The REST-COAST project contributed to the MedPAN–IUCN Med training course on ecological restoration for Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), an initiative aimed at strengthening the capacity of MPA managers and practitioners to design, implement, and evaluate effective restoration actions.

The training was structured around a series of online sessions held in October 2025, followed by an in-person module in November 2025 at Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park in Spain. This blended format allowed participants from across the Mediterranean to combine theoretical foundations with practical, field-based learning. The course addressed key stages of the restoration process, from defining objectives and selecting appropriate methods to monitoring outcomes and adapting actions over time.

Within this framework, REST-COAST shared experience from its work on large-scale coastal restoration, focusing on how scientific knowledge, governance mechanisms, and stakeholder engagement can be integrated into practical restoration planning. The project’s contributions highlighted the importance of working across ecosystems and administrative boundaries, particularly in Mediterranean contexts where ecological connectivity and cumulative pressures strongly influence restoration success.

Discussions throughout the course also emphasised the need to account for climate change and increasing extreme events when planning restoration measures. REST-COAST inputs helped frame restoration not as a one time intervention, but as a long-term, adaptive process that requires sustained monitoring, learning, and collaboration among scientists, managers, and local actors. By linking hands-on restoration practice with broader policy and conservation objectives, the training reinforced the strategic role of MPAs in supporting ecosystem recovery and resilience at the regional scale.

Further details on the event can be found here.