HCMR Researchers Highlight Critical Findings on Posidonia Meadows in Greece

HCMR Researchers Highlight Critical Findings on Posidonia Meadows in Greece at the 15th ISBW and WSC 2024

Three researchers from HCMR – Institute of Oceanography (Dr. Vasilis Gerakaris, Dr. Victoria Litsi-Mizan, and PhD candidate Catalina Andrea Garcia-Escudero) participated and presented their work at the 15th International Seagrass Biology Workshop and World Seagrass Conference 2024 in Naples, Italy. Due to the wide participation of experts (491 attendees from 48 countries), the conference was described as “the largest gathering of seagrass experts on the planet” 🌿🌍

Five days (June 17-21) were filled with interesting talks, posters, and workshops, highlighting the growing global recognition of the importance of seagrasses.

Dr. Vasilis Gerakaris, in his talk titled “Greek Posidonia ecosystems at risk: investigating habitat loss and conservation priorities,” emphasized the increasing anthropogenic pressures on Posidonia meadows in Greece, their degree of loss, and the urgent need for their protection.

Dr. Victoria Litsi-Mizan, in her talk titled “Exploring genetic diversity and connectivity of eastern Mediterranean seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) meadows,” presented the recently uncovered genetic diversity and connectivity of Posidonia meadows in the eastern Mediterranean, a crucial parameter for selecting appropriate management measures for their protection and restoration.

Catalina Andrea Garcia-Escudero, in her talk titled “Strong summer marine heatwaves fuel flowering of seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea,” discussed how climate change, through strong summer marine heatwaves in the Eastern Mediterranean, triggers sporadic flowering in Posidonia meadows and how that leads to a significant decrease in their production, indicating potential long-term impacts on growth and reproduction.