PHAROS shares nature-based restoration work at North Sea Advisory Council meeting

• June 1, 2026

The PHAROS project was presented at the North Sea Advisory Council’s Ecosystem Working Group meeting on 18 March 2026, where partners shared how the project is testing nature-based solutions for marine restoration.

During the meeting, PLOCAN introduced PHAROS as a five-year EU-funded initiative coordinated by the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands, with 24 European partners working to support ecosystem restoration, reduce marine pollution and advance a blue, circular and carbon-free economy. The project combines demonstration sites, monitoring, stakeholder engagement and digital tools to turn restoration ideas into practical solutions.

The presentation took place in a broader NSAC discussion focused on marine habitat recovery, restoration planning and the practical delivery of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation. That context matters, because the report shows that North Sea restoration is not a theoretical debate. It is about finding workable measures for damaged habitats, limited space and competing sea uses.

PHAROS is currently running four demonstrations across three sites. In the Canary Islands, the project is combining integrated multi-trophic aquaculture with artificial reefs and macroalgae-based restoration to improve habitat complexity and ecosystem function. In Ireland, macroalgae is being cultivated downstream of salmon farming to make use of nutrient outputs and support habitat provision. In Iceland, the project is deploying environmental DNA monitoring to track invasive pink salmon and native species in river systems.

The NSAC report also highlighted several lessons that strengthen the case for PHAROS. Belgian restoration planning is being shaped by scientific studies, habitat suitability mapping and biological valuation, with oyster reefs and gravel beds identified as priorities for active restoration, while Sabellaria and Lanice reefs are expected to recover through passive restoration once pressures are reduced. The report also states that many habitats in the Belgian North Sea are in poor condition, with low species abundance and diversity, limited long-living keystone species and high disturbance, which underlines the scale of the challenge.

Just as important, the report shows that restoration must be adaptive and collaborative. Belgian authorities stressed that restoration measures need to be realistic, phased and informed by monitoring, with further adjustments planned as lessons are learned. The report also notes ongoing cooperation with fishers, including pilot collaborations on oyster reef restoration and substrate installation, showing that practical restoration depends on early stakeholder involvement.

For PHAROS, that is exactly the point. The project is not just testing technical solutions. It is building evidence for how marine restoration can work in real conditions, across different sea basins, with the right mix of ecology, monitoring and cooperation. Its contribution to the NSAC meeting placed it in the centre of a policy conversation on how Europe should move from restoration ambition to restoration delivery.