On 8 and 9 October, REST-COAST held a scientific stakeholder workshop in Thessaloniki, Greece. Organised by the project members of BSEC PERMIS, the event took a hybrid form and gathered nearly 60 participants, both in-person and online.

Through the two-day workshop, participants shared valuable knowledge, ideas, and best practices aimed at addressing the key challenges in coastal restoration. Discussions focused on identifying barriers and enablers, exploring strategies to overcome these challenges, and leveraging large-scale modelling to assess the global coastal protection benefits of wetland restoration. 

Moreover, everyone attending had the privilege of hearing from members of various EU projects, including BRIDGE Black Sea, ARSINOE, and MPA Europe. They shared their perspectives on critical topics such as systematic solutions and innovations for climate-resilient regions, implementing Black Sea strategic research and innovation for ecosystem restoration, and identifying optimal locations for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) across European seas.

REST-COAST members, both in-person and online, contributed by showcasing coastal ecosystem restoration efforts using Nature-based Solutions (NbS). These initiatives aim to reduce coastal erosion, as demonstrated by the Foros Bay pilot site in Bulgaria. Additionally, the discussions explored potential frameworks for restoration leadership.

Last but not least, members of the BSEC PERMIS, International Centre for Black Sea Studies (ICBSS) and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) shared their joint booklet, which highlights the route to coastal restoration: From the REST-COAST project to the Black Sea region.