From May 5 to 28, the MODX 70 “Ganany” served as the vessel of the Posidonia Connect prroject, a scientific expedition led by the Race for Water Foundation and GIS Posidonie to harmonised the monitoring and better protect Posidonia seagrass meadows across the Mediterranean. |
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Researchers Bruno Belloni and Patrick Astruch (GIS Posidonie) , alongside Italian marine biologists Arianna Pansini and Alessia Crobu (Università degli Studi di Sassari), and Nuria Teixeira, Antonia Chiarore, Emanuele Somma, and Alice Morasole (Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn) conducted scientific dives at 10 sites across the North Sardinia to the Gulf of Naples. Their method: the EBQI protocol (Ecosystem-Based Quality Index) , developed by the Institut Méditerranéen d'Océanologie (MIO) and deployed initially in French waters by GIS Posidonie. This holistic indicator evaluates the health not only of the plant, but of the entire associated ecosystem : invertebrates, fish, and birds. Tested in France, validated in Italian waters for the first time. |
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The team explored 10 sites : 5 in Sardinia (MPA of Asinara, Capo Testa, and Tavolara) and 5 in the Gulf of Naples (MPA of Regno di Nettuno, Punta Campanella, and Bacoli). While complete data analysis remains to be conducted to establish definitive results, the first field observations reveal a shared preliminary finding: despite their protected status, a number of the Posidonia meadows visited bear the marks of intense human pressure. The joint investigations with Italian partners confirmed the relevance of the EBQI indicator and provided valuable new field experience. |
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Even within Marine Protected Areas, most sites exposed to heavy tourist and leisure boat traffic show visible signs of degradation. Where regulation measures are absent or too recent, the impact of anchoring and visitor traffic is visible and sometimes spectacular. These observations underline the urgency of generalising adapted management measures such as the development of ecological mooring zones, combined with enhanced monitoring and active awareness-raising among recreational boaters and nautical professionals. Based on precise mapping of Posidonia meadows, tools such as the French DONIA application could be made available to boaters. |
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In Marseille, Ischia, Naples and Toulon, the MODX 70 “Ganany” opened its deck to students, scientists, media and decision-makers. 190+ students discovered Posidonia, Ocean/climate interdependences, and the innovations of a vessel running entirely without fossil fuels. At the Ligue Navale in Naples, scientists, local authorities, the Italian Navy, and the Region of Campania gathered to discuss the relevance of ecosystem-based monitoring and the need for enhanced protection of Posidonia meadows. Public conferences made the research accessible to all. From experimental logic to collective momentum, proving that the success of Posidonia Connect Project rests not only on the quality of the data collected, but on the ability to unite citizens, scientists, public and private sector decision-makers around a shared vision for the Mediterranean. |
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| Follow the mission through the eyes of Marie Treibert, science communicator and reporter aboard the MODX 70 from Sardinia to Naples. |
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Between dives, the MODX 70 "Ganany" becomes a floating laboratory. On the aft deck, researchers debrief, cross-reference observations, and prepare the next dive. In the saloon, data sheets are analysed, protocols compared, and findings discussed with Italian colleagues. A 70-foot catamaran running on wind and sun, carrying the most rigorous science the Mediterranean demands. Throughout the mission, the MODX 70 “Ganany” navigated without fossil fuels powered by solar energy , hydrogeneration , and Aeroforce® automated wings . Silent enough to anchor in a marine protected area and leave no trace behind. During the overnight crossing from Olbia to Ischia, with 25 to 30 knots on the beam and both Aeroforce® wings fully deployed, the MODX 70 “Ganany” recorded a top speed of 23 knots surfing the Tyrrhenian swells in complete silence, without a single drop of fossil fuel. |
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| Eric Loizeau, a renowned French navigator and Race for Water ambassador for over 10 years, was on board to document the mission on a daily basis. |
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Italy is only a first step. The Posidonia Connect project aims to cover a significant part of the Mediterranean basin : Balearic Islands, Alboran Sea, Adriatic, Ionian, Aegean, Levantine Basin by 2030. This ambition requires new funding. The Race for Water Foundation calls on public and private stakeholders to support these future missions and transform field observations into large-scale management solutions. |
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