The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has published new informative guidance to support marine contractors to understand and manage their impact on marine biodiversity.
IMCA ES006 – The Role of Marine Contractors in Biodiversity Impact and Nature-Positive Developments sets out how IMCA members and the wider industry can integrate biodiversity and nature-positive strategies into their operations.
The guidance aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water, which aims to preserve marine ecosystems while advancing sustainable industry practices.
Marine ecosystems are under increasing pressure from biodiversity loss, climate change, and expanding offshore activities. IMCA’s new guidance responds to these challenges by providing practical insights on:
- The impacts of offshore operations on biodiversity,
- Emerging expectations from regulators, clients, and stakeholders,
- Real-world showcases demonstrating how marine contractors can reduce their ecological footprint and support ecosystem health.
The document also highlights the strategic value of biodiversity-friendly practices, from securing project approvals to building lasting relationships with local communities.
Nature-positive solutions and industry innovation
The guidance champions nature-based solutions (NbS) as effective tools for addressing biodiversity loss and climate adaptation. It explores how NbS, such as habitat creation, ecological monitoring, and nature-inclusive design, can be adapted for offshore projects, supporting both environmental stewardship and operational resilience, through industry showcases, including:
- The TM EDISON consortium’s Princess Elisabeth Island, Europe’s first artificial energy island designed with biodiversity in mind,
- SBM Offshore’s Sharing Ocean Data Initiative, promoting open access to environmental data,
- Subsea7 and the National Oceanography Centre’s BORA Blue Ocean Research Alliance®, advancing deep-sea biodiversity research, and
- Innovative habitat restoration projects by Fugro, Van Oord, Ørsted, RWE, Arc Marine, and Rohde Nielsen.
Frameworks, recommendations, and next steps
To help contractors embed biodiversity and nature-positive strategies, the document outlines relevant frameworks such as the mitigation hierarchy, the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, ecosystem-based management, and the IUCN Global Standard for NbS.
It also provides actionable recommendations, including:
- Developing project environmental programmes and biodiversity action plans,
- Reporting and monitoring biodiversity outcomes,
- Implementing nature-based and nature-inclusive design solutions,
- Collaborating with communities, regulators, and scientific partners,
- Adopting adaptive management practices to ensure continuous improvement.
The guidance document is now available for download from the IMCA Technical Library.
Feedback and comments are welcomed. Contact Mary.Ntamark@imca-int.com and Giulia.Luerti@imca-int.com
