La Fondazione MSC e l’Associazione Vellmarí lanciano “Baie poco profonde del Mediterraneo”, un nuovo programma per il ripristino dei prati di Posidonia nel Mediterraneo.
MSC FOUNDATION AND ASOCIACIÓN VELLMARÍ LAUNCH “SHALLOW BAYS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN”, A NEW PROGRAM TO RESTORE POSIDONIA SEAGRASS MEADOWS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
- This three-year program aims to plant up to 180,000 Posidonia oceanica plants across around 215,278 square feet of degraded seagrass meadow
- Over this period, it will expand Vellmarí’s area under restoration nearly threefold to its ongoing efforts
- More than 30 educational institutions, 30,000 people and 600 volunteers will take part in supporting the Mediterranean’s seagrass meadows
Barcelona, Spain – August 3, 2026 – The MSC Foundation and Asociación Vellmarí have launched “Shallow Bays of the Mediterranean”, a new three-year program combining restoration, marine education and community engagement. Led by Vellmarí, implementation will begin in Ibiza with the aim of establishing a scientifically validated model that can subsequently be adapted for Palma de Mallorca and the Barcelona coastline.
Running from August 2026 to July 2029, the program was launched aboard EXPLORA III as part of the events surrounding the ship’s naming ceremony, coinciding with the appointment of Vellmarí co-founder Cristina Ozores as the ship’s Godmother. Building on the MSC Foundation and Vellmarí’s existing partnership focused on Formentera, it aims to plant and monitor between 170,000 and 180,000 plants, bring an additional 215,278 square feet of degraded coastal habitat under restoration, and engage more than 30,000 people through marine education, citizen science and community activities.
The first phase will begin in Talamanca Bay, Ibiza, where Vellmarí will develop and refine the program’s restoration and education methodology. Subject to ecological feasibility, site selection and consultation with local stakeholders, the model is intended to be adapted for Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona coastlines during the second and third year of implementation.
Posidonia oceanica is a seagrass species found only in the Mediterranean. Its underwater meadows provide habitat for marine life, store blue carbon, stabilize the seabed and help protect coastlines from erosion.
“
The program will combine science-based restoration with long-term environmental monitoring, ocean literacy and practical community participation. Schools, dive centers, volunteers, educators and researchers will take part in restoration, citizen science and field-learning activities. The initiative will also train educators, volunteers and dive professionals, helping to build capacity based on local knowledge to support continued conservation action.
Cristina Ozores, Co-founder and Director of Education at Asociación Vellmarí, said, “
Over the three-year period, the program will engage around 6,000 students across 30 schools and education centers. It will also involve around 600 volunteers and provide training for 28 educators and 24 dive centers.
Daniela Picco, Executive Director of the MSC Foundation, said, “Beneath the shallow bays of the Mediterranean lie Posidonia oceanica meadows, one of the region’s most important ecosystems. Our partnership with Asociación Vellmarí brings together scientific expertise, education and community participation, helping people become active stewards of the sea that connects us all. Cristina Ozores’ appointment as Godmother of EXPLORA III is a fitting symbol of the shared commitment to the sea that underpins this collaboration.”
The initiative builds on the collaboration established by the MSC Foundation and Vellmarí in Formentera in 2024, within the framework of the Foundation’s wider partnership with Mission Blue™, the ocean conservation organization founded by oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earle. During the first two years, Vellmarí planted more than 78,000 plants, bringing 29,062 square feet of degraded seagrass meadow in the waters around Formentera under restoration.
###
ABOUT MSC FOUNDATION
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the MSC Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the MSC Group. Established in 2018, the Foundation supports initiatives in environmental conservation, community support, education, and emergency relief. Its mission is to use MSC’s global reach and knowledge of the sea to take action that contributes to protecting and nurturing the blue planet and its people.
For more information, visit: www.mscfoundation.orgLinkedInFacebookInstagram
ABOUT ASOCIACIÓN VELLMARÍ
The Vellmarí Association, founded in 1993, works to help restore the Mediterranean Sea from the islands of Ibiza and Formentera. Over the past five years, Vellmarí has been restoring damaged Posidonia oceanica meadows, working together with volunteers, local communities and businesses.
For Vellmarí, planting Posidonia is much more than restoring a seagrass meadow. It is a way to reconnect people, institutions and companies with the Mediterranean, starting in the shallow bays—places that are part of our daily lives and where we enjoy the sea with our families. By bringing these bays back to life, people can experience the benefits of a healthy sea firsthand. Our hope is that this will inspire society to protect at least 30% of the Mediterranean, helping to restore the health of this unique sea for future generations.