Ocean Restoration Regulations Delay Reef Recovery: Scientists Speak Out (2025)
Despite the urgency of reef crisis, urgent restoration efforts are hitting bureaucratic roadblocks. Scientists worldwide report delays of six to twelve months or more just to receive permits—while climate-driven damage keeps happening on the reef. In places like Australia, restoration inside Marine Protected Areas is outright banned; in the Philippines, at least 17 overlapping policies complicate urgently needed out-planting work. The result: while the science and funding may be ready, regulatory red-tape is stalling action, giving dying reefs precious little time.