Pharos Innovation for Ocean Restoration - Marine Biodiversity Restoration in the Atlantic and Arctic

Short description of the project: PHAROS is a five-year project financed by Horizon Europe aimed at providing nature-based solutions for restoring ecosystems and biodiversity while tackling climate change and human impacts in the Atlantic and Arctic maritime regions. 

Expected results: PHAROS will undertake a variety of activities to develop innovative Nature-Based Solutions (NBS). These include Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (IMTA), reef restoration, marine forests, and polyculture macroalgae, all tailored to local contexts to maximise biodiversity and ecosystem restoration benefits. In particular, PJHAROS' activities include the implementation of the following demonstrations: 1) Atlantic Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), 2) Marine Forest and Reef Restoration in Gran Canaria, 3) Arctic eDNA Monitoring for Invasive Species, and 4) IMTA and Multiple Use of Space in Ireland.

Application/relevance: PHAROS is part of the European Union's strategy to protect and restore the ocean's health. Therefore, it contributes to achieving the European Union’s ambitious Ocean Mission objectives, which include: restoring marine ecosystems and biodiversity, eliminating ocean pollution, and chieving a sustainable, carbon-neutral, and circular blue economy by 2030.