The Restoration Hub has been designed to be a centre point for all information, whether that is the latest guidelines, new and existing initiatives, recent news and events related to the restoration of coral reefs and their related ecosystems (mangroves and seagrass).

The Society for Ecological Restoration International Science & Policy Working Group defines restoration as “the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed”. Further, “restoration attempts to return an ecosystem to its historic trajectory”. Restoration projects ideally require no attendance once they are mature.

For coral reefs, the term restoration is used to encompass both ‘restoration’ and ‘rehabilitation’; with the latter emphasising “the reparation of ecosystem processes, productivity and services…” without meaning a return to pre-existing biotic conditions, and often requiring some attendance. A restored ecosystem “contains sufficient biotic and abiotic resources to continue its development without further assistance or subsidy”.

Ecological restoration includes both passive and active strategies:

• Passive restoration strategies – These can be management actions that protect the habitat and allow for natural recovery and therefore improved ecological functioning. These strategies can range from and include marine protected areas that promote increased herbivory or mitigating land-based runoff and pollution.
• Active restoration strategies – These strategies can include direct interventions that aim to speed up recovery and can include strategies such as coral gardening and transplantation or manually removing macroalgae. This report is focused on active restoration activities in the area.