Restoration efforts in the Mediterranean Basin have been changing from a silvicultural to an ecological restoration approach. Yet, to what extent the projects are guided by ecological restoration principles remains largely unknown. To analyse this issue, we built an on-line survey addressed to restoration practitioners. We analysed 36 restoration projects, mostly from drylands (86%). The projects used mainly soil from local sources. The need to comply with legislation was more important as a restoration motive for European Union (EU) than for non-EU countries, while public opinion and health had a greater importance in the latter. Non-EU countries relied more on non-native plant species than EU countries, thus deviating from ecological restoration guidelines. Nursery-grown plants used were mostly of local or regional provenance, whilst seeds were mostly of national provenance. Unexpected restoration results (e.g. inadequate biodiversity) were reported for 50% of the projects and restoration success was never evaluated in 22%. Long term evaluation (>6years) was only performed in 31% of cases, and based primarily on plant diversity and cover. The use of non-native species and species of exogenous provenances may: i) entail the loss of local genetic and functional trait diversity, critical to cope with drought, particularly under the predicted climate change scenarios, and ii) lead to unexpected competition with native species and/or negatively impact local biotic interactions. Absent or inappropriate monitoring may prevent the understanding of restoration trajectories, precluding adaptive management strategies, often crucial to create functional ecosystems able to provide ecosystem services. The overview of ecological restoration projects in the Mediterranean Basin revealed high variability among practices and highlighted the need for improved scientific assistance and information exchange, greater use of native species of local provenance, and more long-term monitoring and evaluation, including functional and ecosystem services' indicators, to improve and spread the practice of ecological restoration.

Whilst aquaponics may be considered in the mid-stage of development, there are a number of allied, novel methods of food production that are aligning alongside aquaponics and also which can be merged with aquaponics to deliver food efficiently and productively. These technologies include algaeponics, aeroponics, aeroaquaponics, maraponics, haloponics, biofloc technology and vertical aquaponics. Although some of these systems have undergone many years of trials and research, in most cases, much more scientific research is required to understand intrinsic processes within the systems, efficiency, design aspects, etc., apart from the capacity, capabilities and benefits of conjoining these systems with aquaponics.

Under the new Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/848 which will enter into law in January 2022, aquaponic produce cannot be certified as organic in the European Union. Given the multiple components of an aquaponic system, which involve growing plants in hydroponic conditions, recycling of fish waste and raising fish in artificial conditions, the achievement of organic certification for aquaponic produce is a complex matter dictated by many parameters. Although in theory and in practice aquaponics fulfils nearly all organic farming principles, rules such as the need for crops to be cultivated in soil and the ban on using recirculating aquaculture systems currently prevent aquaponic produce from achieving organic certification. This review examines these rules in the new regulation on horticulture and aquaculture. The rules are evaluated, their foundations discussed, and suggestions are made on the type of system modifications that could potentially make it possible for aquaponic produce to be certified as organic. Suggested modifications include the use of soil in the hydroponic section and the implementation of environmental enrichment for improving the fish welfare in the aquaculture section. Several EU policies and strategies that support the development of aquaponics are also discussed, and potential policies for the development of organic aquaponics are formulated.

Biophilic design emerged at the beginning of the twenty-first century as an integral part of restorative environmental design, an approach that seeks to re-establish positive connections between na...

An aquaponics system using the brackish waters of the Negev (conductivity approximately 4500 μS/cm) is described. Tilapia sp. were grown with a variety of vegetables, herbs, and other plants within three systems within an aquaculture hothouse: a brackish water floating raft system, a brackish water gravel system, and a fresh water floating raft system. Water quality remained adequate within all systems for plant growth and fish health. Growth rates for fish were low, averaging about 1.4 g/day. Standing stock of fish at harvest was 12.5 kg/m³. Plants required the addition of iron chelate to contend with chlorosis and some macro- and micronutrients seem to have been in short supply.

Green roofs can be an innovative and effective way of mitigating the environmental impact of urbanization by providing several important ecosystem services. However, it is known that the performance of green roofs varies depending on the type of vegetation and, in drier climates, without resorting to irrigation, these are limited to xerophytic plant species and biocrusts. The aim of this research was therefore to compare differently vegetated green roofs planted with this type of vegetation. A particular focus was their ability to hold water during intense stormwater events and also the quality of the harvested rainwater. Six test beds with different vegetation compositions were used on the roof of a building in Lisbon. Regarding stormwater retention, the results varied depending on the composition of the vegetation and the season. As for water quality, almost all the parameters tested were higher than the Drinking Water Directive from the European Union (EU) and Word Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for drinking-water quality standards for potable water. Based on our results, biocrusts and xerophytic vegetation are a viable green roof typology for slowing runoff during stormwater events.