Morgan Botrel, Roxane Maranger, Lindsay Trottier, Mathieu Cusson, Lars Lønsmann Iversen, Fanny Noisette, Christian Nozais, Katrine Turgeon, Andrea Bertolo, Thibaud André-Alphonse, Simon Bélanger, Arthur de Grandpré, Jean‐Olivier Goyette, Sabine Hilt, Ladd Johnson, Valérie Langlois, Martin Laporte, Félix Lauzon, Brigitte Légaré, Anne Ola, Marie-Pomme Presne-Poissant, Matthieu Prugne, Caroline Susini, Richard C. Zimmerman, Irene Gregory‐Eaves
Abstract Macrophytes are foundation species whose use as nature‐based solution (NbS) in aquatic ecosystems can help reduce climate change impacts while mitigating biodiversity loss. The discrepancy in research and application of macrophytes as NbS across inland and marine coastal ecosystems is an opportunity to expand the concept and learn from different approaches. We report on an initiative uniting marine and freshwater scientists that compared knowledge on macrophytes as NbS across realms, identified advances and gaps in their use, and synthesized challenges and opportunities for application. We conducted a bibliometric analysis and an expert participatory exercise around recent review papers. We reveal that most NbS papers on macrophytes are marine‐focused, with distinct topics emphasized across realms, highlighting complementarity of expertise and potential extension to inland waters. We provide recommendations to encourage researchers and stakeholders to embrace the value of macrophytes across a broad range of contexts for a more sustainable future.