Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic director focused on measurable results and operational excellence in maritime education. Integrates IMO/STCW regulations and ISO 21001/9001 f
Masters · 1500 h · 11 modules
Master's in Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Restoration
The Master's in Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Restoration Prepares you to design, deliver and evaluate restoration projects at sea and on the coast. You will study the ecology of the most threatened habitats, how to diagnose their
Duration1500 h
FormatOnline
Starts30 November
Places20 / 20
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Programme overview
What is the Master’s in Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Restoration?
The Master's in Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Restoration
Prepares you to design, deliver and evaluate restoration projects at sea and on the coast. You will study the ecology of the most threatened habitats, how to diagnose their degradation and which techniques exist to recover seagrass meadows, reefs, kelp forests, saltmarshes and dunes. You will learn to plan science-based interventions, design robust ecological monitoring and handle the permits, community engagement and funding that make a real project viable.
Key advantages
- From diagnosis to delivery: The full life cycle of a restoration project, from baseline to monitoring.
- Every key habitat: Seagrass, reefs, kelp forests, saltmarshes, mangroves and dune systems.
- Scientific rigour: Grounded in international standards and principles for ecological restoration.
- Management perspective: Permits, budgets, community engagement and project funding.
- Your own project: A complete restoration plan for a real coastal site.
Programme type
Master's Degree
Study mode
Online
Duration
1,500 hours
Modules
11
Programme highlights
- Diagnose: Assess conservation status and the drivers of degradation.
- Choose the technique: Select between active, passive and assisted restoration.
- Design the project: Set objectives, a reference ecosystem and indicators.
- Measure results: Plan robust, comparable ecological monitoring.
- Boost your career: Work with consultancies, public bodies, NGOs and research centres.
- Train to bring marine and coastal ecosystems back to life with method and evidence.
Curriculum
Programme Structure
The programme is structured in 11 modules, listed below in order of study.
01
Foundations of Restoration Ecology
- Restoration, rehabilitation and recovery concepts
- The reference ecosystem
- Ecological succession in the marine environment
- Resilience and alternative stable states
- Connectivity and larval dispersal
- Coastal ecosystem services
- International principles of ecological restoration
- The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
- Active, passive and assisted restoration
- Common mistakes in restoration projects
02
Diagnosing Degraded Ecosystems
- Pressures on coastal habitats
- Pollution and water quality
- Physical alteration of seabeds and coasts
- Overfishing and cascading effects
- Invasive species
- Climate change as a driver of degradation
- Habitat mapping
- Ecological status indicators
- The ecological baseline
- Selecting priority sites
03
Seagrass Meadows
- Biology of seagrasses
- Ecological functions of seagrass meadows
- Causes of decline
- Improving environmental conditions
- Transplanting shoots and cuttings
- Seed-based restoration
- Substrates and anchoring systems
- Site selection for restoration
- Survival and expansion of plantings
- Seagrass restoration experiences
04
Coral and Shellfish Reefs
- Ecology of coral reefs
- Coral gardening and nurseries
- Microfragmentation
- Assisted sexual reproduction
- Oyster and mussel reefs
- Shellfish seed production
- Settlement substrates
- Disease and biosecurity
- Restoration in a warming ocean
- Scaling up reef projects
05
Kelp Forests and Rocky Reef Communities
- Kelp and fucoid forests
- Interactions with urchins and grazers
- Causes of kelp forest loss
- Grazer control
- Transplanting adult plants
- Growing juveniles in the laboratory
- Spore seeding and seeded substrates
- Rocky seabed communities
- Coralligenous habitat restoration
- Monitoring underwater forests
06
Coastal Wetlands, Mangroves and Dunes
- Saltmarshes and estuaries
- Restoring tidal exchange and drainage
- Managed realignment
- Mangrove ecology
- Hydrology in mangrove restoration
- Dune systems
- Dune revegetation
- Vegetation-based erosion control
- Blue carbon in coastal wetlands
- Integration with coastal defence
07
Project Design and Planning
- Setting SMART objectives
- Spatial and temporal scales
- Options appraisal
- Experimental design of interventions
- Selecting species and biological material
- Logistics of offshore and nearshore work
- Safety in underwater work
- Project risk management
- Budget and schedule
- Adaptive management plan
08
Ecological Monitoring and Evaluating Success
- Designing monitoring programmes
- BACI designs and controls
- Structural and functional indicators
- Visual censuses and transects
- Photogrammetry and underwater mosaics
- Environmental DNA
- Remote sensing of coastal habitats
- Statistical analysis of results
- Success criteria
- Reporting and sharing results
09
Legal Framework, Governance and Engagement
- The Convention on Biological Diversity
- Marine environmental legislation in Europe
- Marine protected areas
- Environmental impact assessment
- Permits and consents for interventions
- Compensatory measures
- Engaging local communities
- Small-scale fisheries and restoration
- Public communication
- Conflicts over marine space
10
Funding and the Economics of Restoration
- Costs of marine restoration
- Valuing ecosystem services
- Public funds and European programmes
- Philanthropy and foundations
- Private investment and corporate responsibility
- Blue carbon credits and their current status
- Emerging biodiversity credit mechanisms
- Greenwashing risks
- Restoration business models
- Preparing funding proposals
11
Master's Final Project: Restoration Plan for a Coastal Site
- Choosing the site
- Diagnosing the starting conditions
- Defining the reference ecosystem
- Project objectives and scope
- Selecting restoration techniques
- Work plan and logistics
- Monitoring programme
- Budget and funding
- Writing the dissertation
- Defence before a panel
Workload
Study Time and Workload
1500 hours of study, online and at your own pace. Move the slider to the hours a week you can really put in.
Hours a week8
Weeks to finish—
You finish around—
Who it is for
Graduates in biology, marine science or environmental science: who want to specialise in ecological restoration Environmental officers in public administration: who manage protected coastal and marine sites Environmental consultants: who prepare impact assessments and compensation measures NGO and foundation staff: who lead marine conservation projects Civil and coastal engineers: who work
Faculty
Academic direction and faculty
The teaching team at Navalis: working professionals who deliver and oversee the institute's programmes.
Eng. Diego Cifuentes
Cap. Javier Abaroa (MCA)
Dr. Pau Ferrer
Dr. Nuria Llobregat
Eng. Javier Bañuls
Eng. Sofía Marquina
Eng. Tomás Riera
Verified reviews
Student Reviews
Reviews collected and verified by Opynio, not written by us.
Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
- 01Understand coastal and marine ecosystems
- 02Diagnose degradation
- 03Apply restoration techniques
- 04Design projects
- 05Plan monitoring
- 06Manage feasibility
Careers
Career Opportunities
01Ecological restoration officer: Designing and leading projects in marine and coastal environments.
02Environmental consultant: Impact assessments, compensation measures and restoration plans.
03Protected area manager: Planning and conservation in marine protected areas.
04NGO project coordinator: Conservation and restoration programmes with local communities.
05Ecological monitoring specialist: Designing indicators and evaluating outcomes.
06Applied researcher: Testing restoration techniques at research centres.
Questions
Entry Requirements
It is not essential. The programme covers underwater work from a planning perspective but does not include dive training or diving qualifications.
Seagrass meadows, coral and shellfish reefs, kelp forests, rocky seabeds, saltmarshes, mangroves and dunes.
Yes. You analyse documented restoration projects, and the final project is applied to a real coastal site.
Yes. You study permits, environmental assessment, community engagement and funding sources.
Writing a complete restoration plan, with diagnosis, techniques, monitoring and budget.
100% online, with a virtual campus available 24/7, live sessions that are recorded, and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The programme involves 1500 hours of study. You can work at your own pace within the timetable we give you when you enrol.
Each programme has its own start date, shown on this page and confirmed by our admissions team when you enquire.
On completing the programme you receive the Master's in Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Restoration qualification awarded by Navalis Magna Institute.
Online admissions
Admissions Process
No waiting for a phone call. If your documents are complete, you can pay in the same session.
Entry requirements
Academic/professional profile: A degree in biology, marine science, environmental science, civil engineering, geography or a related field; or proven professional experience in conservation or coastal management. Language: A good working level of English to follow classes and materials. Technical requirements: A computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and a webcam for live sessions and project presentations. Admissions process: Online application, profile review and a short interview with the academic team. We confirm your start date when you enquire.
Questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
Leave your details and admissions will write back. If you already know this is the one, go straight to the application and pay in the same session.