Under an intensive programme of work and meetings, the ARTEMIS partners met in Heraklion, Crete, from 4 to 6 March 2025. The aim of this activity was, on the one hand, to engage local stakeholders in an interactive discussion on the institutional framework for the restoration of the Posidonia and, on the other, to exchange information on the progress of ARTEMIS and to plan for the next steps. The location of the meeting was not a coincidence as the area of Atzikiari Bay in the Municipality of Sitia, Crete, is one of the pilot areas of the project where research work is already being carried out by the scientific team of HCMR, a project partner.
Specifically, on the first day, a workshop with local stakeholders was held at the Heraklion Chamber of Commerce on ‘Restoration of Posidonia meadows: Institutional framework, Challenges and Prospects’, following an invitation by Green Tank, in collaboration with HCMR. The workshop was attended by representatives from the Region of Crete, the Organization for the Natural Environment and Climate Change (NECCA), the Decentralized Administration, the University of Crete, and other stakeholders, as well as representatives of the ARTEMIS project partners. The goal was to understand the existing institutional framework, identify challenges, and map the prospects created following the adoption of the Nature Restoration Law. Special emphasis was placed on alternative funding schemes to promote such actions, such as Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) for Posidonia.
On the second and third day, a meeting of the ARTEMIS project partners was held. The focus was on the 4 pilot sites of the project (Crete, Minorca, Sardinia and Monfalcone) with the project partners presenting the methods and findings from their field activities to assess the ecological status of Posidonia and its ecosystem services (blue carbon sequestration, and biodiversity conservation). They also discussed ways to inform and mobilize stakeholders, and formulate policy proposals that will enable ARTEMIS to actively contribute to the creation of a contemporary institutional framework and new PES schemes (Payments for Ecosystem Services). Starting from the four pilot areas, the findings and proposals of the project can be used by relevant stakeholders across the Mediterranean, at national and European level.
In the context of this work, Ioli Christopoulou and Dimitra Syrou gave interviews to the local press, specifically to TV Creta, Nea TV Crete and SKAI Crete 92.1.
The Interreg Euro-MED ARTEMIS project (Accelerating the Restoration of Seagrass Meadows in the Mediterranean Area through Innovative Ecosystem-Service Based Solutions) aims to improve the restoration techniques of Posidonia oceanica meadows, assess the ecosystem services they provide, and create innovative techniques for integrating them into both policy-making and investment decisions. The project is implemented by ten partners, with Plan Bleu as the project coordinator. Partners from Greece include the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) and the environmental think tank, The Green Tank. Associated partners include the Region of Crete and the Organization for the Natural Environment and Climate Change (NECCA).