A study has resulted in the transplantation of 384 m² of Posidonia oceanica seagrass on the scale of an industrial project as part of maritime works in Monaco.
A study has resulted in the transplantation of 384 m² of Posidonia oceanica seagrass on the scale of an industrial project as part of maritime works in Monaco. This success challenges the idea that these ecosystems are "non-transplantable". This unprecedented experiment, conducted over a period of eight years, opens up new prospects for the preservation of seagrass meadows threatened by coastal urbanisation.
As part of the construction project for the "Mareterra" district in Monaco, the marine works involved the destruction of several hectares of Posidonia oceanica meadows, an underwater plant essential to the Mediterranean ecosystem. To limit this impact, Andromède Océanologie and the University of Liège set up an unprecedented large-scale transplantation operation.
The experiment began in 2017 with the relocation of 384 m² of seagrass beds from the construction zone to the Larvotto marine reserve. The technique used, known as "clod" transplantation, enabled the roots and associated substrate to be preserved intact, giving the plants a better survival rate. The study validated an operational technique capable of transplanting large areas of seagrass in record time, a major step forward in preserving these fragile ecosystems.
Read more at University of Liège
Image: Localisation of Posidonia oceanica donor meadow (1) Larvotto transplantation zone (2) Nearby meadow of reference (3) Distant meadow of reference (4) Distant meadow of reference at the lower limit (5) In blue the area of the construction project. (Credit: Andromède Océanologie)
