Program description

The Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund (AERF) is part of the renewal of the national Oceans Protection Plan, launched July 19, 2022. The program will provide $75 million over the next 5 years to support aquatic restoration that will help to address the root causes of impacts to coastal and marine environments.

Program objective

The AERF will support efforts that protect and restore coastal as well as marine areas by:

• contributing to strategic planning and responding to restoration priorities
• supporting restoration and rehabilitation of aquatic habitats and their long term sustainability
• educating the public on the impacts of human behavior on aquatic habitats
• supporting co-benefits of aquatic restoration activities (e.g., nature based solutions to climate change)
• encouraging and building local community capacity

To meet its objectives, the program will engage Indigenous organizations, non-profit and community based organizations, and academic researchers or institutions and support coordinated approaches for projects.

Current program approach

The AERF is a renewal and expansion of the Coastal Restoration Fund (CRF) that ended on March 31, 2022. Given the success of the CRF program, the AERF will build on the existing framework and will expand its approach to help address the root causes of impacts to coastal and marine environments.

The program will focus on:

• regional priority areas that have the greatest strategic value
• prioritizing regional activities with the greatest benefit to specific coastal ecosystems threats
• activities that address the root causes of impacts on coastal areas

The AERF is committed to engaging Indigenous groups in the protection of Canada's coastal areas.

Contact us

By email

Related links

• Protecting oceans
• Projects near water
• Oceans Protection Plan
• Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund standards and targets
• Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund backgrounder
• Protecting and restoring biodiversity in the Canadian marine environment