The EU has set bold quantified and measurable targets to achieve its Ocean Mission objectives relating to protecting and restoring marine ecosystems and biodiversity (Mission Objective 1); preventing and eliminating pollution of our ocean (Mission Obj. 2); and making the sustainable blue economy carbon-neutral and circular (Mission Obj.3) by 2030. The EU Mission Implementation Plan has two demanding, but necessarily near-term phases: the first ‘development and piloting’ phase by 2025, and the second ‘deployment and upscaling’ phase from 2026-2030. PHAROS will be the logical stepping stone bridging Mission Phase 1 ‘development and piloting’ and the second ‘deployment and upscaling’ phase from 2026-2030. • PHAROS will have three demos in the Atlantic using a combination of newly developed innovative NBS and IMTA, tailored to the local context, resulting in multiple biodiversity and ecosystem restoration benefits (Mission Phase 1). These demos will also leverage key Mission projects including Ocean Citizen, Climarest, and Ultfarms (Mission phase 2). • PHAROS will also partner with H2020 ECOTIP to leverage and extend its project in a demo to reduce invasive species in Iceland with eDNA monitoring (Mission phase 1 and 2). • PHAROS will extending (TRL advancement) and rolling out leading Mission projects across the AA basin including Prep4Blue MPA platform and network, Nettagplus and Remedies Fisher Guardian and Citizen Litter Entrepreneur programs, and Probleu EU Blue School Network platform for education(bridge to phase 2) PHAROS will establish Living Labs, early in the project in each demo and replication region, securing participation for its co-creation approach, across all relevant and necessary actors including different levels of government, researchers and innovators, education institutions, small and large, businesses, investors and civil society.

Following the non-achievement of the AICHI targets and most of the Good Environmental Status objectives for 2020, active restoration has been emerged (also envisaged by the EU) as one of the preferred tools that may boost sequels of marine protected areas and other conservation measures. Restoration acts promote biodiversity, enhance carbon sequestration and accelerate coastal and offshore resilience. Yet, we still lack a program that combines conservation and restoration under a unified setting, as the involvement of local citizen, embracing socio-economic parameters into opportunities. Thus, an advanced restoration program must conjoin ecological perspectives together with societal commitment and clear economic benefits for local communities. Above all, it must be designed with continuity beyond the lifespan of a project. Responding to the above, OCEAN CITIZEN proposal represent a novel restoration approach in which (1) restoration is depicted as a toolbox holding ubiquitous properties and as such it is experienced in 3 sites, representing different marine ecosystems (in one of the sites all tools are used in concert) and different environments: subtropical, tropical and cold temperate; (2) a profession of “gardeners of the sea” is created and endorsed, including detailed curriculum; (3) the project targets the restoration of the most neglected marine biome, encompassing the various types of Marine Forest (MF) organisms (seagrasses, seaweeds, sponges, corals, gorgonians, etc.);(4) new ecoengineering aspects are applied, including Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture and Smart Enhanced Reefs (SER); the SERs act as substrates for massive recruitment and transplantation of MF organisms (5) the is performed on land, and in situ, from shallow, mesophotic to continental shelf areas (to 90-100 meters depth); (6) a novel approach for C sequestering and sink (7) the full involvement of citizens and local stakeholders with a complete business plan.