The Green Tank actively participated in the first Greek Seagrass Forum, held at the French Institute of Greece in Athens from April 28 to 30, 2026, contributing to the dialogue on the protection and restoration of Posidonia oceanica, one of the Mediterranean’s most important ecosystems.
The Forum served as an important platform bringing together the scientific community, public authorities, local government representatives, civil society organisations, and businesses, with the aim of strengthening collaboration and advancing solutions for the conservation of seagrass meadows.
The Green Tank’s contribution focused on leveraging the results of the Interreg Euro-MED ARTEMIS project, highlighting the need for more coherent policies and effective tools to support the restoration of Posidonia.
More specifically, on the second day of the Forum, Dimitra Syrou participated in the session on “Social Participation, Impact & Civil Society Actions.” In this context, she presented a policy proposal aimed at advancing the practical implementation of Posidonia restoration. The proposal was co-developed with the Seagrass Ecology Laboratory of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) – Institute of Oceanography, drawing on scientific evidence as well as collaboration, knowledge exchange, and experience-sharing among competent authorities, relevant stakeholders, and civil society actors.
The session, moderated by Dr. Simon Karythis (Ionian Environment Foundation) and Daphne Mantziou (Argosaronic Environment Foundation), also featured contributions from Ilektra Athinaiou (iSea), Tasos Rodis (Katheti, Poros), Dr. Ioannis Keramidas (Cyclades Preservation Fund), Vangelis Paravas (WWF Greece), and Christina Archer (Sustainable Sailing Greece), focusing on the protection and restoration of seagrass meadows through science, community engagement, and collaboration.
On the third day, The Green Tank co-organised a closed working session focused on strengthening the institutional framework for the protection of Posidonia meadows. The meeting brought together representatives from competent authorities and ministries, with a focus on issues such as anchoring and restoration actions, and included an exchange of views on relevant policy proposals. The session was organised in collaboration with the Cyclades Preservation Fund, HCMR, and WWF Greece.
Later that day, Ioli Christopoulou participated in the session on “Funding Sources and Priorities for Posidonia,” contributing to the discussion on available financial tools and the needs for supporting protection and restoration actions for seagrass meadows, including investments such as Posidonia credits.
The session, moderated by Vera Alexandropoulou (Aenaos Thalassa), also included contributions from Xenofon Kappas (Captain Vassilis & Carmen Konstantakopoulos Foundation), Angela Lazou-Dean (Blue Marine Foundation), Giorgos Protopapas (Green Fund), and Eleni Gourvelou (Ministry of National Economy and Finance, General Secretariat for the Management of Sectoral ERDF & Cohesion Fund Programmes), with a focus on funding sources and priorities for the effective protection and restoration of Posidonia.
Participation in the Forum highlighted the importance of cross-sector collaboration, as well as the need to strengthen both the institutional framework and financing mechanisms to ensure the effective protection of Posidonia in the Mediterranean.
The first Greek Seagrass Forum was organised by the partners of the Greek Islands Seagrass Alliance (GISA) programme, designed and coordinated by the Cyclades Preservation Fund (CPF), in collaboration with the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) – Institute of Oceanography, the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature, the Ionian Environment Foundation, the Argosaronic Environment Foundation, and Aenaos Thalassa. The GISA programme is supported by the Seacology Foundation. The Greek Seagrass Forum was implemented with the support of the Interreg Euro-MED ARTEMIS / The Green Tank and Mediterranean Blue Forests / WWF Greece programmes, in collaboration with the French Institute of Greece (Institut français de Grèce).
