Integrated and coordinated approaches for coral reefs and associated ecosystems (mangroves and seagrass beds) conservation, restoration, and climate mitigation and adaptation
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See in 5 min if you're eligible for Integrated and coordinated approaches for coral reefs and associated ecosystems (mangroves and seagrass beds) conservation, restoration, and climate mitigation and adaptation offering max €30.0M funding💰 Funding Details
Integrated and Coordinated Approaches for Coral Reefs and Associated Ecosystems
Grant Snapshot
* Call identifier: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-07
* Type of Action: HORIZON-RIA (Lump-Sum)
* Maximum EU contribution per project: €30 million (single lump sum)
* Opening date: 6 May 2025
* Deadline: 17 September 2025 – 17:00 (Brussels time)
* Destination: *Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services* (Cluster 6)
Policy Alignment
This call operationalises the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the EU Climate Adaptation Strategy and the European Climate Law. It explicitly supports the forthcoming EU Nature Restoration Regulation and the *Nature-based Solutions* agenda.
Expected Outcomes
1. Increased protection, restoration and resilience of coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds (in and outside MPAs).
2. Integrated land–sea planning & management tools co-created with state-of-the-art science and Indigenous Peoples & Local Communities (IPLC) knowledge.
3. Stronger international coordination & capacity building, especially in outermost regions, Overseas Countries & Territories and in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)/Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Scope Highlights
* Advance functional ecology, connectivity and biogeochemistry of co-occurring coral–mangrove–seagrass seascapes (including mesophotic reefs).
* Analyse trophic webs, top predators, reef sharks, microbiomes, IAS and climate-stress responses.
* Design *multi-disciplinary* management & active restoration protocols (e.g. coral larval propagation, acoustic fish recruitment).
* Co-develop guidelines & decision-support tools with IPLCs and protected-area networks.
* Provide cost-effective monitoring (in-situ sensors, EO, citizen science) and natural capital valuation for NbS.
* Mandatory inclusion of ≥3 beneficiaries from different LDCs and/or SIDS; all international organisations are eligible for funding.
> Lump-Sum Logic: The EU disburses the entire grant as a lump sum linked to work-package completion, shifting financial-risk management to the consortium. Sound work-package costing and milestone definition are therefore critical.
📊 At a Glance
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🇪🇺 Strategic Advantages
EU-wide advantages and opportunities for the call HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-07
1. Single Market Access
Why it matters: Although reef-related R&I is often implemented outside continental Europe, many of the technologies, services and data infrastructures (e.g. Earth-observation, sensors, AI tools, blue-finance products) are developed and commercialised inside the EU Single Market.
Opportunities:
- Immediate access to 450+ million consumers, public buyers and investors for European providers of monitoring hardware, satellite services (Copernicus), marine robotics, biotech and insurance products linked to Nature-based Solutions (NbS).
- Harmonised CE-marking and public-procurement rules speed up deployment of autonomous vehicles, low-impact moorings or eco-engineered reef structures from Portugal’s Atlantic coast to France’s Caribbean ORs and beyond.
- Ocean-related SMEs can trial, certify and roll out solutions in any Member State without duplicate national approvals, then export under EU trade agreements (e.g. Economic Partnership Agreements with many SIDS/LDCs).
2. Cross-Border Collaboration & Knowledge Exchange
- Mandatory inclusion of ≥3 beneficiaries from LDCs/SIDS naturally fosters trans-European consortia with overseas countries & territories (OCTs) and outermost regions (ORs) such as Guadeloupe, Réunion, Canary Islands, Azores, Madeira.
- Researchers gain streamlined mobility through Erasmus+, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and the European Research Area (ERA), allowing joint field campaigns, shared mesocosms and twinning with Caribbean and Indo-Pacific living labs.
- Common EU GDPR framework simplifies cross-border exchange of genetic, geospatial and socio-economic data while respecting IPLC data sovereignty via standard Data Management Plans (DMPs).
3. Alignment with Core EU Strategies
- European Green Deal & EU Nature Restoration Regulation: The topic directly contributes to the regulation’s coastal-wetland targets and the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy’s 30 % protection goal.
- EU Climate Law & Adaptation Strategy: Joint reef-mangrove-seagrass NbS provide carbon sinks and coastal-risk reduction, counting fully toward the EU climate-finance tracking benchmark.
- Digital Europe & EU Data Strategy: Project outputs (inter-operable monitoring platforms, Digital Twin Ocean layers) feed into Destination Earth and EMODnet.
- Global Europe/NDICI: Results strengthen the EU’s “Global Gateway” offer for sustainable infrastructure in partner countries.
4. Regulatory Harmonisation
- Common EU Maritime Spatial Planning Directive (MSPD), Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and Birds & Habitats Directives allow the consortium to craft one science-based guideline template applicable in every coastal Member State and transferable to partner SIDS.
- Use of Copernicus & Galileo is explicitly recognised, ensuring data continuity, interoperability and legal certainty for downstream service providers.
5. World-class Innovation Ecosystem
- Plug into over 2,000 marine and environmental research organisations mapped by the European Marine Board and EMBRC-ERIC, as well as EIT Climate-KIC, EIT Digital and EIT RawMaterials accelerators.
- Access to cutting-edge EU infrastructures (Eurofleets+, EMSO, LifeWatch, Euro-BioImaging) without prohibitive user fees thanks to trans-national access schemes funded under Horizon.
- Synergies with the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” lighthouses (Atlantic-Arctic, Mediterranean, Baltic-North Sea) offer co-location of demonstrators, extended dissemination channels and political visibility.
6. Funding Synergies
- Combine lump-sum budget with LIFE Restore Nature, Interreg (esp. Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Amazonia & Caribbean programmes), BlueInvest equity and InvestEU thematic windows for NbS.
- Complementary calls in Cluster 4 (Digital), Cluster 5 (Climate) and ERA-NETs (Biodiversa+, Water4All, Sustainable Blue Economy) open follow-up or scale-out finance streams.
- The requirement to cluster with past Horizon 2020 projects (e.g. MERCES, FutureMARES, Reef Support) avoids duplication, maximises EU value for money and accelerates technology readiness.
7. EU-scale Deployment & Impact
- Concerted EU action enables standardised functional-ecology metrics and socio-economic indicators, facilitating pan-European natural-capital accounting and inclusion in the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities.
- Shared open-source toolkits and training modules (multilingual, Creative-Commons licensed) can be adopted by 1,200+ Marine Protected Areas managers across the EU network within 3 years after project end.
- Aggregated data streams feed the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity, IPBES, and the Global Biodiversity Framework monitoring—positioning Europe as a knowledge broker between science, policy and IPLCs.
8. Strategic Value of Acting at EU Level
1. Critical mass: Pooling 27+ Member States’ marine stations, ORs and OCTs creates a unique “living laboratory” spanning all major reef biogeographic provinces accessible to Europe.
2. Diplomatic leverage: A coordinated EU voice strengthens high-level forums (UNFCCC, CBD, BBNJ) and bolsters Europe’s leadership on ocean governance.
3. Risk sharing: Lump-sum grant spreads scientific, financial and operational risks across a broader base, reducing exposure for any single country or institution.
4. Social inclusion: Harmonised ethical standards and SSH-integration requirements elevate IPLC rights and gender equality across all project regions.
9. Actionable Next Steps for Applicants
- Map complementary EU initiatives (Mission Ocean, LIFE, Interreg, Digital Europe) and plan joint milestones to unlock co-funding.
- Engage early with EU-level data portals (EMODnet, Copernicus Marine Service) to design interoperable monitoring components.
- Use Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) and National Contact Points to identify SMEs with export-ready reef-tech and blue-finance expertise.
- Integrate EU-standard policy briefs formats (KCBD, BioAgora) to accelerate uptake by DG ENV, DG MARE and Member State ministries.
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Bottom line: Leveraging the EU’s single market, harmonised regulatory environment, dense innovation ecosystem and global diplomatic clout offers applicants a unique springboard to deliver world-leading, scalable and policy-relevant solutions for the integrated conservation and restoration of coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds—achieving impacts that no single Member State could reach alone.
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Ready to Apply?
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See in 5 min if you're eligible for Integrated and coordinated approaches for coral reefs and associated ecosystems (mangroves and seagrass beds) conservation, restoration, and climate mitigation and adaptation offering max €30.0M funding