The Doggerland Foundation, with support from Blue Marine Foundation, will launch Rewilding Dogger Bank in 2025, a three-year initiative to restore one of Europe’s most important offshore habitats. This ambitious project aims to reverse centuries of environmental damage and strengthen legal protections across the Dogger Bank, an ecologically rich area of the North Sea.

“This marks a transformative moment in marine conservation,” said Charles Clover, cofounder of Blue Marine. “For an area renowned for its shallow depths and nutrient-rich waters that foster a diverse marine ecosystem, urgent and meaningful protection is critical. We have a rare chance to reverse the damage that’s been done.”

Once a flourishing marine ecosystem, Dogger Bank supported extensive horse mussel reefs and oyster beds, providing habitat for sharks, rays, herring, cod, and more. Its nutrient-rich waters attracted whales, seals and seabirds, making it a vital part of North Sea biodiversity.

Over the past 500 years, the area has suffered severe environmental decline. Intensive trawling, industrial exploitation and energy development have degraded its habitats. Some parts of the Dogger Bank have been designated as marine protected areas (MPAs) within the waters of the U.K., Germany and the Netherlands, but even in these protected zones, enforcement is often weak or inconsistent. Denmark, meanwhile, has yet to designate any part of its section. Without urgent action, this vulnerable ecosystem will continue to deteriorate.

New restoration techniques offer a rare chance to help nature recover. With early backing from the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme, the Doggerland Foundation and its partners are ready to step up restoration work and call for stronger protections across borders.

In addition to the Doggerland Foundation, the project brings together several organizations:

• Blue Marine will lead legal, restoration, and implementation efforts, with a focus on the U.K. Dogger Bank.
• ARK Rewilding Nederland will lead active restoration on the Dutch Dogger Bank and champion nature-led recovery.
• BUND (Germany) will advocate for stronger protections in German waters.
• WWF Denmark will provide reef restoration expertise and advocate for the protection and restoration of the Danish Dogger Bank as a Natura 2000 biodiversity conservation site.
• Atlantic Technological University (Ireland) will lead reef restoration research, chair the Reef Restoration Working Group, and advise on marine restoration implementation.
• The Embassy of the North Sea will lead public engagement and legal advocacy for marine life.

The program takes a two-fold approach: rebuilding ecosystems and strengthening legal protections. Restoration efforts will focus on horse mussel reefs, which stabilize the seabed, filter water and support biodiversity. Alongside this, the coalition will push for improved legal frameworks. Blue Marine will work with national governments and the EU to secure meaningful, enforceable protections.

Meanwhile, scientific monitoring will underpin all activity: tracking biodiversity, habitat health, and environmental pressures to guide restoration and support legal reform.

Public engagement is also key. Coalition partners will raise awareness of Dogger Bank’s ecological value, particularly in the Netherlands, where marine conservation policy is still developing. By building political and public support, the project aims to create lasting change.

“After centuries of exploitation, we finally have the opportunity to restore this vital marine habitat to its former abundance,” said Emilie Reuchlin, director of the Doggerland Foundation.

Learn more here.