From June 17th to 21st, Naples hosted two major events for the scientific community focused on seagrass studies: the “World Seagrass Conference” and the “15th International Seagrass Biology Workshop.” Andreu Dalmau, senior project technician at SUBMON, had the opportunity to attend these conferences, where various topics related to the importance and conservation of these marine plants were discussed.
Andreu Dalmau answering questions about the poster exhibited at the congress.
It is essential to remember that seagrasses play a crucial role in the marine environment as the most ecologically important coastal habitat. However, society’s perception of these marine plants does not always match their importance, and there remains a significant lack of knowledge about them. During the conference, participants reflected on the global need to raise awareness about seagrasses to highlight their role and promote their preservation.
Throughout the conference and workshops, participants addressed various aspects of the biology of seagrasses, their capacity to adapt to change, advances in their study and mapping, and their significant contribution to carbon capture and sequestration, making them a key element within the concept of blue carbon.
The focus on seagrass meadow restoration was a central theme of the conference, reflecting its current significance in the scientific community. Throughout the event, various studies and methodologies developed for different species worldwide were presented. These actions, which have gained prominence within the framework of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), must be approached with caution.
It is crucial to understand that seagrass meadow restoration is not a panacea. Reintroducing a species to all the areas where it was historically distributed is not feasible without addressing the initial impacts that led to its regression. Moreover, the success of restoration efforts hinges on understanding the biology and specific needs of each species. This emerging approach still lacks sufficient long-term studies to assess its effectiveness over time. Additionally, the restoration process entails significant economic costs.
Therefore, seagrass restoration should not be viewed as a definitive solution to all the challenges that seagrasses are facing. It is essential to conserve healthy seagrass meadows and mitigate the impacts and pressures on them to support their natural recovery. Restoring seagrass meadows, particularly for delicate and slow-growing species like Posidonia oceanica, is complex and may not always be feasible in the medium to long term. Therefore, we believe that a healthy meadow should never be disturbed for restoration purposes. Instead, restoration efforts should focus solely on utilizing naturally uprooted shoots or seeds from the local area, if available.
In any case, it is crucial to proceed with caution in conducting such activities, as they involve protected species that should not be manipulated indiscriminately. Furthermore, there is a risk that in today’s world, there may be a push towards commodifying these activities on a large scale (e.g., in exchange for carbon credits) in the medium term, without always having a solid scientific basis to guarantee their long-term success.
Lastly, participating in the conference has been incredibly enriching because of the diverse range of people and countries represented. We have gained insights into various global initiatives and the diverse socio-cultural contexts that shape their progress. This exchange of knowledge and experiences is crucial for advancing the protection and restoration of seagrasses in the Anthropocene.
