Life Beneath The Surface - marine restoration
The largest marine restoration project in Danish history is bringing life back beneath the surface in the South Fyn Archipelago.
The project in short
The South Fyn Archipelago UNESCO Global Geopark and WWF Denmark are working together to bring life back beneath the surface in the South Fyn Archipelago.
With a historic grant of EUR 20 million from The A.P. Møller Foundation, we will launch habitat and ecosystem restoration efforts through 2033 as part of the largest holistic marine nature restoration project in Danish history.
The project serves as a catalyst for the iconic archipelago, with large-scale initiatives focused on eelgrass, stone reefs, mussel beds, and efforts to support species that play a key role in the archipelago’s ecosystem. At the same time, the project will engage and involve local communities and other stakeholders to bring life below and above the sea surface closer together.
“Life Beneath the Surface” is carried out in collaboration with the four South Fyn municipalities of Svendborg, Faaborg-Midtfyn, Langeland, and Ærø, as well as leading Danish researchers from the Center for Marine Nature Restoration, the University of Southern Denmark, Aarhus University, and DTU Aqua.
Denmark’s leading researchers are on board
The project’s main initiatives include planting eelgrass, establishing stone reefs and biogenic reefs, as well as focused efforts to support some of the area’s most important species. Above all, however, the restoration plan is to be developed in collaboration with some of Denmark’s leading researchers in their respective fields from the Centre of Marine Nature Restoration, the University of Southern Denmark, Aarhus University and DTU Aqua.
A unique opportunity for action
The South Fyn Archipelago is one of the bodies of water hardest hit by severe oxygen depletion as a result of nitrogen leaching from land. However, historical overfishing and extensive rock fishing have also contributed to the marine environment in the South Fyn Archipelago now being in a state of deep crisis.
Despite the critical state of the archipelago’s natural environment, there are currently good opportunities to initiate the restoration of this unique body of water.
- In 2025, the Belt Sea was politically designated as a trawl-free zone.
- Under the Danish Green Tripartite Agreement, there are plans to reduce agricultural nitrogen emissions into the South Fyn Archipelago by 40 percent.
- Studies show that there are favourable conditions for the establishment of stone reefs, eelgrass beds and biogenic reefs in the archipelago.
- The UNESCO designation in 2024 recognises the South Funen Archipelago Geopark, both internationally and nationally, as an area of special geological, biological and cultural significance.
‘Liv under overfladen’ realiseres i samarbejde
Projektet gennemføres i et samarbejde med de fire sydfynske kommuner Svendborg, Faaborg-Midtfyn, Langeland og Ærø og Danmarks førende forskere fra Center for Marin Naturgenopretning, Syddansk Universitet, Aarhus Universitet og DTU Aqua.
Geoparkens fire ejerkommuner bidrager politisk, administrativt og økonomisk til projektet. Den solide kommunale forankring skal sikre, at projektet tænkes ind i både den kort- og langsigtede areal- og havplanlægning samt i undervisning, bæredygtig turisme, bosætning og lokalsamfund.
