The methodology used in this project has been based on monitoring-dissemination actions, promoting the generation of synergies in the port community and other professional sectors to promote the conservation and restoration of the coastal environment.

Firstly, information has been collected relating to species and biological communities, the characteristics of port environments and the ecological and socio-economic values associated with RED NATURA 2000 areas in the area of influence of the port ecosystem of Vigo and Melilla. As a result, the “Didactic Guide to the Restoration of Habitats and Ecosystem Services: Conservation and Socioeconomic Development in Maritime Port Environments and RED NATURA 2000 Spaces in Galicia” has been developed.

The basis on which all the activities were based was the monitoring of biomimetic structures designed and manufactured by ecologists from the University of Vigo. These are structures that imitate shapes of nature and that serve as a support for the fixation of different species with the aim of promoting the colonization of flora and fauna and that were installed on pontoons in port areas prior to the start of the project. For 12 months, the researchers periodically analyzed the fixation of organisms and their ecological impact on the environment. More than 180 species were identified and carbon sequestration showed values above 7 kg per square meter. The data corroborated the suitability of the structures developed and their replicability in other port environments. These are the main conclusions of the monitoring campaign:

• After a year of exposure, the structures presented greater biomass, biodiversity and density than the vertical walls of the dock. The fixation of different species was high, reaching more than 180 species throughout the project.
• The most abundant groups of organisms in the project were: Polychaeta, Gastropoda, Tunicata and Crustacea, with a change over time regarding the number of taxa in each of the groups. Over the months, a slight replacement of species is observed, increasing the number of specimens of Echinodermata and decreasing those of Plathyhelminhthes and Bryozoa. This replacement of more disturbance-tolerant species with more sensitive species indicates an improvement in the quality of the basin ecosystem.
• The biomass accumulated in the artificial structures went from values close to 8 kg of dry weight of organic matter per square meter; in the second monitoring at 20 kg per square meter. Cirripedes were the group of organisms with the highest biomass throughout the project.
• There were no differences between the construction materials of the structures in terms of biodiversity and fixed biomass. Therefore, the use of concrete with suitable shapes for the construction of new marine infrastructures is functional to avoid the degradation of coastal habitats.
• CO₂ capture has tripled in the last monitoring compared to the previous one, reaching values of 6 kg of CO₂ per square metre.
• The CO₂ capture values in the vertical wall of the basin were lower than those obtained in the structures of the last two monitorings.
• There is no evidence to show that natural substrates are more effective for maintaining biodiversity and capturing CO₂ than artificial substrates.
• Artificial structures are capable of capturing a greater amount of CO₂ than ropes and the dock wall, so the continued use of artificial structures in port areas would help to retain an average of 5.9 kg of CO₂ per square meter of surface area occupied by artificial structures each year.

On this basis, an environmental dissemination campaign was designed, aimed at the public, to show and explain the results and benefits for the marine environment of this initiative. To this end, videos, informative posters, brochures, as well as two didactic guides were produced: “Didactic guide to Atlantic and Mediterranean ecosystems” and “Didactic guide to economic activities and ecosystem services in maritime-port environments and Natura 2000 Network spaces“. The dissemination actions were completed with workshops with schoolchildren, work tables, open days to the public and visits to the port, which were attended by professionals from ports, the fishing sector, universities, consulting and coastal engineering companies. More than 1,000 people have participated in the activities carried out throughout the project, which was also impacted in the media and other channels.