Adopting a holistic, long-term strategy, RENOVATE aims to restore ecosystem functionality over a 10-year period. Its methodology combines structured planning, rigorous experimental design, continuous monitoring, and adaptive management to ensure effective restoration outcomes.

A key innovation is the development of an advanced observing and modelling system operating at both regional and coastal scales. This system integrates traditional monitoring methods with cutting-edge technologies, including autonomous underwater vehicles, fixed observation stations, environmental sensors, citizen-science contributions, and satellite remote sensing. The data collected feed into numerical and operational modelling frameworks, effectively creating a prototype “digital twin of the oceans.”

This network delivers high-resolution data to optimize restoration actions, improve early warning systems for extreme events, climatic and human pressures, and enable long-term monitoring of ecosystem service recovery. Early results already indicate positive ecological trends, reinforcing the strategic value of RENOVATE’s science-driven, integrated approach to coastal ecosystem restoration.