Education & engagement theme

Ideas matter most when they are tested where people actually use them

MER applies Living Lab principles to pilot, adapt and improve marine solutions with communities, practitioners, authorities and users in real coastal settings.

Contact us to build a living lab project Back to education & engagement

A Living Lab is not just a workshop. It is a way of testing tools, methods and behaviours in the places where they will actually be used. MER supports this through real-world pilots that combine local knowledge, scientific evidence and structured feedback, linked to environmental education, citizen science and place-based marine action.

These Living Labs are applied across ecosystem restoration, non-indigenous species management, sustainable use of marine resources and the establishment and operation of marine protected areas, ensuring that solutions are grounded in real conditions and user needs.

The focus is on learning by doing: trialling ideas with stakeholders, adapting them to local contexts, documenting what works (and what does not), and translating those lessons into practical tools, roadmaps and transferable models that can be replicated across locations and sectors.

Typical support

Demonstrator and pilot-site design To test marine or coastal ideas in the environments where they are meant to work.
User-centred testing with communities, practitioners and authorities So tools and methods evolve through real use, not only expert assumptions.
Iterative feedback, adaptation and refinement To improve what works and reveal what needs redesign before scaling up.
Training, stewardship and community-of-practice building So the pilot leaves behind skills, ownership and people who can continue it.
Applied tools, manuals, blueprints and decision-support outputs To turn pilot learning into something transferable and usable by others.
Replication and scale-up pathways So successful approaches can be adapted to new coastal settings, sectors or partners.

Example Projects

Community restoration RESPOSCY Volunteer divers, managers and scientists work together to build a Living Lab for seagrass restoration in Cyprus. Replication A-AAGORA / ResPos Cyprus adapts tools, training and restoration solutions from a wider Living Lab approach to build a regional restoration hub. Real-world testing Fish the Alien II Fishers, hotels and restaurants test practical ways to turn invasive catch into conservation-linked food experiences. Applied experience Eco-diving routes in Limassol New dive routes were designed, assessed and documented to improve how people explore and value underwater ecosystems.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Living Lab in a marine or coastal context?

It is a way of testing and improving solutions in real places with the people who will actually use, manage or be affected by them.

How is this different from stakeholder consultation?

Consultation gathers views. A Living Lab also pilots tools, methods or behaviours in practice, then adapts them based on what happens in the field.

Can MER design pilots that involve communities, businesses and authorities together?

Yes. MER can structure pilots that bring together multiple user groups, support testing in real settings and document what should be improved or scaled up.

Does MER help turn pilot results into something others can reuse?

Yes. MER can help translate pilot learning into toolkits, blueprints, guidance and scale-up pathways that are easier to apply elsewhere.