The joint project of academic and research organizations Resposcy will help restore the submarine meadows of Posidonia in the sea off the coast of Cyprus.
Sidonia Ocean - a kind of so -called sea herbs. They have similar characteristics with ground plants, have flowers, seeds, roots. This is an endemic species, that is, it is found exclusively in the Mediterranean.
The underwater meadows of Nyudonia play an important role in the marine environment, their significance is comparable to the role of forest for living creatures on land. The meadows of Nyudonia can absorb 35 times more carbon than tropical forests, which largely helps to limit the consequences of climate change. They are protected by the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment and the coastal region of the Mediterranean Sea (Barcelona Convention) and the Convention on the Protection of the Wild Fauna and Flora and the natural habitats in Europe (Berne Convention). Nevertheless, the plant is threatened by human activity, environmental pollution, the development of coastal areas and climate change.
The Restoring Posidonia Oceanica Meadows of Cyprus (abbreviated Resposcy) is the first national initiative to restore the oceanic meadows of Nazidonia. The project is coordinated by the laboratory of marine research (MER) in cooperation with the research center of the University of Frederick, the University of Tepak and the University of Genoa.
“In cooperation with marine biologists, researchers, divers-volunteers and educational organizations, we are working on creating a strong basis for restoring the meadows of Posidonia and protecting the coasts,” says Professor Dimitris Clita, head of the marine research laboratory and Rosposcy coordinator. - This project goes beyond the framework of just recovery. We want to create an advanced experience for the Eastern Mediterranean, based on scientific achievements, supported by the local community and inspired by our common responsibility for the fate of the seas. ”
The project will continue until 2027. Scientists will record and evaluate the current state of meadows, study the environmental load that falls on them, determine the priority areas for restoration. Then, scientists will plant 3,000 caskets of Posidonia in three pilot areas, and will also develop standard protocols for transplanting and monitoring the plant. For this, 100 divers-volunteers will be trained as “Sower Sitters”.
A wide information and educational campaign is also planned. It will be aimed at covering more than 30 thousand inhabitants throughout Cyprus in order to instill in them love and respect for the naval wealth of the island.
Resposcy also supports the development of the National Strategy for Restoring the Lugs of Posidonia, which complies with the new EU Law on the restoration of natural zones and the obligations of Cyprus to achieve its environmental goals.
Sidonia has the ability to both ash and sexual reproduction. In the first method, the most common, lateral shoots are rooted in the sand and thereby expand the area of the meadow. In the second, the plant blooms and forms a small yellow flower, which after fertilization turns into a fetus. The sea current breaks this fruit from the plant and takes it on a journey through the waters of the oceans. After 2-3 months, the fruit is revealed, its seeds fall to the bottom of the sea and give rise to new plants.
The text is prepared based on the materials "Politis".
Photo: Frédéric Ducarme / Wikipedia.org (Cropped), CC by-SA 4.0
