At Blue Pangolin, we know that restoring the ocean is no longer optional – it is essential. We are pleased to have supported the recent publication “Rethinking Marine Restoration Permitting to Urgently Advance Efforts”, a global call to action led by Swansea University and co-authored by Margaux Monfared, alongside 25 other marine scientists and practitioners from 18 countries.
Published in Cell Reports Sustainability, the paper outlines how outdated and overly complex marine permitting systems are slowing down the very projects designed to heal degraded ecosystems like seagrass meadows, coral reefs, mangroves, and salt marshes – at a time when ocean decline has never been more urgent.
Some of the key Findings from the study are as follows:
- Marine restoration is young: Unlike land-based restoration, the science is still developing, and failures are common, but these failures are essential for learning.
- Regulations hinder progress: Permits are often slow, costly, or impossible to obtain, even for projects that would clearly benefit ecosystems.
- Climate change demands new thinking: Restoration must create resilient ecosystems for the future, not simply recreate the past.
- Equity matters: Indigenous and local communities must be included to ensure projects are fair and effective.
A Better Way Forward
The authors are not calling for deregulation, but for adaptive, evidence-based reforms that reflect the emerging science and real-world complexity of marine restoration. They outline six key recommendations, including:
- Embrace innovative tools such as assisted migration and genetic methods.
- Create “innovation sandpits” where new approaches can be tested safely.
- Establish designated restoration zones with streamlined approvals.
- Mandate transparent reporting of successes and failures.
- Align permits with long-term ecological timescales.
- Remove licensing fees and introduce incentives for restoration.
Read the full paper: https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-sustainability/fulltext/S2949-7906(25)00222-8
Citation: Unsworth et al., Rethinking marine restoration permitting to urgently advance efforts, Cell Reports Sustainability (2025), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsus.2025.100526
