The CESAM researcher and professor at the Department of Biology of the University of Aveiro, Ana Sousa, was part of the expert group invited to develope the European Seagrass Recommendations 2026, the first Europe-wide scientific consensus document dedicated to the protection, monitoring, and restoration of seagrass meadows.
The document was published on 1 June 2026 by the European Seagrass Restoration Alliance (ESRA) and is the result of a collaborative process involving researchers from 17 European countries. The recommendations were drafted following the second European Seagrass Restoration Workshop, held in April 2025 in Arcachon (France), and a subsequent workshop in February 2026 in Schiermonnikoog, the Netherlands, where 26 experts from 12 countries participated, including Ana Sousa. The document was later reviewed by other researchers from across Europe, including Pedro Coelho, also a CESAM researcher.
Seagrass meadows are among the most productive ecosystems on the planet, playing a fundamental role in protecting coastal areas from erosion and flooding, improving water quality, sequestering and storing carbon, and supporting biodiversity and fisheries. Despite their ecological and socio-economic importance, these habitats have experienced a significant decline in recent decades due to water quality degradation, coastal development, invasive species, and various human pressures.
The recently published recommendations establish eight strategic priorities to guide policymakers, managers, practicioners and funding bodies in the recovery of these ecosystems. These include protecting existing seagrass meadows, reducing environmental pressures before undertaking restoration actions, identifying priority areas for restoration, implementing long-term monitoring programmes, developing evidence-based methodologies, strengthening human capacity, creating appropriate funding mechanisms, and developing sustainable supply chains for transplant material.
According to Ana Sousa, “Seagrass restoration represents an excelent opportunity to restore nature, strengthen climate resilience, and benefit coastal communities. Today, we have the scientific knowledge, responsibility, and policy framework needed to transform ecological recovery into a lasting success story. These recommendations allow us to move beyond preventing further losses and towards restoring the ecological functions, climate benefits, and natural resilience provided by these ecosystems.”
The publication comes at a particularly relevant moment for the implementation of the European Nature Restoration Regulation, providing scientific guidance that can support the development of policies and concrete actions across Europe. The recommendations are also aligned with the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
The participation of CESAM researchers in this process reinforces the contribution of CESAM and the University of Aveiro to the production of scientific knowledge with a tangible impact on European environmental policies and the conservation of marine ecosystems.
Further information: European Seagrass Recommendations 2026 (link and document available here)
About ESRA
The European Seagrass Restoration Alliance (ESRA) is a collaborative platform bridging research and large-scale restoration practice. ESRA provides a platform for the European seagrass restoration community to collaborate and engage in knowledge exchange.