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From 30 May to 1 June 2026, Piazza della Libertà in Santa Teresa Gallura hosted ARTEMIS Village, an educational event dedicated to the sea and the protection of Posidonia oceanica, held as part of the Primavera in Gallura programme promoted by the Municipality of Santa Teresa Gallura. 

The initiative was organised by the MEDSEA Foundation – Mediterranean Sea and Coast Foundation, with the support of SEMATA Cooperative and in collaboration with the Capo Testa – Punta Falcone Marine Protected Area. 

Over the three days, children, families, local residents and tourists took part in educational activities, workshops, games and screenings focused on Posidonia and the European Interreg Euro-MED ARTEMIS project, in which MEDSEA is a project partner and coordinates the activities implemented in Sardinia. 

Discovering Posidonia Through Play 

One of the main activities was the educational workshop “Regenerate the Posidonia Meadow”, designed for children aged between 6 and 12. 

During the workshop, participants discovered the main characteristics of Posidonia oceanica, its importance for the Mediterranean, the threats affecting its conservation and the behaviours that can help protect it. 

The children also contributed to the creation of the collective artwork “PosidoniAMO”, building a large Posidonia meadow inhabited by many colourful fish. The creative activity helped represent the rich biodiversity supported by seagrass meadows. 

The event also attracted strong participation in “The Octopus Game: Save Posidonia, the Treasure of the Sea”, an educational game set within an imaginative installation dominated by a giant octopus.  

Playing individually or in teams, participants aged from 6 to 99 moved along the route by rolling the dice and answering questions about the benefits of Posidonia, the threats it faces and the rules that should be followed to protect it. Those who reached the finish line earned the title of Protector of Posidonia oceanica. 

The ARTEMIS stand also provided visitors with information, educational materials and video content presenting the restoration and scientific monitoring activities carried out across the project’s pilot sites. 

Restoring Posidonia in the Marine Protected Area 

Santa Teresa Gallura hosts one of the Mediterranean pilot sites of the ARTEMIS project, located within the Capo Testa – Punta Falcone Marine Protected Area. 

The project aims to accelerate the conservation and restoration of seagrass meadows across the Mediterranean through innovative solutions based on ecosystem services. 

Within the Marine Protected Area, new clusters of Posidonia oceanica were transplanted in areas of the seabed damaged mainly by boat anchoring. The young plants, which have been monitored by researchers, are taking root and gradually contributing to the recovery of the marine meadow. 

The activities implemented in Sardinia were also documented in a video presented to the public during ARTEMIS Village. 

Sardinia is one of the project’s four Mediterranean pilot territories, together with Crete, Menorca and Monfalcone. The pilot sites are testing and comparing methods and solutions to make seagrass restoration more effective and replicable across the Mediterranean. 

From a Temporary Event to a Permanent Information Space  

Following the event, the exhibition created to present the ARTEMIS project, the benefits of Posidonia and the rules for protecting it was moved to the Santa Teresa Gallura ferry terminal. 

The installation became a permanent information corner, visible to passengers arriving and departing along the routes crossing the Strait of Bonifacio towards Corsica.

It represents a further opportunity to continue raising awareness among residents and travellers throughout the year and to remind everyone that the conservation of Posidonia also depends on our individual behaviour.