In particular, proposals should:

• where shallow coral reefs (including mesophotic extensions), mangroves, and seagrasses coexist and interact: provide an improved understanding of the functional ecology, their species assemblages’ and communities, their connectivity through life cycle stages and food webs structures and complexity in the healthy functioning and co-evolutionary processes of these ecosystems and in the biogeochemistry of sediments and their impact on climate change mitigation and adaptation, in order to design and inform effective management and restoration measures;
• look particularly at functional groups in maintaining the health, as well as the potential of adaptation to changes of corals assemblage, mangrove and sea grass beds, in particular top predators, reef sharks and species controlling algae proliferation and possible IAS and climate change. Proposals may also look at the role of the microbiome, periphyton or symbionts associated to shallow and mesophotic corals ecosystems healthy functioning;
• better understand the consequences of loss of coral reefs (including mesophotic extensions) and associated ecosystems, both in terms of coverage and diversity, on food web locally and cascading on distant communities and of socioeconomic impacts;
• combine different scientific disciplines, and where relevant, possible active restoration measures (coral cuttings or larval propagation on the reef or artificial structures, fishing management, acoustic assisted fish recruitment in restored areas, etc.), for developing approaches for their effective management and restoration, based on functional targets, (departing from usual approach focusing on a single species and coral cover or biomass), so as to support coral reefs and associated ecosystems, mangroves & seagrass beds complexity and connectivity as best asset for their (climate) resilience, co-evolutionary processes and adaptation potentials;
• jointly develop management and restoration guidelines with IPLCs knowledge, state of the art science and integrating lessons learnt and legacy from past and ongoing relevant initiatives from research to aid projects at regional, national, EU (such as the FPI Governance MPA Atlantic & Southeast Asia or the BEST initiative – Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Territories of European overseas) or international levels and consolidate a community of practice in socio-ecological management in networks of protected area managers and locally managed marine areas;
• guidelines should also be going beyond local objectives, considering the trophic and life traits connectivity and with special attention to future climate and abiotic conditions;
• contribute to the coordination and capacity building activities of relevant international initiatives and frameworks, in the design and dissemination of actionable knowledge and guidelines to relevant stakeholders; develop training materials, capacity building and empowerment tools, the access to data and scientific expertise to local actors for ecosystems description and the development of ad hoc localised management measures;
• develop or integrate means and methods (such as sensors, in situ observation devices, remote sensing products developments, citizen science data, etc.) for a cost effective, accessible and lasting monitoring of these functionally associated ecosystems in order to inform on their status, on the effect of measures and to identify necessary management adjustments to changes;
• support natural capital valuation for cost/benefit analysis of measures of conservation and restoration for coral reefs and associated ecosystems and the services and benefits they provide (food, cultural & social values, nature-based solutions for coastal resilience, protection against extreme events, climate adaptation, etc.) and how they affect fishing, shipping, local tourism or other programmes for sustainability, such as offshore wind.