This national call supports German partners in international collaborative research projects on blue carbon coastal ecosystems within the Joint Programming Initiative "Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans" (JPI Oceans) initiative "Blue Carbon Ecosystems". It is embedded in the German Government’s research programme "MARE:N – Coastal, Marine and Polar Research for Sustainability" and aims to preserve and restore diverse coastal benthic ecosystems as effective carbon sinks while strengthening climate, nature and environmental protection.

The call focuses on marine and near-coastal benthic ecosystems (vegetated and unvegetated) with high potential for blue carbon sequestration. These ecosystems deliver key ecosystem services such as coastal protection, habitat provision, nursery grounds, nutrient cycling and pollutant buffering, and are increasingly important for economic sectors such as tourism and fisheries. However, uncertainties remain regarding the net greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of these systems, including emissions of methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O). The funded projects are expected to close critical knowledge gaps in the combined carbon and GHG budget and to support the development of harmonised methods, measurements and accounting approaches.

Overarching scientific and policy objectives include: quantifying carbon storage capacity and fluxes at local and regional scales (including CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O) to underpin effective climate mitigation strategies; assessing the resilience and vulnerability of coastal ecosystems to climate change, eutrophication, dredging, trawling, tourism and other anthropogenic pressures; and evaluating and improving the effectiveness and scalability of protection and restoration measures, including nature-based solutions, for ecosystems with high blue carbon potential. Projects must contribute to method standardisation and intercalibration of carbon and GHG flux measurements to enable comparability across different coastal habitats.

The call is part of a transnational initiative involving funding organisations from Germany, Norway, Ireland, Poland, Malta and Canada. International consortia must include partners from at least three participating countries. German applicants are encouraged to build on and create synergies with ongoing national and European coastal and blue carbon research initiatives (e.g. International Wadden Sea research, DAM activities, CDRmare and other BMFTR programmes) and to clearly delineate the novelty of their approaches. Results should support implementation of EU and international frameworks such as the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, the EU Ocean Pact, the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, the European Green Deal, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Water Framework Directive and maritime spatial planning.

Eligible German applicants include universities, non-university research organisations and companies. Public bodies, associations and other societal organisations can be funded if they provide a substantial research and development contribution. A total of 1.500.000 € is available for German partners over 36 months, with a maximum of 500.000 € per international consortium for all German partners combined. Funding is provided as non-repayable grants and may cover personnel, travel, consumables, services, subcontracts, equipment and communication/outreach activities, subject to national state aid rules and the General Block Exemption Regulation (AGVO).

The call follows a two-stage application process: an English-language pre-proposal (project sketch) submitted by the international coordinator via the JPI Oceans submission system, followed—after positive evaluation and invitation—by full national proposals submitted by the German partners via the BMFTR “easy-Online” system. All projects must respect ethical principles and the “Do No Significant Harm” principle and include a research data management plan and appropriate science communication measures.

Opening: 09.12.2025
Deadline(s): 02.03.2026

Find more information in german here.