Activities

IYOR 2008

OneSea Italy

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Posidonia Check

     Posidonia Oceanica

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Posidonia Check

IYOR is not only about tropical coral reefs. OneSea Alliance is pleased to partner with the International Year of the Reef (IYOR) in a joint effort to highlight the importance of Posidonia oceanica in the Mediterranean Sea ecosystem. In addition to participating in IYOR events OneSea is developing his own activities and events as part of the campaign.

Several diving operators, divers and community groups are collaborating with us to launch the Posidonia Check project this July 2008 as major IYOR activity for OneSea in Italy. Posidonia seagrass beds are protected habitats which have a fundamental role for the health and productivity of Mediterranean marine ecosystems, and for this it is one of the most important conservation priorities of OneSea. While seagrass is recognized as a priority habitat for conservation, there is evidence that it is experiencing significant widespread decline. Posidonia oceanica is a long-living plant with a slow growth rate (<10cm/year) and is highly vulnerable to pressures from the human populations which live disproportionately along the coasts.

With Posidonia Check monitoring program we aim:

• to establish a wide network of informed and empowered Posidonia Check Operators which regularly monitor and report on status of the Posidonia oceanica meadows;
  
  
• to raise the awareness of public all over Italy to the fragility and importance of Posidonia ecosystem;
  
  
• to promote the value of community-based monitoring programs, such as Posidonia Check, to stimulate local community action to monitor and protect local environment;
  
  
• to implement a project that will stand as a model for the study and responsible management of seaside localities and encourage other Mediterranean localities to register as Posidonia Check Operators.