EU invests €116 million in 13 projects to restore ocean and waters. A new wave of projects has secured funding under the latest EU Mission Ocean and Waters calls. With a total budget of €116 million, the 13 projects selected will deliver a wide variety of benefits to the ocean and waters in the EU and beyond, as well as the communities that rely on them. The projects will be implemented across various sea basins, including the Black Sea, Danube River, Baltic and North Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Atlantic and Arctic regions.
The projects focus on:
- preserving offshore marine protected areas
- protecting and restoring the habitats of migratory fish in the Danube area
- reducing the environmental impact of fisheries on marine species and habitats
- strengthening citizen science in the marine sector
- mobilising communities to act for our ocean and waters
- ensuring an operational European Digital Twin of the Ocean (a digital representation of the ocean and its multiple components)
The projects involve SMEs, research organisations, local authorities, schools, and businesses.
With this significant investment, the EU is taking a major step towards restoring the health of the ocean and waters – a key priority under the European Ocean Pact – and ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.
Here is a glimpse of what the projects will deliver
- SEAMPHONI: Uses advanced technology to monitor offshore marine biodiversity and engages the public through creative storytelling.
- DanubeLifelines: Restores pathways for fish in the Danube River, improving their natural migration routes.
- SWIM: Enhances fish habitats in the Danube and Black Sea by applying eco-friendly restoration methods.
- ECO-CATCH: Develops new fishing technologies to reduce unwanted bycatch and protect marine habitats.
- MarineGuardian: Devises tools to help fishers reduce environmental impacts and align with EU biodiversity goals.
- CS-MACH1: Connects citizen scientists to share marine data, boosting public involvement and research.
- INSPIRI: Combines science and art to inspire action for healthier EU waters in the future.
- BlueActionBANOS, BlueActionAA, SoS2LearnDBS, TASC-RestoreMed: Empower local communities across various sea basins—including the Baltic and North Seas, Atlantic and Arctic regions, Danube and Black Sea regions, and the Mediterranean—to implement effective restoration and conservation efforts.
- CO-WATERS: Empowers waterfront communities to lead the restoration of our ocean and waters.
- EDITO2: Builds on EDITO to improve the European Digital Twin Ocean with more advanced tools.
More details on the selected projects, including budget and beneficiaries, are available in the overview of projects.
The projects were selected following calls for proposals launched in 2024, including a peer evaluation by independent experts.
Background
The investment is part of the Horizon Europe Programme which aims to bring solutions to some of society’s greatest challenges.
Launched in September 2021, the EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters’ aims to protect and restore the health of our ocean and waters by 2030 through research and innovation, citizen engagement and investments in the sustainable blue economy. The Mission addresses the ocean and waters as one interconnected system and plays a key role in achieving climate neutrality and restoring nature.
The Mission supports regional engagement and cooperation through area-based ‘Lighthouses’ in major sea and river basins: Atlantic-Arctic, Mediterranean Sea, Baltic-North Sea, and Danube-Black Sea. Mission lighthouses are sites to pilot, demonstrate, develop and deploy the Mission activities across EU seas and river basins.