News

Three days of discussion on the results of the Interreg Euro-MED project dedicated to seagrass meadow restoration. MEDSEA presented the Sardinian pilot site and the communication work that documented two and a half years of research, experimentation and collaboration across the Mediterranean.

From 8 to 10 June 2026, the Final Conference of the Interreg Euro-MED ARTEMIS project took place in Ciutadella, Menorca, bringing together project partners, researchers, public authorities, businesses, environmental organisations and representatives of local communities.

The three-day event focused on the results achieved and, above all, on the central question that guided the entire conference: what will it take to move seagrass restoration beyond the lifespan of individual projects and isolated local pilot actions?

The MEDSEA Foundation attended the conference in its dual role as coordinator of the Sardinian pilot site, developed within the Capo Testa – Punta Falcone Marine Protected Area, and as leader of the project’s communication activities, including the production of documentaries dedicated to the four Mediterranean pilot sites.

Four pilot sites, one shared objective

ARTEMIS worked across four different Mediterranean contexts—Crete, Menorca, Sardinia and Monfalcone—testing measures for the conservation and restoration of seagrass meadows and analysing the conditions needed to make them effective, replicable and sustainable over time.

During the session dedicated to ecosystem-based restoration, the managers of the four pilot sites shared results, challenges and lessons learned in the field.

For the Sardinian pilot site, MEDSEA presented the activities carried out within the Capo Testa – Punta Falcone Marine Protected Area, where new clusters of Posidonia oceanica were transplanted into areas of the seabed damaged mainly by boat anchoring.

Scientific monitoring made it possible to track the establishment of the young plants and progressively assess the effectiveness of the interventions. The work confirmed a fundamental principle: restoration does not begin with transplantation, but with a sound assessment of baseline conditions, the selection of the most suitable areas and the reduction of the pressures that caused the degradation.

The experiences presented also highlighted that the ecological recovery of seagrass meadows takes time. The restoration of a complex ecosystem cannot be measured over a single season, but over years and decades.

From restoration to the value of ecosystem services

The conference did not focus solely on scientific aspects. A significant part of the ARTEMIS project was dedicated to assessing the ecosystem services provided by seagrass meadows and engaging stakeholders across the pilot territories.

Posidonia oceanica meadows produce oxygen, store carbon, protect coastlines from erosion, improve water quality and provide food and shelter for hundreds of species. Translating these benefits into clear and usable data means providing public decision-makers, businesses and investors with stronger tools to guide policies and allocate resources.

The work carried out across the four sites showed that awareness of the ecological value of Posidonia is now relatively widespread. However, financing mechanisms, natural capital accounting tools and payment for ecosystem services models remain less well understood.

The next step therefore goes beyond awareness-raising: it lies in the ability to transform knowledge and data into governance, planning and concrete action.

One of the most innovative outputs presented in Menorca was the Seagrass Credits Cookbook, a methodological framework developed to support the creation of nature credit systems linked to the conservation and restoration of seagrass meadows.

The tool combines assessments of ecosystem extent and condition with internationally recognised natural capital accounting principles. Its purpose is to measure ecological outcomes credibly and determine whether they can be linked to financial mechanisms capable of attracting private investment.

The discussion nevertheless stressed that nature credits are not an automatic solution. To be credible, they must ensure scientific robustness, transparency, additionality, permanence of results, fair benefit-sharing and rigorous verification systems.

The message that emerged was clear: marine conservation cannot depend exclusively on public funding or the goodwill of individual organisations. It requires structured collaboration among institutions, businesses, investors, local communities and the research sector.

Policies and governance for seagrass restoration

The public policy session presented the ARTEMIS recommendations for accelerating seagrass restoration and financing, which were also developed to support EU Member States in preparing the National Restoration Plans required under the EU Nature Restoration Regulation.

• The priorities identified included:
  strategic planning based on reliable data and mapping;
• greater clarity in the division of responsibilities among institutions;
• coordination across different levels of government;
  stable, long-term public funding;
• responsible use of market-based instruments;
  the involvement of communities and stakeholders.

The Mediterranean Seagrass Restoration Action Plan 2030, based on the ARTEMIS policy recommendations, was also presented during the conference. It was designed to turn the project’s experiences and tools into an operational framework at Mediterranean scale.

MEDSEA’s contribution to project communication

Alongside its work at the Sardinian pilot site, MEDSEA coordinated ARTEMIS communication, developing a narrative capable of connecting scientific research, underwater restoration activities, public policies and local communities.

One of the main outputs was a documentary series dedicated to the pilot sites in Crete, Menorca, Sardinia and Monfalcone, featuring footage of transplantation operations, monitoring campaigns and the people working across the different territories.

The project’s final documentary was premiered during the conference, bringing together partner testimonies and footage collected at the four sites in a single shared narrative.

After two and a half years of activities, seeing the meadows, seabeds and underwater work on screen brought attention back to the project’s concrete purpose: helping to restore habitats that are essential for biodiversity and for the future of Mediterranean coastal communities.

Public and private sector dialogue

The final day was dedicated to two high-level roundtables on how restoration activities could be scaled up. Participants included MEDSEA guests who had responded to the ARTEMIS Call for Companies, among them Sea The Change, represented by co-founder Alberto Carpanese. Sea The Change is an innovative, socially oriented start-up that helps companies integrate the protection of marine ecosystems into their sustainability and ESG strategies.

The private sector discussion examined the barriers that continue to limit investment in nature. Many companies still approach sustainability mainly through regulatory compliance, reputational concerns or supply-chain pressure, without fully integrating the value of the ecosystems on which they depend into strategic decision-making.

Scaling up requires financing models that extend beyond standard project cycles, measurable and verifiable results, and the direct involvement of economic sectors that depend on a healthy sea, including tourism and fisheries.

The public sector roundtable identified five essential conditions: governance, regulation, planning, financing and participation.

Experiences from the Balearic Islands, France, MedCities member cities, Crete and Monfalcone showed that promising tools, regulations and models already exist. The main challenge remains their fragmentation and the difficulty of transferring good practices to territories with more limited technical and administrative capacity.

Looking beneath the surface

The conference concluded in Fornells with a field visit and a snorkelling activity above an area where restoration measures had been implemented for both Posidonia and Cymodocea, curated by IMEDSEA.

It was an opportunity to observe directly the outcome towards which scientific studies, financial instruments, communication activities and institutional dialogue all converge: a living seagrass meadow capable of supporting biodiversity, protecting coastlines and contributing to the health of the Mediterranean.

The end of the ARTEMIS project therefore does not mark the end of the work, but rather the transition from experimentation to the need for action on a broader scale. The knowledge, tools and partnerships developed are now available. The challenge will be to turn them into lasting policies, stable resources and interventions capable of supporting the long-term recovery of seagrass meadows.