To restore coastal marine areas, we need to work across multiple habitats simultaneously

Abstract

Coastal marine restoration is central to global biodiversity and climate goals, yet most efforts focus on single habitats despite strong evidence that positive cross‑habitat interactions enhance ecosystem resilience and restoration success. This article synthesizes research showing that facilitative processes—such as wave attenuation, nutrient cycling, substrate provision, and sediment stabilization—link coral reefs, seagrass, mangroves, saltmarshes, kelp, and other coastal habitats across spatial scales ranging from meters to kilometers. A review of 2,145 studies found only six examples of multihabitat restoration and just three that explicitly leveraged cross‑habitat facilitation. The authors argue that scaling restoration requires shifting from isolated projects to seascape‑level design informed by natural habitat configurations, ecological modeling, and long‑distance biotic interactions. They outline barriers including funding, permitting, and limited cross‑disciplinary planning, and highlight opportunities for policy reform, coordinated marine spatial planning, and integration of blue‑carbon strategies. Multihabitat restoration, they conclude, is essential for meeting global restoration targets and building climate‑resilient coastal ecosystems.

Citation

Vozzo, M. L., Doropoulos, C., Silliman, B. R., Steven, A., Reeves, S. E., Ter Hofstede, R., ... & Saunders, M. I. (2023). To restore coastal marine areas, we need to work across multiple habitats simultaneously. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(26), e2300546120.

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2300546120