MSC Foundation and Asociación Vellmarí have launched a new three-year programme that will combine Posidonia oceanica seagrass restoration, marine education and community engagement across the Mediterranean.
Vellmarí will lead the implementation of the “Shallow Bays of the Mediterranean” programme, which will begin in Talamanca Bay, Ibiza.
MSC Foundation and Vellmarí aim to establish a scientifically validated model that the partners can later adapt for Palma de Mallorca and the Barcelona coastline in the second and third years of implementation. The programme will combine science-based restoration with long-term environmental monitoring, ocean literacy and practical community participation.
The programme will run from August 2026 to July 2029. It launched aboard EXPLORA III during events surrounding the ship’s naming ceremony, which coincided with the appointment of Vellmarí co-founder Cristina Ozores as the ship’s Godmother.
Programme targets
- Plant and monitor between 170,000 and 180,000 Posidonia oceanica plants
- Bring an additional 20,000 square metres of degraded coastal habitat under restoration
- Engage more than 30,000 people through marine education, citizen science and community activities
- Involve around 600 volunteers and 30 schools and education centres
- Train 28 educators and 24 dive centres
“Beneath the shallow bays of the Mediterranean lie Posidonia oceanica meadows, one of the region’s most important ecosystems,” MSC Foundation executive director Daniela Picco said. “Our partnership with Asociación Vellmarí brings together scientific expertise, education and community participation, helping people become active stewards of the sea that connects us all.”
Posidonia oceanica is a seagrass species found only in the Mediterranean. Its underwater meadows provide habitat for marine life, store blue carbon, stabilise the seabed and help protect coastlines from erosion.
