Nature Based Solutions
We design and implement actions inspired by and working with nature, to deliver integrated environmental, social, and economic benefits. Our approaches builds ecosystem resilience to climate change, interacting hazards, and cumulative human pressures, while simultaneously supporting biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
Our portfolio of nature based interventions includes targeted restoration and protection of key ecosystem components including
- Reef gardens and artificial reef structures to enhance habitat complexity and marine biodiversity
- Coralligenous reef protection to preserve these biodiversity hotspots and carbon sinks
- Seagrass meadow restoration to restore coastal nursery habitats, improve water quality, and enhance blue carbon sequestration
- Sand dune stabilization and revegetation to protect shorelines from erosion and storm surge while creating habitat corridors and critical breeding grounds.
- Macrophyte belt establishment in lakes and wetlands to improve water quality through nutrient uptake, reduce eutrophication, and provide critical habitat for aquatic fauna
- Riparian buffer restoration to filter runoff, stabilize banks, and maintain thermal regulation
Merging field ecology with advanced spatial modelling, we identify and prioritise climate refugia, areas with stable microclimatic conditions that can serve as safe havens for biodiversity under future climate scenarios. These refugia help safeguard species, habitats and food webs from climate-driven shifts, guide conservation prioritisation and inform adaptive management. We believe that effective restoration and protection depend on effective planning. We therefore support the strategic design, placement and management of environmentally friendly mooring systems that minimize damage to sensitive marine habitats while providing safe anchoring for vessels.
Indicative Project
Restoration and Recovery Monitoring of the Endemic Fan Mussel (Pinna nobilis)
Project: “Population monitoring and distribution mapping of the fan mussel (Critically Endangered species Pinna nobilis) in NATURA 2000 marine areas of the North Aegean Sea (Lesvos, Lemnos, Chios, Samos, Ikaria, Fourni, Agios Efstratios, Psara) and Amvrakikos Gulf. Implementation of management interventions and recommendations for additional protection actions.” was funded by The Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency, Greece under contract no. 23SYMV013986704.
Pinna nobilis (fan mussel / noble pen shell) is a Mediterranean-endemic bivalve and the largest native bivalve in the Mediterranean (growing up to 120cm), typically found on soft bottoms, often near seagrass meadows. Since 2016, it has suffered catastrophic mass-mortality events linked to the parasite Haplosporidium pinnae, leading to severe population collapse. It is currently listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
To protect this emblematic marine organism, we employed standardized protocols combining multiple conservation strategies. Using oceanographic models, we identified optimal locations for deploying larval collectors, providing a source of healthy juveniles. These collected individuals were further reared in the laboratory and subsequently transplanted to suitable habitats. We also collected healthy individuals originally located in sites subjected to increased anthropogenic pressures. Depending on the condition of each specimen, individuals were either treated under controlled laboratory conditions to improve their health status or directly relocated to sites with limited anthropogenic pressures and no pathogen infection. Protective cages were deployed around younger individuals at relocation sites to provide protection from natural predators during the initial stages of development and rehabilitation.
