The COASTFRAG Kick-off meeting took place between the 17th and the 22nd of March, 2021, with over 20 participants from the project consortium, the International Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB) and the National User Advisory Board (NUAB). The meeting touched upon the rationale and strategy of each COASTFRAG component: Work Package 1 – Administrative support and sampling protocol; Work Package 2 – Fragmentation, global stressors and scale; Work Package 3 – Fragmentation, environmental conditions and local human pressures; Work Package 4 – Fragmentation and species interactions; Work Package 5 – Predicting the future; and Work Package 6 – Communication and dissemination. Moreover, it focused on protocols and sampling design, and laid the foundations for effective outreach. Looking forward to being in the field as soon as possible – we are ready!