Resilient Seas - Episode 5 - The Future

Far beneath the waves, sunlight never reaches, temperatures approach freezing, and pressure climbs to levels that would compress steel. And yet here, life flourishes. This is the deep sea: a hidden but endangered world that scientists are working to preserve and restore. In this final episode of Resilient Depths, host Sahar Stevenson-Jones turns from why we should care about the deep sea to what it will look like when we do. In ten years, in fifty: what will be down there, who will be interested in it, and how will we manage and preserve it? To look ahead, Sahar is joined by two guests: Laurenz Thomsen, Professor at the Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg. A marine geologist who has been going to sea for some forty years, he develops the robots and observatories that let us watch the seafloor from afar, and within REDRESS works on how to monitor the places we try to restore. Andrew Sweetman, Professor and Chair of Seafloor Ecology and Biogeochemistry at the Scottish Association for Marine Science, and a member of the REDRESS Advisory Board. Together, they explore the frontier between what the deep sea is and what it is about to become. Resilient Depths is produced in collaboration with the Society for Ecological Restoration Europe (SER-Europe) and the REDRESS project.

In previous episodes of Resilient Depths, we explored the deep sea from a scientific perspective: its complexity, its fragility, its extraordinary resilience, and the techniques scientists are developing to restore what has been lost. We also asked how to assign economic value to processes that are invisible, slow, and nearly impossible to price. But one question underlies all the others: who is actually in charge? Who has the power to protect the deep sea, who has the right to exploit it, and who bears the cost when things go wrong? The answer, it turns out, is deeply fragmented, and understanding that fragmentation is where this episode begins. Host Sahar Stevenson-Jones is joined by two guests whose work sits at the intersection of science, law, and governance: Christopher Smith, marine biologist and benthic ecologist at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Greece. He has spent nearly forty years studying what human activity does to marine habitats, and more recently, what it might take to restore them. Johanna Buerkert, postdoctoral researcher at Wageningen University, working on the governance dimensions of the REDRESS project, and bringing a legal and social science perspective to questions ecologists alone cannot answer. Resilient Depths is produced in collaboration with the Society for Ecological Restoration Europe (SER-Europe) and the REDRESS project.

Episode 3 - with Professor Stephen Hynes, hosted by Sahar Stevenson-Jones. What is the deep sea worth? In previous episodes of Resilient Depths, we explored this question from a scientific perspective. This time, we ask about worth not in terms of ecological roles, scientific curiosity, or beauty and wonder, but in hard economic terms: the facts and figures that unlock large-scale, meaningful funding for marine restoration. Answering this is anything but simple. The deep sea performs functions fundamental to life on Earth, regulating our climate, cycling nutrients, and absorbing carbon, yet almost none of those natural services are bought or sold in any market. In this episode, host Sahar Stevenson-Jones explores the economics of deep-sea restoration: what value means, what investment looks like, and what it would actually take to fund restoration at scale. Our guest is Stephen Hynes, Professor of Economics at the University of Galway, where he directs the Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit and leads the work on costs, benefits, and financing within the REDRESS project. Resilient Depths is produced in collaboration with the Society for Ecological Restoration Europe (SER-Europe) and the REDRESS project.

Episode 2 - with Professor Murray Roberts and Jordi Grinyo, hosted by Sahar Stevenson-Jones. From the Challenger Expedition to contemporary climate challenges, this episode explores the scientific history and future of deep-sea restoration. Murray Roberts and Jordi Grinyo discuss shifting baselines, the integration of local knowledge in restoration practice, climate refugia for deep-sea corals, and the unexpected ecological value of offshore oil platforms. The conversation emphasizes that deep-sea restoration is not rapid repair, but long-term commitment requiring intergenerational continuity.

Far beneath the waves, sunlight never reaches, temperatures approach freezing, and pressure climbs to levels that would compress steel. And yet here, life flourishes. This is the deep sea: a hidden world that remains one of the least understood realms of our planet. Restoring it, or even simply protecting it, means understanding ecosystems built on rules profoundly different from our own. In this first episode of Resilient Depths, host Sahar Stevenson-Jones takes a first dive into the scientific basis of deep-sea habitats, in conversation with two scientists who have spent their careers exploring these unseen worlds. Ana Hilário, deep-sea ecologist at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, specialises in chemosynthetic ecosystems such as hydrothermal vents and cold seeps. She co-leads Challenger 150, one of the UN Ocean Decade’s flagship programmes. Paul Snelgrove, Professor of Ocean Sciences and Biology at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, is a member of the REDRESS Advisory Board and a key contributor to the Census of Marine Life. Resilient Depths is produced in collaboration with the Society for Ecological Restoration Europe (SER-Europe) and the REDRESS project.

In this final episode of Resilient Seas, we explore the path forward for marine restoration. Inês Machado, Head of Marine Environment and Licensing at WavEC, and Ida Beathe Øverjordet, ecotoxicologist and Project Coordinator of CLIMAREST (SINTEF Ocean), share insights on scaling up efforts, building trust, and integrating restoration into sustainable economic activities. As we leave the shore of this journey, we carry with us a tide of hope, a compass of collaboration, and the enduring call to keep our seas alive.

In the fourth episode, we focus on the vital role of communication and stakeholder engagement. Vasilis Gerakaris illustrates the importance of upscaling restoration efforts to increase impact, while Carlos Paz Von Friesen highlights the role of technological advancements that are enabling upscaling to happen more smoothly. Resilient Seas: Europe's Marine Future" is the official podcast of the European project CLIMAREST, produced in collaboration with the Society for Ecological Restoration, Europe. This five-episode series features discussions with experts on the importance of marine restoration and shares stories of ongoing restoration efforts along Europe's coastline.

In the second episode of Resilient Seas, we explore the diverse forms innovation can take in marine ecosystem restoration, with examples from two specific demonstration sites in Ireland and the Arctic. We speak with four experts: Lara Veylit, data scientist at SINTEF Ocean; University of Galway researcher Juan Lugilde Yáñez and University of Malaga researcher Africa de la Morena - both focused on restoring seagrass meadows; and Anatoly Sinitsyn, research scientist at SINTEF Community, who is working on Arctic ecosystem restoration.

Resilient Seas / Episode 1 with Martin Perrot and Susi Schäfer In the first episode of the Resilient Seas podcast, we introduce the concept of marine ecosystem restoration and explain why there is a need for it. Hear about the work of Seaboost COO, Martin Perrot and MARE-Madeira post-doctoral researcher Susi Schäffer in France and Madeira. Resilient Seas: Europe's Marine Future" is the official podcast of the Horizon EU, Mission Ocean project CLIMAREST, produced in collaboration with the Society for Ecological Restoration Europe. This five-episode series features discussions with experts on the importance of marine restoration and shares stories of ongoing restoration efforts along Europe's coastline.

In the third episode, we focus on the vital role of communication and stakeholder engagement. Paola Paretti discusses the importance of identifying and involving priority stakeholders to ensure the success of restoration projects, while Paula Daban Losada highlights the role of citizen engagement and outreach, drawing examples from her work in Galicia on restorative aquaculture and lobster habitat recovery. Resilient Seas: Europe's Marine Future" is the official podcast of the European project CLIMAREST, produced in collaboration with the Society for Ecological Restoration, Europe. This five-episode series features discussions with experts on the importance of marine restoration and shares stories of ongoing restoration efforts along Europe's coastline.