The Green Tank’s Policy Director and co-founder, Ioli Christopoulou, and Nature Policy Associate, Dimitra Syrou, were guests on ERT’s Infinitely Curious with Katerina Batzaki, where they discussed the ecological importance of Posidonia seagrass meadows and the urgent need to protect and restore them.
During the discussion, they explained how Posidonia meadows – the Mediterranean’s underwater forests – support marine biodiversity, protect coastlines from erosion, store significant amounts of “blue carbon,” and strengthen resilience to the climate crisis. They also highlighted the growing pressures these ecosystems face, including coastal development, pollution, destructive fishing practices, uncontrolled anchoring and marine heatwaves.
Drawing on the experience of the Interreg Euro-MED ARTEMIS project, they presented the opportunities and challenges of restoring Posidonia meadows, emphasizing that the most effective and cost-efficient approach is to protect healthy ecosystems and eliminate the pressures that drive their degradation. They also highlighted the project’s 15 policy recommendations for accelerating the restoration of Posidonia meadows across the Mediterranean.
They further discussed the implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, the need for an enabling governance framework and adequate financing, as well as the importance of scientific evidence in supporting restoration efforts. In this context, they referred to The Green Tank’s collaboration with the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), which contributes to the development of science-based proposals for the preparation and implementation of Greece’s National Nature Restoration Plan.
The conversation concluded with a clear message: Posidonia should no longer remain an unseen ecosystem. Protecting and restoring these underwater forests is essential for safeguarding biodiversity, tackling the climate crisis, and securing a resilient future for the Mediterranean.
Listen to the full episode here.
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 has been implemented by ten partners across five European and Mediterranean countries, with Plan Bleu as the project coordinator, from January 2024 through June 2026.
