93% of the Posidonia repopulated in the Bay of Pollença has survived

PalmNinety-three percent of the Posidonia seagrass specimens planted in Pollença Bay since 2018 have survived, which experts consider a significant success for this type of regenerative practice. The project, promoted by Redeia and the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA-CSIC), has consisted of the "active restoration of Posidonia oceanica in the Bay of Pollença,” as spokespeople from both institutions explained this morning in Esporles. According to the project's final report, the survival rate of the transplanted specimens confirms the initiative's strength and effectiveness.

The project arose within the framework of the Redeia Marine Electrical Interconnection project, which promotes the conservation and restoration of marine ecosystems using science-based methodologies. It has been emphasized that “the results of the Marine Forest project in Pollença are very promising. In a short time, we have made progress in restoring marine biodiversity, and thanks to the collaboration between companies, civil society, government agencies, and the scientific community, we have achieved a very positive ecological and social impact.”

A pioneering and reproducible technique

Between 2018 and 2020, Red Eléctrica and IMEDEA transplanted 12,800 Posidonia rhizome fragments in Pollença Bay, with support from the Balearic Government's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment and the Pollença military airfield. The technique used combines the collection of leaf surfaces from natural fragmentation, preparation of the specimens, underwater planting with anchoring of each rhizome by divers, and subsequent monitoring. The report indicates that the growth of the transplanted fragments is slow, with a slight decrease in average size until the fifth year, at which point some units have increased by up to 32% compared to their initial size. This rate confirms the need to prioritize Posidonia conservation, since the natural recovery of seagrass meadows is a very gradual process.

In addition to survival, the project includes monitoring the biodiversity of epifauna and fish to assess the ecological recovery of the planted areas. Although no significant changes in epifauna abundance have been detected, a timid response has been observed in juvenile fish.

With the publication of a new edition of thePosidonia planting guideRedeia wants to share with society the scientific technique that has been used and allow other entities to replicate this initiative, considered pioneering by specialists, contributing to the conservation and recovery of one of the most valuable habitats in the Mediterranean.