• SUBMON is part of the technical team of the CATGRASS23 campaign, led by the Marine Angiosperm Ecology Group of the Murcia Oceanographic Centre of the IEO.
• The study campaign is conducted within the framework of the Marine Strategies, as part of the Monitoring Program of infralittoral and intertidal marine angiosperm habitats (HB5).

The CATGRASS23 campaign, led by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO, CSIC), aims to gather data on the environmental status of seagrass meadows of three of the marine phanerogam species in Catalonia: Posidonia oceanica, Cymodocea nodosa, and Zostera noltei. This initiative plays a crucial role within the Marine Strategies’ Monitoring Program (HB5), contributing significantly to achieving their objectives.

To achieve this, the study campaign is centred around measuring various parameters designed to assess the condition of the aforementioned seagrass species and analyse the impact of anthropogenic pressures on these meadows. More specifically, the campaign focuses on identifying and establishing sampling zones and stations in Catalonia for Posidonia oceanica, Cymodocea nodosa, and Zostera noltei. Data collection will involve diving and towed video transects.

Campaign coordination and implementation is led by the Marine Angiosperm Ecology Group of the Murcia Oceanographic Centre, with SUBMON being part of the technical team as a local expert, providing on-site guidance on the identification and selection of study cases.

The campaign, scheduled for the entire month of September, will be carried out in two phases:

• The first phase will take place along the coast of Tarragona, specifically in areas around Salou, l’Ampolla, and l’Ametlla de Mar.
• The second phase will be carried out along the coast of Barcelona and Girona, in selected areas stretching from Mataró to Cap de Creus.

The purpose of the Monitoring Program of infralittoral and intertidal marine angiosperm habitats (HB5) is to collect the necessary information to assess their environmental status in the various Spanish marine subdivisions.

These monitoring programs are a fundamental tool for evaluating the evolution of the different descriptors and indicators used to define the Good Environmental Status (GES) of the marine environment. Consequently, they are crucial in achieving or maintaining the GES of the Spanish marine environment, which is the ultimate goal of the Marine Strategies.