Connecting Communities: Digital Pathways to a Collaborative Successful Restoration

CLIMAREST project represents a pioneering approach to marine restoration integrating scientific knowledge with stakeholder engagement to enhance marine biodiversity. In Madeira Island, the project emphasizes the crucial role of macroalgae in coastal ecosystems, which serve as habitat-forming species that support diverse marine life and contribute to ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, and carbon sequestration or food provision. The restoration actions undertaken in this case study highlight the importance of identifying and involving key local stakeholders in the restoration process. Stakeholder engagement is a critical component of successful restoration projects, as it helps to align conservation goals with local community interests and knowledge. During the project, local stakeholders were ranked based on their potential impact and engagement levels, which were assessed through questionnaire surveys. In Madeira, dive operators were identified as key stakeholders that benefit from restoration actions that can effectively contribute to restoration efforts. The involvement of dive centres is particularly significant, as they are often at the forefront of marine tourism and have direct access to the underwater environment. Their participation in restoration efforts at selected dive sites is expected to enhance the effectiveness of the restoration actions by providing valuable data and facilitating monitoring. A key innovation of this project is the use of the Dive Reporter a custom mobile application and web interface that enables dive centres to report occurrences of key indicator taxa. By providing digital kiosks and tablets with Dive Reporter app, it is possible to assess biota occurrences and shifts over time. Periodic contact with these stakeholders is necessary to maintain their commitment and willingness to assist and contribute to algae transplantation, grazing control and other restoration efforts. This collaborative approach is expected to yield more sustainable outcomes, as it fosters a shared commitment to marine conservation among local communities. The involvement and engagement with other stakeholders and the local population relied on various methods, including online surveys, workshops, one-on-one meetings, and outreach sessions which were designed, not only to inform on the project efforts, but also to gauge general perception of the need and benefits of local restoration actions. These initiatives not only empower local stakeholders but also fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility towards marine conservation efforts. CLIMAREST project on Madeira Island serves as a model for combining scientific research with stakeholder engagement in macroalgae restoration. The lessons learned from this case study could inform future restoration initiatives in similar coastal environments, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and adaptive management in achieving ecological restoration goals