This week, the RestReef project successfully held its second international seminar in Dubrovnik, Croatia, under the title “Diving with a Purpose”. Hosted by the University of Dubrovnik, the event brought together participants both in person and online, creating a valuable space for exchange, discussion and international cooperation around marine ecological restoration.

The seminar was well received and offered an engaging programme focused on key challenges and opportunities in marine conservation. Throughout the session, participants had the opportunity to explore topics related to seabed ecological pressures, habitat restoration, marine functional connectivity, conservation initiatives linked to diving activities, the environmental impacts of ghost fishing, and the restoration of native oyster reefs.

The event also served to further disseminate the objectives of RestReef, an Erasmus+ project dedicated to developing educational tools and training resources on ecological restoration techniques using artificial reefs in Natura 2000 sites. By bringing together researchers, professionals and interested participants, the seminar helped strengthen the project’s international dimension and its commitment to knowledge transfer in the field of marine restoration.

With this successful seminar in Dubrovnik, RestReef continues making progress in the development of innovative educational materials and collaborative learning opportunities to support the protection and restoration of marine ecosystems across Europe.