Total surface area of marine habitats that have undergone restoration activities.
Organizations should footnote all assumptions used.
This metric is intended to describe the total surface area of marine habitats that have successfully undergone restoration activities, including but not limited to coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, and the like.
Examples of restoration activities include replanting mangroves, creating artificial reefs, transplanting corals, or restoring wetlands. The size of the area restored is calculated based on how much habitat has been physically re-established and is now in a state of recovery or improvement.
It is important to distinguish restoration activities from protection in management of marine habitats and coastal areas.
For example, if an organization is restoring a degraded coral reef, the intervention could involve coral transplantation or creating coral nurseries to rebuild reef structure. Once these activities are successfully completed, these areas would be considered restored, and you’d measure the area where those activities were implemented.
If an organization is protecting a non-degraded coral reef from further harm without any direct intervention to rebuild it (e.g., through an MPA), then it would count as protection, not restoration.
Organizations should provide information on the species and ecosystems targeted through the restoration and rehabilitation actions. The organization should also explain how these actions support species recovery.
The thresholds should be calculated at the local level. For further guidance, please review Science Based Target Initiatives’ Ocean Draft v1 (Oct, 2024) and GRI Biodiversity Standards, 2024.
Unit of measurement: Hectares
IRIS Metrics Work Better in Sets
To use IRIS metrics—and the resulting data—to understand impact performance, IRIS metrics should be used and analyzed in generally accepted sets and according to well-defined objectives. IRIS+ gives you access to generally accepted Core Metrics Sets aligned to common Impact Themes and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).