To mark International Day for Biological Diversity, the MSC Foundation and the Vellmarí Association are calling for the urgent restoration of Mediterranean seagrass meadows, essential ecosystems for ocean health, biodiversity, and climate stability. Their action focuses on the Ses Salines Natural Park of Ibiza and Formentera, an area of high ecological value that forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Balearic Islands.
On May 13, 2025, representatives from the MSC Foundation visited Ses Salines Natural Park to see firsthand the progress of La Gran Pradera, an ambitious large-scale reforestation project using Posidonia oceanica seagrass. This initiative is led by the Vellmarí Association, founded by Manu San Félix, a marine biologist, award-winning underwater photographer, and National Geographic explorer.
The support of the MSC Foundation is significantly contributing to expanding the project's scientific and operational capacity, with the goal of restoring 45,000 Posidonia oceanica plants across 2.5 hectares within three years. At the close of its first year, La Gran Pradera is already showing tangible ecological results: 15,500 seedlings have been successfully transplanted across 600 square meters, and fieldwork has allowed for testing and refining innovative scientific methods for marine restoration.
“We are extremely grateful for the support of the MSC Foundation, which has its roots in the Mediterranean. I am convinced that this is a key partnership for reaching thousands of people and spreading the message of the urgent need to recover our beloved sea. We will succeed in protecting it if we all work together,” declared Manu San Félix, founder of the Vellmari Association.
This initiative is part of the MSC Foundation's broader efforts to promote marine conservation, education and ocean literacy in the Mediterranean and to contribute to environmental management in other regions, including the Bahamas, where it acts as Mission Blue Hope Spot Champion.
“Seagrass meadows are the ocean’s unsung heroes: complex, fragile, and vital,” said Marina Anselme, Secretary General of the MSC Foundation. “We are proud to collaborate with Manu San Félix, whose decades of dedication to the Posidonia seagrass meadows of Formentera and Ibiza continue to be an inspiration. Together with Mission Blue, we are supporting restoration based on science, education, and public engagement—three interconnected pillars that are essential to helping preserve and restore one of the Mediterranean’s most vital marine ecosystems.”
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