Success stories

Netherlands-based company Oyster Heaven is working to restore coastal ecosystems by developing scalable oyster reef restoration projects across Europe and beyond.

Maria Teresa (26) and her brother Gabriel (30) are proving that the future of fishing can be safer, smarter and more sustainable. When their parents decided to stop fishing, the siblings wanted to continue their family tradition.

Over recent decades, herrings in the Gulf of Bothnia have grown more slowly. Several factors could be behind these changes, but a clearer understanding of the actual causes is needed. Closing this knowledge gap is the aim of ImproFish.

PFAS, or 'forever chemicals', are commonly used to make textiles and other materials resistant to water and fire. However, because they persist in the environment and build up in living organisms, they pose growing risks to human health and ecosystems.

Across Sweden’s west coast, debate about the future of fishing is growing more urgent. A Swedish government’s proposal to ban bottom trawling in marine protected areas have brought the issue into sharp focus for coastal communities.

A container shipment from Shanghai to Paris can produce anywhere from 7.3 to 10 tonnes of CO₂, depending on the route and vessel chosen. Until recently, however, that difference was largely invisible to the companies making shipping decisions.

Today, Europe’s northern seas face growing pressure. The energy transition, climate change, biodiversity loss and increasing geopolitical tensions are reshaping how countries plan and manage their maritime space. Offshore wind, fisheries, shipping and nature protection all compete for space at sea,

The island of Terceira in the Azores sits 1,500 km west of mainland Portugal – remote enough to make running a business complicated, let alone one built around delivering fresh fish to distant markets. Tibério Barbeito started TZT Flying Fish Azores in his twenties with exactly that ambition.

At just 27, Richard Delmas is charting his own course in the waters off Réunion Island. Born into a fishing family, he grew up at sea. With support from the EU, he launched a small one-person fishing business built on flexibility, low costs and direct sales.

Mediterranean Algae, a Spanish company tackles nutrient pollution in ports and coastal waters. Its system uses algae to clean seawater. It also provides reliable real-time data on water quality. This helps ports meet EU requirements and reduce their environmental impact.