Ericaria amentacea, a key habitat-forming brown macroalga on Mediterranean rocky coasts, faces severe decline
due to anthropogenic stressors and climate change. Natural recovery is hindered by its limited dispersal and
connectivity potential, and active restoration is therefore critical to restocking lost populations. This study
evaluates a two-phase restoration approach combining laboratory culture and suspended aquaculture to optimize
E. amentacea restoration, enabling multiple culture cycles within a single fertility window. Three experimental
conditions were tested: (A) 5 days in the laboratory followed by 12 days in suspended aquaculture, (B) 12 days in
the laboratory followed by 5 days in suspended aquaculture, and (C) 17 days in the laboratory without suspended
aquaculture. Culture performance was assessed in terms of coverage, length of individuals, and photosynthetic
efficiency. Results outlined that condition C achieved the best performance at the final time point. Condition B
showed intermediate outcomes, with length and photosynthetic efficiency comparable to condition C, but lower
coverage, with significant recovery post-outplanting. Condition A exhibited poor resilience, with declining
coverage and reduced photosynthetic efficiency. These findings suggest that a moderate reduction in laboratory
culture (12 days) may represent an effective trade-off between resource efficiency and germling development.
This approach is particularly relevant in the context of climate change, where shorter fertility periods and
extreme events challenge restoration efforts. This study highlights the potential of integrated laboratoryaquaculture
protocols to enhance the scalability and success of E. amentacea restoration, offering a promising
strategy for marine habitat recovery.
