CLIMAREST

Mission

The CLIMAREST project aims to restore marine ecosystems from the Arctic to the Atlantic through a holistic, transdisciplinary approach, focusing on fragile habitats and developing a generalisable framework for efficient restoration. The project also emphasises upscaling and integration of restoration tools and protocols for policymakers to enhance climate resilience in the region.

During the project, particular attention will be paid to the most fragile and vulnerable habitat types, such as Arctic oligotrophic coastal areas, seagrass meadows, shallow-water rocky bottoms, oyster reefs, and soft bed benthic habitats. Whilst individually unique, these habitats are connected by the coastal context in which they exist, their sensitivity to disturbance and foundations of biodiversity in the ocean.

Furthermore, there the project will focus on the development, testing, evaluation and presentation of a generalisable framework, supported by robust research across the demonstration sites, to provide a template for more efficient and effective restoration of degraded coastal habitats from the Arctic to the Atlantic.

Collaboration with Blue-Cloud

In December 2024, the Blue-Cloud and CLIMAREST teams have signed an MoU to formalise their collaboration and enhance research in the marine ecosystem resilience area.

This MoU establishes a framework for cooperation between the two projects. It strengthens joint efforts to advance FAIR data practices, improve data accessibility, enhance technical interoperability, and drive innovation in marine science. Key areas of collaboration include:

• Data Integration: CLIMAREST will contribute biodiversity monitoring and human impact data to the EMODnet portal, enriching datasets that Blue-Cloud 2026 federates.
• Virtual Research Environments (VREs): CLIMAREST will use Blue-Cloud’s VREs to undertake pilots, with plans to explore further technical integration and service deployment.
• Knowledge Exchange: The projects will share expertise to inform Blue-Cloud’s strategic
  roadmap and contribute to CLIMAREST’s holistic toolbox development.

Read the press release

 

CLIMAREST and Blue-Cloud strengthen their collaboration through Virtual Laboratory

CLIMAREST utilises its Marine Restoration Lab, built on the Blue-Cloud Virtual Research Environment (VRE), to support interactive data analysis and modelling. The lab leverages Blue-Cloud’s JupyterHub environment to host interactive notebooks featuring text, dynamic visualisations, and widgets for toggling through pre-created scenarios. To refine the tools and libraries used, the team first develops local prototypes within JupyterHub and R Shiny.