The MSC Foundation and Asociación Vellmarí, a Spanish marine conservation organization, have launched a three-year program to restore Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean.
The project will begin in Ibiza before expanding to Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona. Launched aboard EXPLORA III during the ship’s naming ceremony, where Vellmarí co-founder Cristina Ozores served as the ship’s godmother, the program will run from August 2026 through July 2029.
The initiative aims to plant between 170,000 and 180,000 Posidonia oceanica plants, restore more than 215,000 square feet of coastal habitat, and engage more than 30,000 people through education and community programs.
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Posidonia oceanica is a seagrass species found only in the Mediterranean. Its underwater meadows provide habitat for marine life, store carbon, stabilize the seabed, and help protect coastlines from erosion.
“How easy it is to destroy these ecosystems, but extraordinarily difficult to restore them. That is why protecting the Posidonia meadows that remain must be our top priority,” said Manu San Félix, founder of Asociación Vellmarí.
The program will combine seagrass restoration with long-term environmental monitoring, education, and community involvement. Schools, dive centers, volunteers, educators, and researchers will participate in restoration projects, citizen science, and field activities. The initiative will also provide training for educators, volunteers, and dive professionals to support long-term conservation efforts.
Over the three-year program, approximately 6,000 students from 30 schools and education centers will participate, along with about 600 volunteers. Training will also be provided for 28 educators and 24 dive centers.
The initiative builds on a partnership launched by the MSC Foundation and Vellmarí in Formentera in 2024. During the first two years, the partners planted more than 78,000 Posidonia oceanica plants and restored more than 29,000 square feet of seagrass meadow around the island.
“Beneath the shallow bays of the Mediterranean lie Posidonia oceanica meadows, one of the region’s most important ecosystems. Our partnership with Asociación Vellmarí brings together scientific expertise, education and community participation, helping people become active stewards of the sea that connects us all. Cristina Ozores’ appointment as Godmother of EXPLORA III is a fitting symbol of the shared commitment to the sea that underpins this collaboration,” said Daniela Picco, executive director of the MSC Foundation.
“Every journey to protect the ocean begins with a simple moment: slowing down, discovering its beauty and falling in love with the sea,” said Cristina Ozores, co-founder and director of education at Asociación Vellmarí.
The restoration program will continue through July 2029 as the MSC Foundation and Asociación Vellmarí work to expand seagrass restoration efforts across the Mediterranean.
