The project Life SEPOSSO (LIFE16 GIE/IT/000761), “Supporting Environmental governance for the POSidonia oceanica Sustainable transplanting Operations”, coordinated by ISPRA, and carried out with the contribution of the European Commission, aims to improve the Italian Governance of the Posidonia oceanic transplants, marine habitat priority 1120* sensu Habitat Directive (1992/43/EEC), implemented to compensate the damages caused by coastal works and infrastructures. The project is based on the cooperation between numerous stakeholders which realize and apply good practices and innovative software tools, that will allow to improve the effectiveness of planning and control of transplantation activities. This will contribute to the implementation of European environmental legislation (EIA-2014/52/EU and MSP-2014/89/EU) and to raise awareness on the importance and respect of the P. oceanica prairies and of the Natura 2000 marine sites.
The European project LIFE SEPOSSO has carried out for the first time in Italy and in the Mediterranean Sea a national monitoring of the transplants of Posidonia oceanica carried out in the last 20 years. The documentary “Posidonia oceanica, let’s look after it” describes the main results of the project: the results obtained by two years of monitoring, the outcomes of the Governance analysis, the strengths and pitfalls of the procedures adopted in the past, and the solutions, best practices and innovative tools developed to make P. oceanica transplants more effective and to achieve reliable protection and restoration for this habitat.
The project, among its multiple objectives, is to make citizens of all ages aware of the importance and respect of the Posidonia oceanica meadows, marine sites belonging to the Natura 2000 Network, and has therefore created a educational tool for children of primary and secondary school. The educational kit (in Italian) is organized in 7 modules and includes lectures, videos, group games and skills that will allow children to discover what Posidonia oceanica is, what role it plays in the coastal marine environment, what is threatening it and what can be done do to protect it. You can download it from here, and also watch the Video comic – Discovering Posidonia oceanica meadows here.
On March 15, 2022, the Life SEPOSSO project come to an end with the final event of the project entitled “Posidonia… and more”, held at the Auditorium della Tecnica, Rome. Here the recording of the event:
Setin was one of the partners of the Life SEPOSSO project, with the following specific activities:
- Assistance to the Project Manager for project management, coordination and internal monitoring and evaluation (technical, administrative and financial);
- Posidonia oceanica transplanting case studies analysis: analysis of best practices of ecosystem services assessment and valuation;
- The decision governance for trasplanting Posidonia oceanica: preparation of the Guide on economic valuation of environmental impact;
- Teacher in training course on EIA and impacts on Posidonia oceanica meadows
- Socio-economic and environmental-economic assessment of the project.
Posidonia oceanica meadows are a common heritage to guarantee the health of the sea and of mankind. It is necessary for each of us to look after it!