Different islands, but similar issues for marine ecosystems, which are heavily threatened by unregulated anchoring from recreational boating and illegal trawling. In Malta, as in Sardinia, the damage is particularly evident in the Posidonia oceanica meadows, an endemic species of the Mediterranean Sea and a crucial habitat for marine life and oxygen production. 

In this context, marine reforestation activities were completed last week off the coast of the Natura 2000 site in Qawra, Malta. This is the first marine reforestation project in the Maltese State, aimed at supporting the natural restoration of Posidonia oceanica meadows in areas surveyed last summer, showing signs of degradation, primarily due to recreational boating. The activities were conducted by the marine team of the Italian MEDSEA Foundation, in collaboration with the University of Malta. Approximately 1,500 cuttings, exclusively from naturally uprooted plants, were selected, collected, and replanted in the damaged areas, covering a one-hectare area at a depth of 6 meters along the Qawra coast.