From April 8th to 10th, Andreu Dalmau, senior project technician at SUBMON, participated in the 2nd European Seagrass Restoration Workshop (ESRW2), held in Arcachon, France. Under the theme “From Competition to Coalition: Towards a European Seagrass Restoration Alliance”, the workshop gathered restoration practitioners, researchers and institutions from across Europe to share experiences and coordinate future actions for the recovery of seagrass ecosystems.
During the workshop, Andreu presented a poster highlighting the results of a pilot study on Posidonia oceanica restoration conducted in the marine area of the Natura 2000 site of L’Albera, where we have a marine stewardship agreement in place since 2021 with the Llançà Town Council and the Government of Catalonia.
The pilot study, developed between 2022 and 2023, consisted of a small-scale restoration using Posidonia oceanica shoots that had been naturally uprooted by storms. With the support of local fishers and local community members, the shoots were collected, temporarily stored at the fishing harbour, and later replanted in degraded areas using biodegradable bamboo stakes. In total, 236 shoots were replanted, having a survival rate of around 75% after three years of monitoring (2025).
This initiative not only contributed to restoring degraded seagrass meadows but also served as an inspiring case study for future efforts. In fact, it helped lay the groundwork for the restoration actions that will now be implemented through the BLUE CONNECT project, in which SUBMON is a project partner. L’Albera has been selected as one of the project’s demonstration sites, where restoration will continue with new methodologies and a strong emphasis on local stakeholder engagement.
Participating in this workshop allowed us to share our practical experience, connect with other organisations committed to marine restoration, and contribute to a growing collective effort to protect and recover seagrass ecosystems in Europe.
