Last updated: March 2025
The project aims to protect seagrass meadows, which are vital habitats for the prey of resident dolphins and essential to the local fishing economy. The initiative involves local fisherwomen, called "Keepers of the Sea," in activities such as marine education, awareness campaigns, and monitoring the health of the seagrass meadows (Ref 1). Founded in 2015, Ocean Alive aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals, including ocean conservation, gender equality, quality education, and climate action (Ref 4). The project is supported by partnerships with UNESCO and other organizations, and it extends its efforts to Portuguese-speaking African countries. Ocean Alive’s activities also include advocacy for blue carbon ecosystems and programs that involve community engagement and social innovation (Ref 2, Ref 5). One of several implementation projects targeted safeguarding the young seagrass meadow at Cambalhão Bay, at the entrance of the Sado estuary, as an Ocean Alive’s initiative in partnership with SeaTrees by Sustainable Surf (Ref. 2). The Cambalhão meadow is made up of 202 patches of seagrass. Unregulated shipping is one of the factors in the degradation of the prairie, and to protect it, Ocean Alive is running a campaign to raise awareness about recreational boating (Ref. 6).
Aerial photograph of the location of Cambalhão Island and prairie.
Ref 6: © SeaTrees and Protect.Blue
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Coastlines
- Other
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)
- Coastal protection / hazard mitigation
- Marine and coastal biodiversity protection
- Marine and coastal research and/or education
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Employment/job creation
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Environmental Degradation
- Biodiversity loss
- Poor water quality
- Other
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration)
Focus
Coastal landscape management or protection, Coastal ecosystems restoration and maintenance (mangroves, dunes, saltplains, underwater meadows), Improving coastal resilience, Protection of natural ecosystems, Marine and coastal conservation initiatives, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Scientific research of biodiversity or ecosystems
Project objectives
1. Seagrass Meadow Protection: The core goal is to protect the seagrass meadows in the Sado estuary, which serve as a nursery habitat for the prey of resident dolphins and are vital for the sustainability of local fish and shellfish populations (Ref 1, Ref 3).
2. Seagrass Conservation: Begin the conservation of 1 hectare of seagrass meadow in the Sado Estuary of Setúbal (Ref. 5).
3. Behavioural Change through Education: The project aims to transform behaviours within the local fishing community through marine education programs, thereby reducing harmful practices such as littering and destructive fishing (Ref 1, Ref 5).
3. Empowerment of Local Women: Another key goal is to empower women in the local fishing community by involving them as "Keepers of the Sea." This initiative enhances their employability and positions them as leaders in ocean protection efforts (Ref 2, Ref 5).
4. Enhance seagrass meadows' scientific research: Conduct research and mapping at the seagrass meadow to better understand its value and the best ways to protect it in the future(Ref. 5).
5. Recruit seagrass guardians from maritime touristic enterprises (Ref. 5).
Implementation activities
1. Marine education programs for the local fishing community (Ref 1, Ref 4).
2. Awareness campaigns focused on marine litter and sustainable fishing practices (Ref 1, Ref 5).
3. Monitoring and mapping of seagrass meadows in the Sado estuary (Ref 2, Ref 5).
4. Involvement of fisherwomen as “Keepers of the Sea” to protect seagrass meadows (Ref 1, Ref 5).
5. Advocacy for policy changes supporting blue carbon ecosystems (Ref 2).
6. Cooperation with Portuguese-speaking African countries on similar environmental projects (Ref 2).
7. Volunteering programs with companies to clean the estuary and promote social innovation (Ref 2).
The Ocean Alive project addresses seagrass meadow degradation by actively involving local communities, particularly fisherwomen, in conservation efforts. Marine education programs and awareness campaigns are designed to change harmful behaviours like littering and unsustainable fishing. Monitoring and mapping activities provide data to guide these efforts. By empowering fisherwomen as "Keepers of the Sea," the project ensures sustainable, community-led protection. Additionally, advocacy work aims to influence policies that protect these vital ecosystems, addressing the core issues affecting the Sado estuary (Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 5).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Restore sediment supply to coastal zone
- Protect and restore coastal ecosystems, to address loss of land and livelihoods, due to rising sea levels
- Other
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect native species
- Undertake specific measures to protect valued species
- Means for conservation governance
- Raise public awareness
- Public engagement
- Create and use scientific knowledge for conservation
Main beneficiaries
- Researchers/University
- Coastal-dependent communities (e.g. small-scale fishers, coastal farmers, and indigenous peoples)
- Marginalized groups: Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed), Vulnerable populations in disaster-prone areas
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Deliberative decision-making processes (e.g., consensus building, deliberative polling)
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project is an Ocean Alive initiative in partnership with SeaTrees by Sustainable Surf (Ref. 2).
The project formed a cooperative model, with local fisherwomen ("Keepers of the Sea") playing a central role in decision-making and conservation activities. Leadership is shared with the cooperative's core team and institutional partners like UNESCO, while sponsors and donors provide financial support without direct control over decisions (Ref 1, Ref 4).
This campaign was conducted in partnership with ActivoBank (Ref. 2)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
Change agents (individual with major role influence on launching)
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
- Commercial banks
- Private Foundation/Trust
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
- Donations
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of labour
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Water management and blue areas
- Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
- Expected enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
- Green space and habitat
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Achieved increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Expected reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
- Achieved increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
- More sustainable tourism
- Achieved more sustainable tourism
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Expected increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Achieved increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Expected increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Ocean Alive (n.d.). Ocean Alive is Portugal’s first co-operative dedicated to ocean protection. Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Ocean Alive (n.d.). CONSERVATION OF CAMBALHÃO BAY SEAGRASS MEADOW. Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
3.
ReNature (n.d.). Ocean alive. Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
4.
NGEurope (n.d.). Ocean Alive – Cooperativa para a educação criativa marinha, CRL. Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Sea Trees (n.d.). Working with coastal communities to transform behaviors for ocean protection.. Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Ocean Alive (n.d.). PRADARIA DA BAÍA DO CAMBALHÃO. Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
Map of the Cambalhão seagrass meadow (represented by blue and pink polygons).
Ref 6: ©Ocean Alive
Seagrass Meadow
Sea Trees
Keepers of the Sea
Gustavo Figueiredo
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.