MaRePo+: Marine Restoration Potential Mapping + enhancement

Status: Completed

Start Date: March 2024

Lead Organisation: Natural England

The MaRePo 1 (Marine Restoration Potential) project was a proof-of-concept study that mapped the restoration potential of several threatened and declining marine habitats in English waters. These included kelp beds, maerl beds, horse mussel beds, native oyster beds, sea-pen and burrowing megafauna communities, and subtidal seagrass beds.  

MaRePo+ builds on the findings of MaRePo 1. It refines the initial habitat models through improved constraints modelling and expands the mapping to include additional habitats and species. The project also explores the potential for habitat enhancement, particularly where it can deliver wider environmental benefits. MaRePo+ helps provide vital evidence for Defra's wider work towards marine nature recovery ambitions.