Italian Institute for Environmental
Protection and Research

Search

SeaForest

The LIFE project entitled SEAFOREST LIFE "Posidonia meadows as carbon sinks of the Mediterranean" has been approved and funded under the LIFE Program, sub-program 'Actions for the 2017 Climate', a priority area with issues in the mitigation of climate change; the proposal was presented by D.R.E.Am. Italy, ISPRA, CNR, University of Tuscia, Water Right Foundation, La Maddalena Archipelago National Park, Cilento National Park, Vallo di Diano and Alburni, Asinara National Park, Carbon Sink Group s.r.l. and Paragon Limited (Malta).

The project concerns the habitat 1120 * concerning the Posidonia oceanica meadows, which is being found to be significant in terms of carbon deposits, both in terms of the intensity of the carbon sequestration, and the capacity of its deposits, whose accumulation continues for thousands of years. Despite the importance of this ecosystem service, also from the point of view of the biodiversity it hosts, this habitat is disappearing at a rate that is four times higher than that of terrestrial forests.. SEA FOREST  LIFE therefore aims to increase the capacity of the carbon tanks of the Posidonia meadows, through actions to reduce erosion and subsequently consolidate the habitat 1120 *

The specific objectives are:

  1. to quantify the carbon deposits and the sequestration rates of the seagrass habitat of phanerogams;
  2. analyze future developments, from the rate of carbon loss, to the potential carbon setting and accumulation rates; the relationship between carbon emission and sequestration in formations subject to degradation and erosion;
  3. define the standards for assessing the carbon sinks of seagrass habitat;
  4. identify good practices for the defense of these formations and their carbon sinks (actions for the reduction of habitat erosion, actions for the management of stranded plant residues) and for their enlargement (actions for the increase habitat);
  5. encourage dialogue at national level to activate a network of companies and organizations involved in the carbon trading market; (6) involve the network of Italian Protected Areas in order to promote projects for the transfer of technical results achieved in the SEA FOREST LIFE project.

 

Project responsable: Marina Pulcini e Alfonso Scarpato
 
Budget ISPRA: 516.781,00 €
 

 

Facebook  page of the project