Nestlé Purina PetCare Europe is taking a proactive approach to combat the declining health of the ocean, launching its inaugural Ocean Restoration Programme. This initiative aims to address marine biodiversity loss in Europe by partnering with expert organizations to restore 1,500 hectares of marine habitats – equivalent to around 3,700 football pitches – by 2030.

A multiple partner initiative

The first phase of the program, spanning three years, prioritizes research development, establishing a measurement framework, and creating conditions for efficient scaling. The second phase, set to commence in 2026, focuses on expanding proven solutions.

Key partners in this initiative include the Seagrass Consortium, represented by Sea Ranger Service, which is working on planting seagrass meadows to enhance biodiversity and capture carbon. Oyster Heaven is reconstructing oyster reefs using natural materials to generate biodiversity, provide habitats, and improve water quality. Urchinomics is addressing the overgrazing of seaweed beds by removing excess sea urchins, promoting kelp rebound. SeaForester uses innovative techniques, such as mobile seaweed nurseries, to restore disappearing seaweed forests. Each partner targets species that contribute to restoring the locally critical marine habitats that are being lost.

Credit: Francesco Ungaro

Restoration efforts will be concentrated in France (Arcachon Bay), the Netherlands (including Zeeland), Norway (Tromsø), and Portugal (Cascais & Peniche), with additional sites under development in Germany and the UK.

Kerstin Schmeiduch, Director of Corporate Communications and Sustainability at Purina Europe, said: “We are delighted to launch Purina Europe´s first Ocean Restoration Programme. With marine biodiversity declining dramatically, collective restoration efforts are required. At Purina, we are committed to playing our part to help address the marine biodiversity loss in our extended supply chain. Therefore, together with our partners, we are taking an active role to help restore marine habitats at-scale in Europe.”

About the restoration partner organisations:

• Oyster Heaven is a marine conservation organisation based in the Netherlands, which uses unique technology and models to allow for scalable and cost-effective oyster reef restoration projects.
• SeaForester is an environmental impact organisation based in Portugal, focused on restoring rapidly disappearing seaweed in Europe by using cost-efficient sea forestation techniques and mobile seaweed nurseries.
• Sea Ranger Service is a social enterprise based in the Netherlands, that trains and employs young people to carry out seagrass restoration work. They are one of the founding partners and represent The Seagrass Consortium, which exists to accelerate large-scale seagrass restoration in Europe. The consortium works together to plant, restore, and monitor seagrass meadows and develop standardised restoration practices.
• Urchinomics is helping to restore kelp in Norway, Japan, and the United States (California) by turning ecologically destructive sea urchins into a high-valued seafood product.