What you should know about Posidonia

It is an angiosperm plant, with flowers and fruits (it is not an algae).
It lives from 0 to 45 meters deep. We can find it between the superficial level up to 45 meters, although the most common limits are 30 meters throughout the Balearic coast. There are other seagrasses in other places like Australia. Posidonia australis

years
One of the oldest living beings on the planet
5 km
This plant can have an area between one extreme and the other of 10 km.
ha
One of the most extensive plants

Knowledge.
Taking care and preserving.
Communicating and educating.

Nowadays, many people did not know about the existence of Posidonia oceanica. Belonging to the Posidoniaceae family, it is often confused for its similarity to algae, but this is a marine plant, present in the waters of the Mediterranean and the origin of its name is due to Poseidon, the God of the sea

6 reasons to take care of Posidonia

Transparency of the waters

Posidonia generates oxygen and helps keep the waters of the Balearic Islands so transparent and clear. Posidonia has been called “the lungs of the Mediterranean”.

Sequestration CO2

"Carbon sequestration of one hectare of Posidonia from Formentera is equivalent to 15 hectares of Amazon rainforest."

Generating sand

The sandy beaches of the Balearic Islands are built of a large number of organic animal remains, including foraminifera that leave their shells and create the fine white sand of the beaches.

Protecting the dunes

Dead Posidonia on the beaches offer protection in autumn storms and manage to prevent the dune system from regressing. They also provide organic matter to the plants of the first dune cord.

Marine fauna habitat

Posidonia meadows are the place of laying and refuge for fish, crustaceans, molluscs, enriching the biodiversity of the marine environment. Posidonia meadows structure the bottom and are the habitat of more than 400 species of plants and 1000 of animals.

Taking care of the seabed

Posidonia meadows, among other functions, play a fundamental role in stabilizing the seabed and on wave damping. In addition, it contributes to reduce coastal erosion.

The time for change is now, we are on time

The protection of Posidonia is a shared responsibility. Help us protect it!

The protection of Posidonia is a shared responsibility. Help us protect it! Frequently, anchoring on sand is not an easy task due to visibility, depth or turbidity; sometimes it is not possible to distinguish the sea bottom.  

The Atlas of Posidonia oceanica aims to identify the habitat of this species in the Balearic Islands

Atlas Posidonia

Marine Atlas. Cartography of the Posidonia oceanica of the Balearic Islands