National Recovery and Resilience Plan, National Biodiversity Future Center, Solutions to reverse marine biodiversity loss, and manage marine resources sustainably (Spoke 2)

Marine biodiversity is essential for the health of seas and oceans, which is ultimately key to human well-being and the survival of the whole planet. Healthy seas are critical for achieving a sustainable development of our society, and undoubtedly many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) may not be realized without achieving SDG14 for a healthy ocean. The project aims at implementing concrete actions to reduce human pressure on Mediterranean marine biodiversity by defining and testing solutions to reduce the biodiversity loss due to human activities such as fishery, navigation, and tourism. Within this project, more sustainable aquaculture approaches will be developed to reduce threats and impacts on marine ecosystems and biodiversity by developing new KETs, methodologies and strategies, as well as tuning more eco-sustainable blue biotechnologies to support the sustainable valorization of marine biomass under a circular, interdisciplinary approach. A second goal of the project is the development and testing of restoration actions in critical marine habitats from the intertidal to the deep sea. A strategy for a safer marine habitat restoration and biodiversity oriented planning of the human uses of the sea will be implemented. Innovative technologies for marine biodiversity to observe, restore and address emergent biodiversity threats will be developed, benefiting from the latest multi-omics technologies, the use of big data, the implementation of bio-archives and digital tools. While enhancing active conservation and restoration of marine habitats, the project will foster valorization of biological resources and sustain novel industrial initiatives, opening new job opportunities.