Protecting and Restoring Posidonia meadows through ecosystem-based governance, monitoring and policy innovation

Context & Relevance
This proposal responds directly to Destination 1’s objective: “Biodiversity is back on a path to recovery, and ecosystems and their services are preserved and sustainably restored on land, inland water and at sea through improved knowledge and innovation.” horizoneuropencpportal.eu+1
Pressures from maritime tourism and coastal development are major direct drivers of marine biodiversity loss in the Mediterranean. To halt and reverse this trend, we need robust, interdisciplinary solutions — combining ecological science, monitoring, governance and stakeholder engagement.

Project aims

• To assess the status, vulnerability and ecosystem services of seagrass meadows (e.g. Posidonia oceanica) in selected Adriatic / Mediterranean coastal zones;

• To develop and validate an integrated monitoring system (remote sensing, in-situ bio-indicator surveys, citizen-science monitoring) that can be scaled across Mediterranean countries;

• To produce evidence-based recommendations and governance tools for protected-area expansion, sustainable anchoring / maritime tourism regulation, and ecosystem-based coastal management;

• To engage local communities, ports, authorities and stakeholders in co-created, place-based restoration and protection interventions;

• To support the transition towards a nature-positive, climate-resilient blue economy by valuing ecosystem services and integrating them into policy and planning.

Why this fits Destination 1 & Cluster 6

• It directly addresses marine ecosystems under the banner of “biodiversity and ecosystem services at sea.” horizoneuropencpportal.eu+1

• It generates new knowledge, data and monitoring capacity, essential for understanding and tackling biodiversity decline. EuroAccess+1

• It fosters nature-based solutions, ecosystem restoration, sustainable coastal development and community involvement — all key priorities of Cluster 6. Research and innovation+1

• It leverages interdisciplinary methods, digital / EO & AI tools, socio-environmental indicators and citizen science — to align with the “innovation, observation, governance” ambitions recently emphasized across Horizon calls. Institut de Recerca SJD+1

Proposed partners / stakeholders

• Marine ecology / seagrass experts and biodiversity scientists

• Remote sensing / Earth Observation & geospatial analysis teams

• Environmental economists and policy / governance researchers

• Local authorities / municipalities / coastal management agencies

• NGOs and community organisations involved in citizen science and coastal protection

• Port authorities, maritime tourism operators, coastal tourism stakeholders

• SMEs or startups with expertise in environmental monitoring, sensors, digital twins, AI analytics

We bring

• Expertise in environmental economics, pollution auditing, socio-environmental metrics, ecological risk assessment and carrying-capacity analysis;

• Strong record in cross-disciplinary research, scientific writing and translating data into policy-oriented, practical solutions;

• Experience with tourism and maritime pressures, coastal governance, sustainable destination management and ecosystem-based approaches;

• Capacity to design data-driven decision-support tools, integrate EO / remote sensing data, model ecosystem services and support stakeholder engagement / citizen science.