Horizon Europe Mission Ocean 2026 — OCEAN-01: Large-Scale Demonstration for Mapping Marine Habitats
Enriched EU · Found: 2026-04-20 16:08
Horizon Europe Mission Ocean 2026 call for large-scale demonstrations mapping the distribution and status of marine and coastal habitats to support EU Nature Restoration Regulation implementation.
Funding Details
- Funder
- European Commission / Research Executive Agency (REA) — Horizon Europe Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters
- Funding Goal
- Enable implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation through cost-effective large-scale mapping of coastal and marine habitats including seagrass meadows, macroalgal forests, and shellfish beds
- Funding Amount
- EUR 4-4.85M per project; 4 projects expected from EUR 115M total Mission Ocean 2026 envelope (4.000.000 € – 4.850.000 €)
- Deadline
- 2026-09-23 (Fixed)
- How to Apply
- Apply via EU Funding & Tenders Portal (ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders). Call opened 4 February 2026. Single-stage submission. Topic ID: HORIZON-MISS-2026-03-OCEAN-01.
- Target Region
- EU Member States and Associated Countries; coastal and marine areas
- Last Checked
- 2026-04-20 16:09
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Constraints
Summary
HORIZON-MISS-2026-03-OCEAN-01 funds large-scale demonstration projects for mapping the distribution and condition of coastal and marine habitats. The call is part of the 2026 Horizon Europe Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters Work Programme. It directly supports implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, which requires Member States to map and monitor coastal and marine habitats to track restoration progress. The call targets cost-effective mapping methodologies and technologies for key coastal habitats: seagrass meadows, macroalgal forests (kelp and other macroalgae), and shellfish (oyster, mussel) beds. These habitats are critical for carbon sequestration, biodiversity, coastal protection, and fisheries. Projects should demonstrate scalable, replicable mapping approaches using remote sensing, underwater robotics, citizen science, acoustic methods, or environmental DNA (eDNA) at basin or national scales. Eligible activities include: technology development and validation for habitat mapping; large-scale surveys and monitoring campaigns; data processing and standardisation; development of baseline habitat maps for Member States; stakeholder engagement and capacity building for national monitoring agencies; and policy uptake recommendations for national restoration plans. Eligible applicants include research organisations, universities, NGOs with marine science expertise, technology companies, and local/regional authorities forming consortia of at least 3 entities from 3 different EU/Associated Countries. Non-profit entities receive 100% co-funding. Budget of approximately EUR 4-4.85M per project for 4 projects. Deadline 23 September 2026.
Historical Context
Connects to the EU Nature Restoration Law (2024) and the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030. No direct predecessor in previous Mission Ocean work programmes. The broader habitat mapping ecosystem has been supported through Copernicus Marine Service and EMODnet.
Why it was added
dana-enricher-api-eu-ft-2026-04-20