Protection and restoration of Posidonia meadows in the Mediterranean

Posidonia meadows store large quantities of carbon in the seabed (3600tCO2/ha). Unfortunately, in areas of high yachting activity, boat anchors are destroying them at an estimated rate of 4.5% per year, resulting in the emission of large quantities of CO2. The town wishes to put a stop to this phenomenon by introducing ecological mooring facilities and mooring bans. Implementing this type of project is very costly for the local authority, but has undeniable benefits for the climate and biodiversity. At the same time, an NGO will be carrying out education, awareness-raising and surveillance operations, raising awareness of the destruction of Posidonia meadows, and enlightening users and the general public by exposing habits that are harmful to the seabed. Finally, restoration will not only aim to return the seagrass beds to their original state (before they were destroyed), but also to reinforce them. Taken together, these three approaches will guarantee a positive and lasting impact.