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RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS AND INVOLVEMENT | 89

MEDITERRANEAN
Posidonia: strengthening

ties within the ocean

community

The RAMOGE Agreement held a conference devoted to restoring Posidonia
seagrass meadows, inviting leaders of French, Italian and Monegasque initiatives

to share advances in restoring this threatened marine flowering plant.

The event took place on 22 March 2024 in the WHY PRESERVE POSIDONIA
conference room of the Oceanographic Museum of SEAGRASS?
Monaco in the presence of the French and Italian
ambassadors, representatives of Mediterranean Protecting Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows
biodiversity protection bodies and Posidonia is fundamentally important for the protection of
specialists. Hosting the conference was an Mediterranean coasts. This marine plant endemic to
opportunity for Monaco Ocean Week to highlight the the Mediterranean, which forms vast meadows up
initiatives undertaken in the areas within the RAMOGE to 40 meters deep, provides a rich, vital ecosystem
jurisdiction to restore a species that provides a for the coastal marine environment. The species is
vital marine habitat. The RAMOGE and Pelagos nonetheless threatened by human activity, particularly
Agreements are leveraging this shared objective to boat anchoring, as well as factors such as pollution,
strengthen cooperation between them, acting as a coastal development and aquaculture.
bridge between stakeholders from the three countries
– France, Italy and Monaco – where their respective Because the natural recolonisation of Posidonia is a
secretariats are based. very slow process, conservation measures or, failing
that, restoration measures, are essential to maintain
the health of these marine ecosystems and guarantee
the long-term future of the ecosystem services it
provides, including acting as a nursery for marine
PROFILE species, protection against coastal erosion and
carbon sequestration.

The RAMOGE Agreement, a cooperation
agreement between France, Italy and
Monaco dedicated to preserving the
marine environment, is actively engaged
in integrated coastal management,
combatting pollution events and raising
public awareness of the need to protect
the environment.