News

From protection to regeneration: this is the direction emerging from the World Ocean Summit Europe, the leading international forum organised by The Economist Impact to define a European strategy for sustainable ocean governance and to accelerate the development of a responsible blue economy.

Among more than 300 high-level participants – EU policymakers, institutions, investors, companies, NGOs and researchers – MEDSEA and the ARTEMIS project brought the Mediterranean perspective, showing how Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) can evolve from “paper parks” into investment-ready ecological infrastructures, capable of generating value for nature, climate and the economy.

Panel – How to strengthen marine protected areas through policy, innovation and accountability

The Summit hosted a dedicated panel moderated by Tatiana Der Avedissian (Business Development Unit, The Economist). Speakers included:

● Giulia Eremita, Chief Communication Officer of MEDSEA and Communication Manager of ARTEMIS

● Nicolas Fournier, Europe Campaign Director at Oceana

● Eleanor Whittle, Founder & Managing Director of Alopias Earth

● Jean-Luc Solandt, Senior Project Manager and Conservation Scientist at the Blue Marine Foundation

All speakers stressed a key message: protection alone is not enough. To make MPAs truly effective, active restoration targets, ecosystem-service valuation and market-based instruments are needed to attract private investment.

The ARTEMIS approach Within the EU-funded Interreg Euro-MED ARTEMIS project, MEDSEA is applying this model at the Capo Testa – Punta Falcone MPA in northern Sardinia, one of four European pilot sites.

Preliminary analyses show that one hectare of Posidonia oceanica seagrass provides ecosystem services worth around €86,000 per year – from CO₂ absorption and coastal protection to fish nursery functions and water purification. Yet conserving and restoring Posidonia across the Mediterranean would require €336 million per year, while only €17 million are currently available – leaving a funding gap of €319 million.

ARTEMIS is working to close this gap by developing Payment for Ecosystem Services, blue carbon credits and biodiversity credits, turning restoration into an investable asset class.

“When we talk about aligning ecosystem-service valuation with investment frameworks,” explained Giulia Eremita in Cascais, “we mean translating ecological benefits – coastal protection, carbon storage, fish resources – into measurable economic values, so that public and private investors can be engaged and this value can be transferred to every productive sector, making clear what we have and what we risk losing if we fail to act.”

Co-management and community engagement

The panel also highlighted the urgency of co-management and local participation. Scientific monitoring (satellite data, local surveys, shared indicators), management plans developed jointly with fishers, tourism operators, NGOs and local councils, and clear agreements on decision-making powers and budgets are essential to move beyond paper parks. Initiatives such as Blue4All aim to strengthen the network of European MPAs in line with the EU 30x30 Biodiversity Strategy—which requires every EU Member State, by 2030, to:

● Protect at least 30% of marine and terrestrial areas,

● Place at least one-third of that 30% (around 10% of total surface) under strict protection (no trawling, extraction, or new infrastructure),

● Ensure that protected areas are ecologically representative and well connected to support climate resilience and ecological continuity.

The ongoing Living Lab in the Capo Carbonara MPA illustrates that “science, when it engages with local communities, accelerates recovery and builds trust,” Eremita noted.

Roundtable: priorities for European MPAs

In a dedicated roundtable, representatives of MEDSEA/ARTEMIS, KPMG, Elafonisos Eco, small-scale fishers, Seas at Risk, ClientEarth, a New York-based organic-carbon start-up and the Meridian Institute identified key priorities:

● Scientific references & monitoring – use of satellite data and shared indicators to guide adaptive management.

● Processes & governance – institutional roles remain complex; implementation is often slow and fragmented; co-management is essential.

● Communities & local actors – fishers, residents and tourists must be involved from the outset, with continuous education and transparent communication.

● Policy & incentives – rules alone are not enough; tangible benefits such as co-managed eco-tourism concessions or revenue-sharing schemes are needed to sustain long-term engagement.

A Mediterranean under climate pressure

The Summit also sounded a climate alarm: June 2025 was the hottest June ever recorded in the Mediterranean, with 62% of the sea surface affected by marine heatwaves.

A MedPAN survey of 263 MPA managers revealed that only 32% consider climate change a management priority, and just 30% have implemented adaptation actions. These figures underscore the urgency of integrating Posidonia restoration (see MEDSEA’s campaign A Sea Forest to Save the Planet) and climate adaptation into MPA management plans.

MEDSEA will continue to work with European partners and local communities to ensure that Posidonia oceanica and Mediterranean seagrass meadows become not only a natural heritage to protect but also an investable natural asset, uniting science, finance and the future of the sea.