Reviving Mediterranean Seagrass Meadows with the MSC Foundation
Seagrass, an aquatic plant, plays a critical role in marine health by providing nurseries and food sources for marine life, filtering ocean water, producing oxygen, reducing erosion and forming a protective barrier for coastlines.
The MSC Foundation has joined forces with Asociación Vellmari and Mission Blue to restore these ever-vital Mediterranean seagrass meadows.
The Mediterranean’s Shrinking Underwater Meadows
Human-driven pressures, such as damage from coastal land pollution, illegal fishing practices and the impacts of climate change, are causing an alarming decline in marine biodiversity across the world — and the Mediterranean Sea is one of the most affected regions.
Within the last 100 years, Mediterranean seagrass meadows have shrunk to less than 50% of the area they once occupied, prompting a need for urgent action to restore these ecosystems.
The Great Meadow Project
The Ses Salines d’Eivissa i Formentera Natural Park (part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is a rich and diverse ecosystem where Mediterranean seagrass meadows are vital to sea health, biodiversity and climate stability. Led by Asociación Vellmari, The Great Meadow is a large-scale reforestation initiative that aims to restore the sinking underwater meadows within this area.
With the support of the MSC Foundation and Mission Blue, 15,500 seagrass shoots covering 600 square meters were successfully transplanted within the first year of the initiative, while science-based, innovative methods were able to be tested and refined through fieldwork. The MSC Foundation is dedicated to helping expand the project's overall impact to restore at least 45,000 seagrass plants across 2.5 hectares over the course of three years.
Commenting on the collaboration, Manu San Felix, marine biologist and founder of Asociación Vellmari, said:
“I am convinced that this is a key partnership for reaching out to thousands of people and spreading the message of the urgent need to restore our beloved sea. We will succeed in protecting it if we all work together."
The MSC Foundation’s Marine Conservation Efforts
Investing in The Great Meadow initiative is a part of the Foundation's wider efforts to promote marine conservation, marine science education, environmental stewardship and ocean literacy within the Mediterranean and across the globe. A recent milestone was achieved with the opening of the Foundation’s Marine Conservation Center at Ocean Cay in The Bahamas, dedicated to coral conservation and marine research.
The Conservation Center is located on the island of Ocean Cay and a surrounding 64-square-mile expanse of marine waters. Ocean Cay has been designated as a Hope Spot by Mission Blue, reflecting the MSC Foundation and MSC Group’s successful ecosystem recovery efforts, coral reef restoration and resilience-building work.
Regrowing Seagrass Meadows, Regrowing Hope
Combined with longstanding support for marine conservation education targeted at primary and secondary school students and teachers in the Mediterranean, the MSC Foundation is advancing efforts to restore the critical ecosystem that is the Ses Salines d’Eivissa i Formentera Natural Park and to improve ocean literacy among critical coastal communities.
Beyond the physical task of planting seagrass roots, The Great Meadow partnership supports and emphasises the importance of marine conservation, education and an understanding of the Mediterranean Sea’s specific needs. By investing in this restoration partnership, the MSC Foundation intends to help the project achieve long-term success.
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