Climate Change: ‘Forever plant’ seagrass faces uncertain future
Forever plant: The green, underwater meadows of Posidonia seagrass surround the Balearic Islands. Are one of the world’s most powerful, natural defences against climate change. Moreover, a hectare of this ancient, delicate plant can soak up 15 times more carbon dioxide. Every year than a similar-sized piece of the Amazon rainforest.
However, this global treasure is now under extreme pressure from tourists, from development and ironically climate change. Posidonia oceanica is founding all over the Mediterranean but the area between Mallorca and Formentera is of special interest. On the other hand, Posidonia acts as very intensive deposits. It is also very resistant to microbial degradation, so the carbon is not degrading when it’s deposited on the seafloor. And much of that stays unaltered during decades to millennia.
Determined by the water temperature, the species reproduce either sexually through flowering or asexually by cloning themselves. This ability to clone itself means it can live an extremely long time.
Vivid green carpet that extends under the seas in the Balearics faces an ongoing threat from boats dropping their anchors which crush, tear and destroy the meadows.
Meanwhile, one study showed that between 2008 and 2012, Posidonia meadows in Formentera is reducing by 44% because of the impact of anchoring. But the damage caused by one yacht’s anchor in a single day several years ago would take almost 1,000 years to restore.
Government action to protect Posidonia in the Balearics has been ramped up in recent years and public awareness of the importance of the species is rising. However, some researchers believe that putting a financial value on carbon. That’s locking up by Posidonia could release the funds to save it.
