expe ne wo king
Compe ence building
Mos cu en ly wo king unde well-
es ablished policies such as he Ma ine
S a egy F amewo k Di ec i e (MSFD) and
he Common Fishe ies Policy (CFP)
Many ha e scien i ic o indus y ocus
Focus on clima e change esilience
Focus on public awa eness and
s akeholde s’ engagemen
Table 1: The s eng hs and weaknesses o known ma ine ela ed wo king g oups o ne wo ks in Eu ope, as colla ed h ough he CLIMAREST Conso ium (May 2025) and
he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup (Sep embe 2025).
Lack o s a egic coo dina ion wi h simila
and ele an wo king g oups o ne wo ks
Access ba ie s due o unding o lack o
in o ma ion
Slow implemen a ion o policies wi h poo
b idges o policymake s
O ganisa ions o ne wo ks wi h olun a y
pa icipa ion means ha ime is a limi ing
ac o o con ibu ions
Scan “ ue” expe engagemen
Lack o cla i y as o he equi y and
inclusi i y o expe s who a e engaged (i.e.
a e all habi a s ep esen ed?)
“The same oices a e hea d again and again”
Unde lying le el o compe i ion esul s in
slow o unmeaning ul p og ess.
SWOT Analysis
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Cu en S a e o Play
Wha a e he s eng hs and weaknesses o cu en ly a ailable ne wo ks?
Unde s anding he e ec i eness o ma ine es o a ion e o s o en depends on he ne wo ks ha suppo
collabo a ion, knowledge sha ing, and esou ce mobilisa ion. Howe e , hese ne wo ks ha e bo h s eng hs
and weaknesses ha in luence hei impac . By examining hese aspec s, we can build on he exis ing s eng hs
and add ess he weaknesses o enhance he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup, making i a mo e e ec i e and
cohesi e pla o m o ad ancing ma ine es o a ion e o s.
This scoping wo k has highligh ed he need o a uni ed and dedica ed o um o ad ance bo h he policy
and p ac ice o ma ine ecosys em es o a ion, ul ima ely leading o he c ea ion o he Ma ine Res o a ion
Wo k ing G oup as a unique body wi h a singula ocus on ma ine ecosys em es o a ion.
17
Ma ine- ocused ne wo king g oups play a c u-
cial ole in connec ing esea che s, p ac i io-
ne s, policymake s, and communi y s akehold-
e s. Cu en ma ine- ocused ne wo ks in
Eu ope p o ide pla o ms o dialogue, compe-
ence building and he exchange o scien i ic
and indus y expe ise, o en ope a ing in align-
men wi h policy amewo ks such as he MSFD
and CFP.
Howe e , hei capaci y o deli e meaning ul
es o a ion ou comes is cons ained by se e al
s uc u al limi a ions. Many ope a e in ela i e
isola ion, wi h limi ed s a egic coo dina ion
ac oss g oups wo king on ela ed hemes, e-
sul ing in duplica ion o e o and missed op-
po uni ies o collabo a ion.
Pa icipa ion is o en olun a y o based on
selec ed o e ed expe s, which es ic s he
ime and esou ces indi iduals can commi and
can lead o une en con ibu ions and a iable
momen um. Expe engagemen is no always
comp ehensi e, wi h ce ain habi a s o egions
unde ep esen ed and discussions equen -
ly domina ed by he same oices. Ques ions o
equi y and inclusi i y a e no consis en ly ad-
d essed, aising conce ns abou he b ead h and
di e si y o pe spec i es inco po a ed. Access
can also be hinde ed by unding con s ain s o
a lack o anspa ency in how oppo uni ies a e
communica ed, c ea ing ba ie s o new pa i-
cipan s and unde ep esen ed communi ies.
These ne wo ks u he ace challenges in
b idg ing science and policy, wi h he imple-
men a ion o ecommenda ions o en slow and
engagemen wi h policymake s inequi able and
inconsis en . Unde lying, unspoken compe i-
ion be ween o ganisa ions o ne wo ks inhibi s
collabo a ion, slowing p og ess and educing
he po en ial o ans o ma i e ac ion in ma i-
ne ecosys em es o a ion.
18
New pa ne ships and
collabo a ions wi h a p ac i ione
led ocus, common oice o ad ance
science and policy
De elop a da abase on gaps in es o a ion
knowledge and unde s anding, os e
in e na ional, mul i-habi a knowledge
exchange
Focus is on Ma ine Ecosys ems (no as pa o
a g oup wi h a wide ocus)
T ansla e s anda ds o p ac ice speci ic o
ma ine en i onmen s o build access equi y
Encou age you h pa icipa ion and
engagemen and assis in inc easing ocean
li e acy
P omo e excellence in p ac ice
P omo e con inui y o es o a ion ini ia i es
Capaci y building ia wo kshops and aining
Coo dina ed “one-s op-shop”
o guidelines, li e a u e and
p ac i ione - o-p ac i ione
suppo
S anda ds based es o a ion
Quali y s anda disa ion, se
sha ed expe de ini ions
and s anda ds
Ne wo king be ween
s akeholde s ac oss Eu ope
Suppo ed by exis ing o ganisa ions (SER-
Eu ope & SER) wi h specialis s in ad ancing
he policy and p ac ices o ecosys em
es o a ion
Assis in he mobilisa ion o unding o
ma ine es o a ion
Fos e join -p ojec s wi h implemen a ion
and up/ou /deep-scaling possibili ies
Facili a e he ield- es ing o ools o
me hodologies assessed in a non-pa isan
way o enable es o a ion p ac i ione s o
show esul s
Engage wi h ad ising on he d a ing on
Na ional Res o a ion Plans, p o ide ad ice o
EC on d a ed plans
Policy ad ocacy and in luence h ough
ecommenda ions, build lobbying powe
Capaci y building and knowledge ans e
Policy in luences h ough SERE
Abili y o independen ly scien i ically
e alua e me hodology
Mission d i en, c oss-sec o ,
Eu ope-wide collabo a ion, wi h
a s ong co e membe ship
OPPORTUNITIES
Wha a e he oppo uni ies and h ea s o a Eu opean Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup?
19
Go e nance change
Changes in policy p io i y, lack o
policy suppo o MER
Lack o unding including o expe s and
leade ship o p ope ly dedica e ime o
e ise and e ine inpu .
Lack o isibili y in EU (including by policy
make s), low awa eness o he g oup in
b oade socie y, “PR-powe ”, “no ha ing a
oice a he able”
“Compe i ion” om o he ne wo king bodies
who wan o “ou -manou e e” he MRWG
Lack o olun ee ime o engagemen
S a u no e and capaci y issues
Compe ing p io i ies o manda es
Some Membe S a es ha ha e
coas lines a e no ye
ep esen ed in he WG
Some s akeholde s a e
o e ep esen ed, and some a e
unde ep esen ed
Some habi a s a e o e ep esen ed,
and some a e unde ep esen ed
(ensu e ha a leas he 7 habi a s
iden i ied in he NRR a e
ep esen ed)
Lack o a clea mechanism o gauge he
capaci y o newcome s o he g oup
G oup becoming oo “academic” o
“ esea ch” ocused - ensu e wide
pa icipa ion, equi es a ocus on
p ac i ione s
Risk o duplica ing wo k al eady done by
o he s
Lack o collabo a ion be ween o he
simila wo king g oups
Lack o a “ alue-added”
(wha is he niche?)
Table 2: The oppo uni ies and isks o he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup, as colla ed om he CLIMAREST Conso ium (May 2025) and he Ma ine Res o a ion
Wo king G oup (Sep embe 2025)
THREATS
The Ma ine Res o a ion
Wo king G oup p o ides he
oppo uni y o a unique, Eu o-
pe-wide pla o m o ad ancing he
es o a ion o ma ine ecosys ems,
add essing gaps and limi a ions in ex-
is ing ne wo ks. This mission-d i en,
c oss-sec o app oach b ings oge he
p ac i ione s, scien is s, policyma-
ke s, inance-expe s and s akehol-
de s o os e mean ing ul collabo a-
ion and a common oice o ma ine
es o a ion, s eng hening bo h policy
in luence and p ac ical ou comes. By
ocusing speci ically on ma ine ecosys-
ems a he han b oade en i onmen al
hemes, he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king
G oup has he chance o ensu e ha i s
wo k is a ge ed, ele an , and esponsi e
o he unique challenges o ma ine habi a s.
In o de o ensu e ha he Ma ine Res o a-
ion Wo king G oup p o ides added- alue o
he cu en s a e o play, i should de elop
and sha e knowledge h ough in e na io-
nal, mul i-habi a exchanges, including
he c ea ion o a comp ehensi e da a-
base on gaps in es o a ion unde s an-
ding. I should acili a e he ansla ion
o s anda ds o p ac ice speci ic o
ma ine en i onmen s, p omo ing qua-
li y s anda disa ion, sha ed expe
de ini ions, and access equi y o pa -
icipan s. Th ough wo kshops, and
in-pe son aining p og ammes, he
Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king
G oup should build
compe ence, o-
s e ocean li-
e acy, and
encou-
age
20
21
pa icipa ion om unde ep esen ed g oups, ensu ing he sus ainabili y o expe ise and lead e ship in he
sec o .
The Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup should unc ion as a coo dina ed “one-s op shop” o guidelines,
li e a u e, and p ac i ione - o-p ac i ione suppo , enabling con inui y o es o a ion ini ia i es and p o-
mo ing excellence in p ac ice. The e a e oppo uni ies o he wo king g oup o acili a e upscaled ield- e-
s ing o me hodologies in a non-pa isan way, suppo independen scien i ic e alua ion o app oaches,
and encou age join p ojec s wi h implemen a ion and scaling po en ial, helping o con e knowledge in o
angible es o a ion ou comes. The Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup should also coo dina e he mobili-
sa ion o unding, s eng hen ne wo king ac oss s akeholde s, and le e age he expe ise o es ablished
o ganisa ions such as SER-Eu ope and SER o ad ance policy and p ac ice.
The Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup does howe e , ace se e al po en ial h ea s ha could limi i s e -
ec i eness and u u e impac . These we e mos commonly iden i ied as changes in go e nance o policy
p io i ies, including a lack o sus ained high-le el suppo o ma ine ecosys em es o a ion, and limi ed
unding coupled wi h insu icien ime o expe s and leade ship o dedica e o e ining inpu , which could
cons ain bo h s a egic and ope a ional capaci y. Visibili y and ecogni ion wi hin he EU, among policy-
make s, and in b oade socie y we e also lagged as c i ical- isks; wi hou a s ong oice a he able, he
Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup isks low awa eness and limi ed policy in luence.
Compe i ion om o he ne wo king bodies wi h an in e es in con olling he ma ine es o a ion na a i e,
coupled wi h unde ep esen a ion (habi a s, Membe S a es, s akeholde s) and low olun ee engagemen ,
may u he challenge he g oup’s abili y o main ain cohesion and momen um. S a u no e a he Eu o-
pean Chap e o he Socie y o Ecological Res o a ion, g oup leade ship capaci y issues, and compe ing
p io i ies could dis up con inui y. As he g oup o ms, he e may be an absence o clea mechanisms o
assess he capaci y o newcome s, combined wi h a isk o he g oup becoming o e ly academic o ese-
a ch- ocused, which could limi p ac i ione pa icipa ion and p ac ical ele ance. Addi ional isks include
duplica ing wo k al eady unde aken by o he s, lack o collabo a ion wi h simila wo k ing g oups, and un-
clea alue-added o niche posi ioning wi hin he wide ma ine es o a ion landscape. Add essing hese
challenges p oac i ely will be essen ial o he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup o main ain i s s a egic
ele ance, c edibili y, and capaci y o deli e meaning ul es o a ion ou comes ac oss Eu ope.
Th ough coo dina ed ac ion, he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup he e o e has he oppo uni y o ad-
d ess he weaknesses o exis ing ne wo ks —limi ed in e -ne wo k coo dina ion/collabo a ion, unequal/
inequi able pa icipa ion, and slow ansla ion o science in o policy — while p o iding a pla o m o sus ai-
ned collabo a ion, inno a ion, and in luence. I s ocus on s a egic, s anda ds-based es o a ion, combined
wi h capaci y building, policy ad ocacy, and c oss-Eu opean ne wo king, posi ions he Ma ine Res o a ion
Wo king G oup as a cen al hub ha no only consolida es expe ise bu ac i ely d i es he implemen a ion,
scaling, and impac o ma ine es o a ion e o s ac oss he con inen .
The es ablishmen o he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup a e hus a meaning ul s ep owa ds sa egua d-
ing ma ine ecosys ems along he Eu opean Seas. As a ne wo k o expe s om a di e se ange o back-
g ounds, including scien is s and p ac i ione s, economis s and policy-make s, hey will play a c i ical ole
in ad oca ing o p og essi e ma ine es o a ion s anda ds, and os e collabo a ions be ween policy and
p ac ice o d i e o wa d he Na u e Res o a ion Regula ion.
04.
C ea ing an
Eu opean-
Focused Ma ine
Res o a ion
Wo king G oup
23
The Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup was es ablished on he 25 h Au-
gus 2024, unde he au ho i y o he Boa d o Di ec o s o he Eu opean
Chap e o he Socie y o Ecological Res o a ion.
In line wi h he ision and mission o he Socie y o Ecological Res o-
a ion, he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup aims o ad ance he
science, policy and p ac ice o ma ine ecosys em es o a ion o sus ain
biodi e si y, imp o e esilience in a changing clima e and e-es ablish
ecologically heal hy ela ionship be ween na u e and communi ies who
ely on he ma ine space and i s esou ces.
Co e ing es o a ion policy, p ocesses and p ac ices speci ically ela-
ed o ma ine ecosys ems, he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup d aws
om expe knowledge and unde s anding ob ained om a numbe o
EU- unded p ojec s including CLIMAREST (Coas al Clima e Resilience
and Ma ine Res o a ion Tools o he A c ic – A lan ic basin) and RE-
DRESS (Res o a ion o deep-sea habi a s o ebuild Eu opean Seas) o
d i e o wa d he implemen a ion o bes p ac ice in he ield o ma ine
ecosys em es o a ion.
In alignmen wi h all wo king g oups unde he umb ella o he Socie y
o Ecological Res o a ion, he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup will
con inue o do his by:
▷Facili a ing and o ganising e en s/wo kshops o exchange in o ma-
ion and ideas
▷Con ibu ing o he scien i ic and echnical expe ne wo k o he
Eu opean Chap e o he Socie y o Ecological Res o a ion wi h o-
cus on ma ine ecosys ems
▷P o iding echnical expe ise and assis ing on policy, scien i ic and
echnical issues ega ding o ma ine ecosys em es o a ion in Eu ope
▷P omo ing and suppo ing he upscaling and eplica ion o es o a-
ion e o s ac oss Eu ope
▷Con ibu ing o he Res o a ion Resou ce Cen e o he Socie y o
Ecological Res o a ion
The Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup will wo k o ensu e ha ma ine
ecosys em es o a ion is ecognised and u ilised as a undamen al com-
ponen o Eu opean biodi e si y and sus ainable de elopmen p og am-
mes, and ha u u e p ojec s a e designed and implemen ed e ec i ely.
Thema ic Focus and Objec i es
24
Figu e 1: A diag am o illus a e he s eps leading o he es ablishmen o he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup.
25
The Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup held i s i s (online) mee ing on he 14 h Oc obe 2024.
Pa icipan s ag eed in his mee ing on he ollowing ambi ious objec i es:
1. Publish a co-au ho ed posi ion pape on Ma ine Ecosys em Res o a ion ha in eg a es lessons lea ned
om ongoing global es o a ion e o s, iden i ying common p inciples ha align wi h he o ma o he
na ional es o a ion plans and ele an legisla ion.
2. Adap he P inciples and S anda ds o Ecosys em Res o a ion, as published by he Socie y o Ecologi-
cal Res o a ion o he ma ine space, iden i ying speci ic es o a ion ac ions and documen ing p ac ical
examples o he implemen a ion o he SER 5* Sys em, aiming o p o ide conc e e ecommenda ions o
enhancing he e ec i eness o ma ine es o a ion e o s.
3. Facili a e he exchange o knowledge on he implemen a ion o he Na u e Res o a ion Regula ion (NRR)
ac oss Eu opean Membe S a es, wi h a ocus on he p epa a ion o Na ional Res o a ion Plans (and a
blue es o a ion plan), in i ing key speake s om membe s a es o p esen ele an in o ma ion and
bes p ac ices.
4. Conduc an in en o y o exis ing ma ine es o a ion guidelines and in e en ions ac oss Eu opean Mem-
be S a es o p io i ise e ec i e ma ine es o a ion s a egies, assessing he cu en seascape o e-
s o a ion p ac ices, iden i ying gaps in knowledge and e alua ing exis ing o p oposed mechanisms o
p io i isa ion.
5. Con ibu e o a comp ehensi e economic assessmen amewo k o ma ine es o a ion, e alua-
ing he cos s, bene i s, unding and inancing mechanisms, in eg a ing insigh s and indings om
c oss-basin, EU unded, es o a ion p ojec s including CLIMAREST and REDRESS, wi h an aim o p o-
ide ecommenda ions o s akeholde s o enhance unding s a egies and in es men in ma ine e-
s o a ion in e en ions.
In addi ion, om Au umn 2025, he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup accep ed he esponsibili y o p o i-
ding egula e iews and con en upda es o he Ma ine Res o a ion Toolbox, which is an ou pu o he CLIMA-
REST p ojec , and which will be ans e ed o he Res o a ion Resou ce Cen e o he Socie y o Ecological
Res o a ion in Oc obe 2025.
Box 3 - The Ma ine Res o a ion Toolbox
The Ma ine Res o a ion Toolbox is an online pla o m aimed a ma ine es o a ion p ac i ione s, go e n-
men ep esen a i es and esea che s, who a e sea ching o scien i ically alida ed me hodologies,
bluep in s, guidelines and esou ces which will assis hem in hei es o a ion ac ions. S uc u ed on
he p inciples ou lined in he UN Decade o Ecosys em Res o a ion S anda ds o Ecosys em Res o-
a ion, o which he Socie y o Ecological Res o a ion con ibu ed, i will also hos a i ual labo a o y
whe e ools and code can be accessed and manipula ed o p o ide g ea e insigh in o es o a ion
ac ions be o e o du ing hei unde aking.
32
05.
S a egic
Vision
2030
33
34
Figu e 5: The Vision and Mission o SER-Eu ope’s Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup and a 5 yea oadmap o i s objec i es.
The Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup has buil a i e yea s a egic ne wo king oadmap, wi h he unde -
s anding ha hese ac ions will be ca ied ou only i unding is easible.
Fi e Yea S a egic Ne wo king Policy Plan
35
GOALS
OBJECTIVES
Es ablish he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup using exis ing amewo ks
se ou by he Socie y o Ecological Res o a ion, and aise awa eness o he
g oup in Eu ope and in e na ionally, c ea ing a conc e e ne wo k o knowledge
exchange.
▷Raise awa eness abou he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup among he
ma ine es o a ion communi y and o he ele an ne wo ks, he eby es abli-
shing he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup as a esou ce o expe ise which
can help in he compila ion o Na ional Res o a ion Plans in line wi h he Na-
u e Res o a ion Regula ion.
▷Compile a da abase o ma ine es o a ion expe s ac oss Eu ope, and iden i-
y gaps in knowledge base (e.g. ecosys em, egion, me hodology) o s uc u e
u u e capaci y de elopmen
▷Collabo a e and engage wi h a leas 3 ex is ing ele an o associa ed
ne wo ks o sha e insigh s and p o ide mu ual con ibu ions o sha ed
ac ions.
▷Es ablish connec ions be ween he Mission Communica ion and Suppo
Ac ions, Ligh houses and associa ed collabo a i es, communica ing on he
objec i es o he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup.
Yea 1 - Building a Founda ion (Ends No embe 2025)
36
Box 4 - Cu en Pa icipa ion in Eu opean and In e na ional E en s
To da e, he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup o a ep esen a i e he eo ha e/has pa icipa ed in
he ollowing e en s:
Augus 2024
▷Socie y o Ecological Res o a ion, Eu-
opean Chap e Con e ence (Ta u,
Es onia) - launch
Ma ch 2025
▷Eu opean Ocean Days as pa o Mission:
Res o e ou Oceans and Wa e s by 2030
(B ussels, Belgium)
▷ICES WKREST Wo kshop on Ecosys em
Res o a ion (Online)
▷REST-COAST Coas al es o a ion wi h
Seag ass Meadows: Science o Applica-
ion (Online)
▷Ramón Ma gale Summe Colloquia (Ba -
celona, Spain)
▷Eu opean Ma ine Boa d Webina : F om
Coas al Wa e s o he Deep Sea - Ma ine
Li e Unde En i onmen al Change (Online)
▷Webina on 10 Key P inciples o E ec i e
Na ional Res o a ion Plans om he Wo ld
Wildli e Fund (Online)
▷Ma i ime T anspo and he Eu opean
Oceans Pac Policy E en (B ussels, Bel-
gium)
▷BioAgo a Ma ine Clus e Con e ence
(B ussels, Belgium)
Oc obe 2025
▷Socie y o Ecological Res o a ion In e -
na ional Con e ence (Den e , USA)
▷EU Algae Awa eness Summi (Be lin,
Ge many)
No embe 2025
▷EU-Wide Implemen a ion Suppo E en
on De eloping Na ional Res o a ion
Plans unde he EU NRR - Ma ine Ecosy-
s ems (Dublin, I eland)
▷Na i e Oys e Res o a ion Alliance Con-
e ence 6 (Ca agena, Spain)
Janua y 2025
▷Ocean and Coas al Fu u es Con e ence
(Online) (incl. Ongoing webina se ies)
Ap il 2025
▷Eu opean Seag ass Res o a ion Alliance
Wo kshop II (A cachon, F ance)
▷ICES & BlueMission AA Join Webina on
Ma ine Ecosys em Res o a ion (Online)
June 2025
▷Zoological Socie y o London Seascape
Symposium (London, Uni ed Kingdom)
▷One Ocean Science Cong ess (Nice,
F ance)
▷UN Ocean Decade Con e ence (Nice,
F ance)
▷MARE People and he Sea Con e ence
(Ams e dam, Ne he lands)
July 2025
▷In e na ional Tempe a e Ree s Sympo-
sium (B es , F ance)
▷58 h Eu opean Ma ine Biology Sympo-
sium (Bodo, No way)
▷In e na ional Con e ence on Ma ine Con-
se a ion (ICMC) (London, Uni ed King-
dom)
▷Sep embe 2025
▷ICES Annual Science Con e ence (Klai-
peda, Li huania)
37
Box 5: Building a B and
The Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup has been es ablished wi h a s ong b and ha is consis en and
eadily associa ed wi h ha o he Socie y o Ecological Res o a ion and which e lec s he expe ise,
alues and unique oice o he wo king g oup.
All membe s o he wo king g oup a e ac i ely encou aged o sha e he ou pu s o a ge connec ions,
o example con e ences, p o essional associa ions and pa icipa ion in o he wo king g oups o
ne wo ks.
Slide decks wi h s anda dised in og aphics, logos and licensed pho os ha e been c ea ed o he use o
he leade ship eam and ep esen a i es o he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup a ou each e en s.
In 2026, he Leade ship eam will wo k o o malise an ou each and communica ions s a egy o he
Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup which ocuses on he speci ic objec i es and oppo uni ies o i s
membe s and a ilia es.
▷Qua e ly mee ings o he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup, wi h smalle
Task Fo ces assigned o help mee he ag eed objec i es.
▷Raise he p o ile o he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup on he Eu opean
and in e na ional s age by pa icipa ing in con e ences, symposia and e en s
▷Se up he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup page on he Eu opean Chap e
o Ecological Res o a ion’s websi e (www.se -eu ope.o g), and es ablish a
p o essional social ne wo k ia LinkedIn.
Figu e 6: Examples o he SER-Eu ope Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup B and
ACTIONS
38
Janua y 2026
▷Ocean and Coas al Fu u es Con e ence
(London, Uni ed Kingdom)
Ma ch 2026
▷Eu opean Ocean Days (B ussels, Bel-
gium)
▷Eu opean Ci izen Science Associa ion
(ECSA) (Oulu, Finland)
▷Wo ld Ocean Summi (Mon eal, Canada)
May 2026
▷Eu opean Ma i ime Days (Limassol,
Cyp us)
▷6 h Ecosys em Se ices Pa ne ship
(ESP) Eu ope Con e ence (P ague, Cze-
chia)
▷Eu oGOOS In e na ional Con e ence
(La naca, Cyp us)
Oc obe 2026
▷Con en ion on Biological Di e si y
(CBD) Con e ence o he Pa ies (COP)
17 (Ye e an, A menia)
Box 6 - Upcoming E en s in which he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup wishes o / will pa icipa e
/ be ep esen ed
TBC
▷6 h In e na ional Ma ine P o ec ed A eas Cong ess (IMPAC) (Loca ion TBC)
▷59 h Eu opean Ma ine Biology Symposium (Da e and Loca ion TBC)
▷Wo ld Seag ass Con e ence (Abu Dhabi, Da e TBC)
▷Eu OCEAN 2026 (Da e and Loca ion TBC)
Feb ua y 2026
▷Ocean Sciences Mee ing (OSM 2026)
(Glasgow, Sco land)
Ap il 2026
▷Na ional Con e ence on Ecosys em Re-
s o a ion (Omaha, Neb aska, USA)
Augus 2026
▷ICES ASC 2026 (B es )
▷SER-Eu ope Con e ence 2026 (B es )
▷Es ua ine and Coas al Sciences Asso-
cia ion (ECSA) Con e ence (B ussels,
Belgium)
No embe 2026
▷Wo ld Con e ence on Ma ine Biodi e si y
(WCMB) (B uges, Belgium)
39
S eng hening he Ma ine Res o a ion Ne wo k, ex end connec ions wi hin Eu o-
pe and suppo he scaling o ma ine es o a ion e o s in he Eu opean con ex .
▷Regula ly pa icipa e in local, egional, na ional and in e na ional e en s in-
cluding wo kshops, symposia, and con e ences.
▷Es ablish c oss-sec o collabo a ions
▷Engage policy make s in he wo k and ou pu s o he Ma ine Res o a ion
Wo k ing G oup
▷Collabo a e wi h Eu opean esea ch p ojec s o u he es ablish s an-
da ds-based bes p ac ice in he ma ine es o a ion space
▷Facili a e oppo uni ies o p o essional de elopmen .
▷O ganise one wo kshop o special session in line wi h he Eu opean Chap e
o Ecological Res o a ion Con e ence, in B es 2026
▷Facili a e egional wo kshops o add ess egion-speci ic challenges and so-
lu ions
▷Pa icipa e in egional and na ional wo kshops, symposia and e en s and
sha e ou comes h ough e po s published on he websi e
▷Pa icipa e in policy ound ables on ma ine ecosys em es o a ion
▷Use he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup as a means o boos unding ap-
plica ions and con inue o ne wo k and encou age c oss-EU collabo a ion in
ma ine ecosys em es o a ion h ough join p ojec p oposals
▷Publish a leas 1 posi ion pape
▷Publish P inciples and S anda ds o Ecosys em Res o a ion adap ed o he
ma ine space, as app o ed by he Socie y o Ecological Res o a ion.
GOALS
ACTIONS
OBJECTIVES
Yea 3 - Expanding Connec ions wi h a Eu opean Focus (Ends No embe 2028)
40
Cemen he posi ion o he Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup as a leading oice
in connec ing he science, policy and p ac ice o ma ine ecosys em es o a ion,
ensu ing long- e m collabo a ion ac oss Eu ope and in associa ion wi h a global
ne wo k as coo dina ed by he Socie y o Ecological Res o a ion.
▷Hos a Ma ine Res o a ion Summi
▷Facili a e and encou age policy ad ocacy and in eg a ion in collabo a ion
wi h he Legal Wo king G oup o he Eu opean Chap e o he Socie y o
Ecological Res o a ion.
▷Focus on de eloping long e m unding mechanisms o ensu e ha he Ma ine
Res o a ion Wo king G oup can con inue o g ow beyond he Eu opean Union
Mission Res o e ou Oceans and Wa e s objec i es o 2030.
▷A summi o be o ganised and held as pa o he Socie y o Ecological Re-
s o a ion Con e ence in 2029 and as pa o he Eu opean Chap e Con e-
ence in 2030, b inging oge he leading expe s, policymake s and s akehol-
de s om ac oss Eu ope (and globally) o exchange knowledge, shape policy
and high ligh majo s eps o wa d in upscaling ma ine es o a ion.
▷Ac i e and egula pa icipa ion in majo Eu opean con e ences ha ocus
on b idging policy and p ac ice
▷P omo e he inclusion o s anda ds based es o a ion, clima e adap a ion and
esilience measu es wi hin ma ine ecosys em es o a ion p ojec p oposals
The implemen a ion o such a s a egy equi es in en ion and consis ency. The es ablishmen o he Ma ine Re-
s o a ion Wo king G oup is an in eg al pa o he long- e m s a egy o he Eu opean Chap e o he Socie y o
Ecological Res o a ion, and will con inue o ea u e in upcoming s a egy e iews. The ne wo k is necessa y o
sha e knowledge, unde s anding and expe ience, o de elop s anda ds and bes p ac ices o guide u u e ma i-
ne es o a ion ac ions and in o de o p o ide a pool o expe s who can be consul ed in he de elopmen o he
Na ional Res o a ion Plans as equi ed by he Na u e Res o a ion Regula ion. Wi h objec i es se and ag eed
GOALS
OBJECTIVES
ACTIONS
Yea 5 - Cemen ing Policy In luence (Ends No embe 2030)
41
upon annually by he wo king g oup,
and a communal goal o make a posi i-
e con ibu ion, he wo king g oup has
al eady de eloped a clea ision and
mission o pu pose. Fu he mo e, he
leade ship eam and wo k ing g oup co-
o dina o s will nu u e he ne wo k o
o e alue, suppo and encou age en-
gagemen o e ime. Regula mee ings,
di ision in o ask o ces, and annual
in-pe son mee ings will help build good
ela ionships.
The long- e m ne wo king s a egy
de eloped join ly unde he EU-Fun-
ded, Mission Ocean p ojec s CLIMA-
REST and REDRESS — cen ed on
he es ablishmen o a pan-Eu opean
Ma ine Res o a ion Wo king G oup —
di ec ly ein o ces he p io i ies and
di ec ion se by he Eu opean Chap e
o he Socie y o Ecological Res o a-
ion. By os e ing a du able, c oss-bo -
de pla o m o collabo a ion, hese
p ojec s align wi h SER-Eu ope’s com-
mi men o ad ancing s anda ds-ba-
sed, science-d i en ma ine es o a-
ion h ough c edible ne wo ks and
lagship ini ia i es. This app oach no
only suppo s he ha monisa ion o
bes p ac ices and he scaling o in e -
en ions ac oss di e se Eu opean ma-
ine en i onmen s, bu also s eng h-
ens he capaci y and pa ne ships ha
SER-Eu ope iden i ies as essen ial o
achie ing EU es o a ion a ge s. In
his way, hese p ojec s con ibu e o
es ablishing he long- e m esilience
o Eu ope’s ma ine ecosys ems whil e
embedding i s ou comes wi hin an
es ablished con inen al s a egy o
ecological es o a ion.
48
07.
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49
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52
www.se -eu ope.o g
in o@se -eu ope.o g
SER Eu ope
