SPHERE

SPHERE will build a science-based decision-support framework that helps authorities choose where strict protection makes most sense. It combines ecological data, ecosystem services (blue carbon, coastal protection, nursery grounds), socio-economic factors, trade-offs with sectors like fisheries, offshore wind and shipping, and alignment with the MSFD, the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive and the Nature Restoration Law. The idea is that proposed sites should be implementable, not just desirable.