This topic addresses Mission ocean and waters’ Objective 1 on the protection and restoration of marine ecosystems and biodiversity, in line with the aims of the Biodiversity Strategy as well as on the objectives of the Regulation on Nature Restoration. They should also contribute to the aims of the Marine Action Plan[4] and to the implementation of the Birds, Habitats[[Council Directive 92/43/EEC; Directive 2009/147/EC]] and Marine Strategy Framework Directives, as well as the common fisheries policy and climate policy and legislation.

Proposals should focus on prioritising areas for strict protection in European seas by providing a scientific basis for Member States/Associated Countries to designate new strictly protected areas, whilst delivering benefits for fisheries and climate.

Projects should identify potential areas and coherent networks of strictly protected areas covering in particular the habitat types listed in Annex II of the Regulation on nature restoration and habitats of species covered by the regulation, prioritising those habitats which are spawning, nursery and feeding areas for fish populations and species protected by the nature legislation, capturing and storing carbon as well as enhancing coastal protection. Projects should also include mapping and assessing conditions of these habitats, contributing to the implementation of Article 5 of the Regulation and providing data to EMODnet and the Digital Twin Ocean

Projects should promote trans-boundary joint actions, as national borders are most often inaccurate for reflecting natural boundaries (resource stocks, fluxes of organisms, habitats distribution). The project should also promote inter-disciplinary research (including legal sciences, economy, ecology etc.) and inter-sectorial, transdisciplinary approaches (practitioners, decision makers, scientists).

Compatibility of optimal network(s) of strictly protected areas as well as potential trade-offs with marine/maritime activities, (e.g.: fisheries, offshore wind energy and maritime transport), should be addressed.

All following activities should be covered:

• Review and compile data about the distribution and condition of habitat types listed in Annex II of Regulation on nature restoration, including by compiling data currently not available from public repositories, and collecting new data where necessary.
• Review and compile data, collecting new data where necessary, about spawning, nursery and feeding areas of fish species and species protected by nature legislation, as well as areas with habitats which play a key role in carbon capture and storage and for coastal protection, including by compiling data currently not available from public repositories.
• Based on the ecological needs of those habitats and their typical species (including for example connectivity of habitats or life cycles of species), determine optimal network(s) of strictly protected areas, contributing to the 10% target of the Biodiversity Strategy, that would best support the protection of habitats and the delivery of significant benefits for fisheries and climate, for example through spill-over effects or by ensuring undisturbed capture and storage of carbon and coastal resilience and preventive measures for protection.
• Address the compatibility with and potential trade-offs in relation to planned marine/maritime activities, (e.g.: fisheries, offshore wind energy, coastal development and maritime transport) that may overlap with the identified optimal network(s) of strictly protected areas. Relevant Marine Spatial Planning plans should be taken into account.