seagrass meadows are one of the most valuable ecosystems on the planet due to the great biodiversity of species they host, as well as the ecosystem services they provide. On the one hand, these marine vascular plants are autotrophic organisms that sequester carbon dioxide, favoring its long-term burial, thus playing a relevant role in global climate change. On the other hand, they contribute to global primary production, giving rise to a large number of subhabitats, which provide shelter and food for numerous species of commercial interest.

They also protect coastlines by reducing erosion and preventing wave impact. In recent decades, these populations have suffered a major decline due to human activity and pollution, in the context of global climate change. Currently, in the Alboran Sea, two of the six species of marine angiosperms in the Mediterranean, Halophila stipulacea and Zostera marina, have disappeared, while the Posidonia oceanica meadows are highly degraded. Therefore, the study of these communities is proposed, investigating effective techniques for the restoration of seagrass meadows in the South of the Iberian Peninsula. Firstly, we propose to characterize the causes and factors of the local extinction of these meadows through a bibliographical review of the temporal evolution of the meadows and environmental conditions. We also plan to characterize the role of the microbiome in seagrass growth and to analyze population genetics.

To this end, qPCR and metagenomics will be carried out. Secondly, different restoration strategies will be analyzed through the propagation and planting of seeds and bundles of different marine phanerogams. These will be transplanted to favorable areas for their growth and the meadows will be monitored. Finally, a citizen science network will be established with the diving community, ecotourism groups, fishermen's associations, among others, to obtain continuous information on the state of the transplanted meadows.