A new major project for the posidonia meadows begins on the island of Kea
Various organizations from different countries are joining forces for an ambitious project aimed at highlighting the importance and benefits of Posidonia meadows for the marine environment and local communities. Toward this goal, Aegean Rebreath, Zurich Group Germany (which funds the program), the Municipality of Kea, the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, and the organization Team Malizia are collaborating to adopt a marine bay on Kea island, where the presence of Posidonia meadows is significant.
Posidonia meadows play a crucial role in carbon dioxide sequestration, produce oxygen, serve as shelter and breeding grounds for a wide variety of marine species, protect shorelines and coastal dunes from erosion and help maintain clean waters, thereby supporting ecotourism, diving, and recreation.
The program includes a range of holistic activities aimed at both protecting the area from uncontrolled anchoring and restoring the site, as well as informing and raising awareness among the local community and visitors. It is based on seven action pillars and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Specifically, the interventions focus on:
- Consultation with local authorities
- Mapping and identifying needs in the intervention area
- Assessing the ecological condition of the Posidonia meadows
- Developing communication materials, and raising awareness and educating local communities on the value of Posidonia meadows
- Addressing legal requirements for installing mooring systems in the intervention area to eliminate pressure from anchoring
- Protecting existing Posidonia meadows, mainly through the installation of moorings in intervention areas
- Restoration activities through regeneration and expansion of existing areas and/or planting new Posidonia meadows, along with monitoring progress
The program outcomes are considered important, as the selected area suffers from the frequent anchoring of numerous recreational boats. For this reason, the interventions will be large-scale. At the same time, the Municipality of Kea is a founding member of the Blue Municipalities Network, which means that the program’s results will also benefit other network members facing similar issues.