Marine Biodiversity Restoration

in the Atlantic & Arctic Ocean
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PHAROS is an EU-funded project, led by the Canary Islands Ocean Platform (PLOCAN), and implemented by a consortium of 24 organisations from September 2024 to August 2029, which aims to provide nature-based solutions for restoring ecosystems and biodiversity while tackling climate change and human impacts in the Atlantic and Arctic maritime regions.

The European Union is taking significant steps towards protecting and restoring our ocean’s health with the PHAROS project, a crucial part of the EU’s ambitious Ocean Mission. Aiming to achieve three key objectives by 2030: restoring marine ecosystems and biodiversity, eliminating ocean pollution, and creating a sustainable blue economy, PHAROS is set to bridge the development phase (ending in 2025) and the deployment phase (2026-2030).

Restoration

PHAROS will conduct three demonstrations in the Atlantic, utilising a mix of newly developed Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), specifically tailored to the local environment. These efforts will lead to significant biodiversity and ecosystem restoration benefits during the initial phase of the mission.

Invasive Species Reduction

PHAROS will collaborate with the H2020 ECOTIP project to enhance and expand its efforts in a demonstration aimed at reducing invasive species in Iceland through the use of eDNA monitoring. This initiative will span both the first and second phases of the mission.

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Mission Integration

PHAROS will advance the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and implement leading Mission projects across the Atlantic and Arctic (AA) basin. This includes initiatives such as the Prep4Blue MPA platform and network, Nettagplus, Remedies Fisher Guardian, Citizen Litter Entrepreneur programs, and the Probleu EU Blue School Network platform for education, bridging into phase 2 of the mission.

LATEST NEWS
PHAROS shares nature-based restoration work at North Sea Advisory Council meeting
 PHAROS shares nature-based restoration work at North Sea Advisory Council meeting 1024 400 PHAROS Project

PHAROS presented its nature-based solutions at the NSAC Ecosystem Working Group meeting.

PHAROS Future- Blue Skills session report: Ireland’s Blue Economy
 PHAROS Future- Blue Skills session report: Ireland’s Blue Economy 1024 423 PHAROS Project

Blue Skills session at Munster Technological University (MTU) brought together leading researchers, industry voices and innovators to tackle a pressing question: who will crew Ireland’s growing blue economy, and what skills will they need?

Irish Living Lab Day 3: Bantry Marine Research Station
 Irish Living Lab Day 3: Bantry Marine Research Station 1024 576 PHAROS Project

Can strategically farmed seaweed, placed just 200 metres from a commercial salmon farm, actually restore marine habitats? The PHAROS project’s first full season of data from Bantry Bay, where winged and sugar kelp are cultivated, has delivered unexpected answers. The control site (no salmon) grew more kelp, but the Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) site hosted far more tiny marine life, revealing a complex, surprising trade-off between biomass and biodiversity.

Effective MPA Management: More than 60 people in person and online gathered at the Irish Living Lab Event
 Effective MPA Management: More than 60 people in person and online gathered at the Irish Living Lab Event 1024 707 PHAROS Project

A gathering of marine scientists, policymakers, and coastal stakeholders gathered at Munster Technological University’s (MTU) new STEM building tackled one of the most pressing questions facing the island nation: how to protect 30 percent of its vast maritime area by 2030 without alienating the communities that depend on it.

Ireland Living Lab Day 2: Blue Economy Innovation & Skills Forum gets under way at MTU Tralee
 Ireland Living Lab Day 2: Blue Economy Innovation & Skills Forum gets under way at MTU Tralee 1024 423 PHAROS Project

Blue Economy Innovation & Skills Forum kicks off at MTU Tralee, with parallel online workshop for EU Blue Schools

Industry leaders, entrepreneurs and students have gathered at MTU’s North Campus in Tralee this morning for the Blue Economy Innovation & Skills Forum, exploring the future of Ireland’s ocean industries and the talent needed to power them. Keynote speaker Wayne Murphy (Hatch Blue) delivers a global perspective on aquaculture and blue economy innovation, alongside interactive workshops on fisheries, seaweed and coastal tourism.

PHAROS Irish Living Lab Day 1: Ireland Charts Course for 30×30: Marine Protected Areas Take Centre Stage at MTU, Kerry
 PHAROS Irish Living Lab Day 1: Ireland Charts Course for 30×30: Marine Protected Areas Take Centre Stage at MTU, Kerry 1024 707 PHAROS Project

Over 60 marine scientists, policymakers, and coastal stakeholders convened in person and online at Munster Technological University’s new STEM building for the first session of the PHAROS Irish Living Lab Event, focused on effective management of marine protected areas (MPAs).

Diving Into the PHAROS Future: Virtual Reality at European Maritime Days in Limassol
 Diving Into the PHAROS Future: Virtual Reality at European Maritime Days in Limassol 1024 729 PHAROS Project

Among the hundreds…

Plastic Fantastic Hackathon Finals Report
 Plastic Fantastic Hackathon Finals Report 1024 576 PHAROS Project

The Plastic Fantastic Hackathon…

From Trash to Triumph: PHAROS Hackathon Awards €10,000 to Innovators Tackling the Marine Litter Crisis
 From Trash to Triumph: PHAROS Hackathon Awards €10,000 to Innovators Tackling the Marine Litter Crisis 1024 597 PHAROS Project

After an eight-day sprint that drew innovators from four continents, the Pharos Plastic Fantastic Hackathon crowned its winners on 19 May, awarding €10,000 in cash prizes and a three-month acceleration programme to four teams with bold, actionable solutions to the world’s marine litter crisis.

PHAROS Takes Stage at European Maritime Day 2026: Virtual Reef Dives, Citizen Science, and Real‑Time Ocean Forecasting Come to Limassol
 PHAROS Takes Stage at European Maritime Day 2026: Virtual Reef Dives, Citizen Science, and Real‑Time Ocean Forecasting Come to Limassol 991 557 PHAROS Project

Experience immersive marine protection at European Maritime Day 2026 in Limassol (21–22 May). PHAROS joins top EU research projects for an interactive exhibition on marine protection. Move beyond PowerPoint, try VR reef dives, eDNA tracking, and citizen science.

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