Preserving Posidonia and promoting blue carbon for sustainable fishing and resilient coastlines in Tunisia (PENELOPE)

Seagrass beds are part of blue carbon ecosystems, along with salt marshes and mangroves, which are essential for carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. In the Mediterranean, although Tunisia is home to more than half of the Posidonia seagrass beds, knowledge about their condition remains limited and legal protection insufficient. Opportunities are emerging, particularly with carbon finance, to revitalize these vital ecosystems, which are among the most powerful carbon sinks in the biosphere and play an essential role in mitigating climate change.

The project focuses on four areas:

• Improving and sharing knowledge about Posidonia seagrass beds in Tunisia.
• Contributing to their conservation by reducing pressures, particularly those related to fishing, and by developing blue carbon mechanisms.
• Strengthening their legal protection and integration into national climate and energy strategies.
• Informing and raising public awareness of the services provided by seagrass beds.

• An updated map of seagrass beds and pressures, widely distributed.
• A structured, operational, and sustainable national network for monitoring Posidonia.
• Concrete fisheries management measures to preserve Posidonia within more resilient coastal communities.
• Known Posidonia carbon stocks and a first carbon fund created in Tunisia.
• A bill for the protection of Posidonia in preparation.
• Public awareness raised, notably through an exhibition at the Cité des Sciences.
• Capitalization and dissemination via the Mediterranean Posidonia Network.

The project combines Posidonia conservation and outreach work with fishermen to promote sustainable fishing practices. It introduces financing mechanisms, ranging from transition funds to the creation of blue micro-enterprises, while promoting blue carbon credits. This approach can be adapted to various sites in Tunisia and neighboring Mediterranean countries. 
It establishes voluntary no-take zones managed by fishermen and assesses carbon stocks at pilot sites. 
Finally, through participatory processes and technical workshops across the Mediterranean Posidonia Network (MPN), it promotes the replication and transfer of these initiatives to other Mediterranean regions.