Blue Forest

Started in 2023, Blue Forest is a project by One Ocean Foundation dedicated to the restoration and protection of marine forests.

The Mediterranean Sea is the main area of action, with a particular focus on Posidonia oceanica – an endemic marine plant that plays a crucial role in ecosystem health and in strengthening the resilience of coastal communities

Over 30% of Posidonia oceanica meadows in the Mediterranean have already disappeared, highlighting the urgent need to act.

The project combines reforestation activities, scientific research, innovative technologies, and environmental education, fostering collaborations with universities and institutions, while also promoting awareness initiatives through documentaries, multimedia content, and educational programs aimed at engaging citizens and younger generations on the value of these fragile and vital ecosystem.

The documentary "Posidonia oceanica – Restoring Mediterranean Seagrass" provides a comprehensive exploration of the entire restoration process and highlights the significance of this species, investigating the ecological aspects, examining the impacts this plant faces, and offering potential solutions for its preservation and protection.

Produced by One Ocean Foundation and directed by Fabio Benelli, marine biologist and underwater filmmaker, the documentary is available for watching on our Youtube channel.

Posidonia oceanica is a marine plant found exclusively in the Mediterranean Sea, with extraordinary ecological value.

It forms extensive meadows that protect coasts from erosion, stabilize the seabed, create biodiversity hotspots, provide shelter and food for over 350 marine species, and produce oxygen through photosynthesis.

Around 80% of coastal oxygen production comes from this plant, which is why it is also called the “lung of the Mediterranean.

These underwater meadows are highly productive and play a critical role also in carbon sequestration, helping to mitigate climate change. Scientists indicate that one hectare of seagrass meadow can store as much carbon as ten hectares of tropical forest.

Italy hosts one of the largest areas of Posidonia oceanica meadows along its coasts, increasingly threatened by trawling, anchoring, pollution, coastal development, and the effects of climate change. Because this species grows extremely slowly—only 1–2 cm per year—the damage is particularly severe and difficult to reverse.

The loss of these meadows has direct consequences for marine biodiversity, seabed stability, and coastal protection against erosion, while also drastically reducing their capacity to sequester carbon and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

In response to the accelerating loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystems, the international community has set ambitious targets. The United Nations 30x30 initiative aims to protect at least 30% of terrestrial and marine areas by 2030, while the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030) seeks to prevent, halt, and reverse ecosystem degradation worldwide.

Within this framework, the Blue Forest project represents a concrete action to protect and restore marine forests in the Mediterranean, directly contributing to these global objectives and fostering healthier, more resilient ecosystems.