Swansea University has led an international team of marine scientists and practitioners—spanning 18 countries—in calling for urgent reform to the licensing and regulation of marine and coastal restoration projects.
In a new paper published in Cell Reports Sustainability , they argue that outdated and overly complex permitting systems are slowing down vital restoration work at a time when oceans are facing an unprecedented decline.
Marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes, are disappearing at alarming rates. Global initiatives, such as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework , have set ambitious targets to restore 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030. However, the authors warn that current licensing procedures are preventing progress toward these goals.
Lead author Associate Professor Richard Unsworth from Swansea University, who helps lead a novel MSc programme in Marine Restoration and Conservation and is also Chief Scientific Officer at Project Seagrass , said: “The very regulations meant to protect marine life are often blocking the projects designed to restore it. We urgently need smarter, more flexible systems that encourage innovation rather than stifle it.”
Key Findings from the study:
The paper also outlines six reforms to accelerate restoration:
The authors stress that they are not calling for deregulation, but for evidence-based, adaptive licensing that supports innovation and long-term resilience. Without reform, international commitments to restore marine ecosystems risk falling short.
Co-author Dr Elizabeth Lacey from Project Seagrass said: “We have a narrow window to turn the tide on ocean decline. Smarter permitting could be the key to unlocking large-scale restoration at the speed the planet needs.”
Read the full paper, “Rethinking Marine Restoration Permitting to Urgently Advance Efforts” .
Cell Reports Sustainability
Computational simulation/modeling
Not applicable
Rethinking marine restoration permitting to urgently advance efforts
1-Oct-2025
The authors declare no competing interests.