Nine Posidonia oceanica restoration trial stations are now in place on the seabed at Amathounta, Moni and Zygi following the completion of the RESPOSCY transplantation phase. Thirty-six trained volunteer divers worked alongside the project team to transplant approximately 3,000 cuttings, representing around 10,000 shoots.

Three stations were established at each location. Together, they form the first Posidonia oceanica restoration trials in Cyprus involving volunteer SCUBA divers. The 36 field participants came from a wider group of 132 divers trained through RESPOSCY as Posidonia Gardeners.

Posidonia oceanica is endemic to the Mediterranean. Its meadows provide habitat for marine life, improve water quality, store carbon and help protect coastlines. RESPOSCY is examining how this slow-growing habitat can be restored under the environmental conditions found around Cyprus.

Testing methods at three depths

RESPOSCY is testing transplantation techniques at three selected depths and across different coastal settings. The methods include biodegradable anchoring materials, among them coconut-fibre, or coir, mats used to secure cuttings to the seabed.

Following the same trial structure at Amathounta, Moni and Zygi will allow the team to compare the techniques while also considering depth and the conditions at each site. The results will help identify approaches that could be used in future restoration work in Cyprus.

Monitoring will also include underwater photogrammetry and three-dimensional records of the trial plots. These records will provide a consistent visual baseline and allow changes at each station to be documented over time.

Volunteer divers take part in the fieldwork

RESPOSCY trained 132 divers as Posidonia Gardeners before the transplantation work began. Thirty-six of them joined this phase of the fieldwork, working underwater with researchers and project partners to install the stations according to the project’s field procedures.

The fieldwork required coordinated dive teams at several locations and depths. The volunteer divers helped the researchers install the plant material and follow a consistent procedure at each station.

MER Lab sincerely thanks the 36 volunteer divers who took part in the transplantation work for their time, commitment and careful fieldwork. Thanks also go to everyone who completed the Posidonia Gardener training, as well as the participating dive centres, project partners, researchers, public authorities and community members who supported the campaign.

Monitoring starts at all nine stations

The installation of the stations provides the starting point for a common monitoring programme at all three locations. Each station will be surveyed according to the following schedule:

• monthly during the first three months after transplantation;
• seasonally during the following nine months; and
• annually for up to five years.

The surveys will document how the cuttings establish and remain in place, while allowing the team to compare techniques, depths and locations through time. The resulting evidence will be used to refine transplantation and monitoring protocols for future work.

The nine stations are part of the wider RESPOSCY programme, which also includes assessing pressures on Cyprus’s Posidonia meadows, developing risk and restoration maps, producing three-dimensional models of restored plots and contributing to a national restoration plan.

Dive teams in Protaras, Larnaca and Paphos have already expressed interest in establishing Posidonia Gardens in their areas. These are prospective initiatives rather than confirmed new sites, and the findings from Amathounta, Moni and Zygi will help inform how future activities are planned.

Read more on the RESPOSCY project page and follow the project’s latest field highlights.

Project partners: Marine & Environmental Research (MER) Lab (coordinator), Frederick Research Center, Cyprus University of Technology and the University of Genova. RESPOSCY (EXCELLENCE/0524/0547) runs from May 2025 to May 2027.

Funding acknowledgement: RESPOSCY is supported by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research. The project is implemented under the Cohesion Policy Programme “THALIA 2021–2027” and co-funded by the European Union through the Research and Innovation Foundation.