The movement of the posidonia seeds, the key factor for its conservation and restoration

Getting to know and understand better how the fruits and seeds of the Oceanic Posidonia scatter in the sea and how the species is interconnected in different areas of the ocean could be the key factor to define the areas of conservation and restoration of the species.

This is the starting point of a study that has been developed by staff investigators of the Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), the Sistema de Observación y Predicción Costero de las Illes Balears (ICTS SOCIB) and the Aarhus University of Denmark.

Through mathematical simulation models and the analysis of connection networks, the research team proposes a new, more efficient approach that allows a better understanding of how posidonia disperses and connects between different sectors of the coast in the Balearic Islands archipelago. This approach also makes it possible to identify key areas for the conservation and restoration of Posidonia meadows, especially in the Balearic archipelago.

The study accomplished to identify areas where it is probable to recollect big quantities of posidonia fruit, areas where natural recruitment can help in the seagrass recovery, areas requiring intervention to facilitate recolonisation and sites that should be prioritized in the event of damage to seagrass to maintain connectivity.

The investigation team was in charge to gather information during more than a decade in the coasts and in low waters. During this period, the advances as for the both satellite and in situ ocean observations combined with high-resolution numerical models also allowed significant improvements in the representation of ocean currents. Integrating all this knowledge, the main research was carried out in a year of work in which the research staff focused on supercomputer simulation of Posidonia fruit and seed dispersal processes, as well as on the analysis of the networks of connections between different seagrass meadows.

By integrating high-resolution hydrodynamic and biological models, the scientific team was able to simulate how the fruits and seeds of these species move in the sea due to currents and water movement. This allowed them to predict where these seeds might arrive and how they move in the ocean.

On the other hand, a special kind of mathematics, topology, was used to see how different places on the Balearic coasts are connected to each other, which helped to discover which areas are most important and how to help protect them.

The combination of these two methods contributes to a better understanding of how marine plants disperse and how to more effectively care for the ocean and its marine life. The results allow for better conservation and restoration of seagrass meadows, more sustainable management of tourism and the application of these methods in other regions to protect marine ecosystems around the world.