WWF Mediterranean

On International Self-Care Day, let’s talk about the original source of wellness: nature. When we think of self-care, we often focus on habits and routines. But research shows that time spent near "blue space", our seas, coasts, and rivers, is just as vital. Proximity to water is proven to: 📉 Lower stress and cortisol levels 🧠 Restore mental energy and focus 💙 Boost overall emotional well-being At WWF Mediterranean, we work tirelessly to protect and restore the health of our sea. But today, it is worth remembering the other thing the Mediterranean gives us: a place to breathe, reset, and feel small in a good way. A healthy sea is not only essential for biodiversity and communities, it is also about safeguarding something that quietly takes care of us, too. What is your go-to spot by the sea (or in nature) when you need to recharge? 👇 #SelfCareDay #WWFMed #OceanHealth #MentalHealth #BlueMind #Mediterranean

GhostNetZero: the app that turns divers into ocean detectives Fishing gear that gets lost at sea traps marine life, threatens Posidonia oceanica meadows and damages reefs, seahorses, spiny lobsters and countless other species. It has long been a problem across the Mediterranean. Thankfully, a wave of change is happening across Italy and Croatia. Through the WWF Ghost Gear Project - funded by the Fondation Segré and implemented together with WWF ITALIA and WWF-Adria- we are seeing a massive effort to map, retrieve and recycle abandoned fishing gear. At the heart of this mission is a game-changing tool: the WWF GhostNetZero app. How the GhostNetZero app works Divers and other sea users can now report ghost gear locations directly from their phones, turning every dive into a chance to protect the Mediterranean. Verified by WWF and partner networks, this data does not just guide retrieval operations, it is also feeding a new AI-enabled mapping system, capable of analysing sonar data to improve future ghost gear detection. Here's what this growing community has achieved so far:  🔹 Over 700 divers and 90 diving centres (via the WWF Italy’s Divers network) are mapping hotspots 🔹 Over 7,000 kg of ghost gear were removed across Italy and Croatia Italy: Scaling up operations with law enforcement In Italy, WWF ITALIA is collaborating with the Carabinieri Diving Unit to implement particularly complex retrieval operations. A good example of this took place in Genoa in November 2025. WWF Italy and the Carabinieri Diving Centre carried out one of the largest ghost-net recoveries ever conducted in the Ligurian Sea. The technical challenge was significant . A large 1.1-tonne net was tightly entangled in the underwater infrastructure of a decommissioned oil platform just outside the port of Genoa. Over 10 days, 17 specialist divers from the Carabinieri worked in conditions of severely limited visibility, diving at depths ranging from 4 to 45 meters. Because the structure was so intricate and the net so heavy, the divers had to cut and remove the net in multiple sections rather than as a single piece. Inside the net, divers found coral and the remains of several fish species, including bogue and red damselfish, highlighting the persistent threat that abandoned fishing gear poses to local marine biodiversity. Again weeks ago, teams recovered over 200 kg of ghost trawl net at 50 metres depth in the Tremiti Islands Marine Protected Area in the Southern Adriatic. Every location logged on the app brings us one step closer to freeing the Mediterranean from this invisible threat.  🔗 Discover the technology: https://ghostnetzero.ai/  #GhostGear #MarineConservation #WWF #Mediterranean #OceanConservation   

Sharks don't recognise borders. Their biggest threats don't either. 🦈 Around 80 shark and ray species call the Mediterranean home. Yet today, more than 60% are threatened with extinction, including 27 species that are Critically Endangered. Many shark and ray species in the Mediterranean migrate across national waters, from the Strait of Sicily to the Adriatic, yet their protection remains fragmented. While overfishing, bycatch and unregulated trade continue across the region, conservation measures often stop at national borders. The result? Key species that are essential to healthy marine ecosystems are slipping towards extinction. 🌊 Healthy sharks mean a healthier Mediterranean. There is hope. WWF teams recently documented rare, Critically Endangered angel sharks in the northern Adriatic Sea, proving that not all hope is lost. But isolated success stories are not enough. That success must now be scaled up. This #SharkAwarenessDay, WWF Mediterranean is urging Mediterranean countries to take coordinated, transboundary action to protect these highly migratory species. We are calling for: 👉 Stronger transboundary cooperation between Mediterranean countries, especially in shared critical habitats such as the Strait of Sicily. 👉 Science-based management measures integrated directly into GFCM multiannual fisheries management plans. 👉 Collaborative research programmes to close knowledge gaps, starting with smooth-hound sharks and spiny dogfish in the Adriatic. The clock is ticking. ⏳ New CITES protections agreed at COP20 will enter into force in June 2027. The window to establish effective regional management before new international trade rules apply is rapidly closing. Species that know no borders need conservation that knows no borders. How can we better bridge the gap between science and policy to protect migratory species? Share your thoughts in the comments and share this post to help amplify the call for transboundary protection across the Mediterranean.

Did you know that over 200,000 tonnes of plastic waste leak into the Mediterranean Sea annually? Plastic Free July may already be underway, but it is never too late to turn the tide. 🌊 Every year, over 300 million tourists visit the Mediterranean, generating 40% more marine litter during the tourism season. Plastic litter impacts a wide diversity of marine species, including endangered Mediterranean sea turtles, whales and dolphins, as well as seabirds and numerous fish species. Microplastic concentrations have reached 1.25 million fragments per km², among the highest levels recorded anywhere in the world. The impact on biodiversity is severe: 134 Mediterranean species are known to have ingested plastic. Ghost gear, including abandoned fishing nets and traps, is also part of this crisis. Globally, up to one million tonnes of fishing gear are estimated to be lost or abandoned at sea each year, continuing to entangle marine mammals, seabirds and all seven species of sea turtle. At WWF Mediterranean, we are working alongside fishers and divers to locate, retrieve and recycle ghost gear before it causes further harm. We are also working with cities, ports and tourism businesses across the region to reduce plastic waste at source, promote circular solutions and help prevent plastic leakage into nature and the sea. This Plastic Free July, every action matters. Reduce your use of single-use plastics and promote reuse at home and in tourism destinations and help us collect data by contributing to the WWFGhostNetZero App if you are a diver or our Adopt a beach citizens science initiative. WWF Ghost Net Zero app: https://ghostnetzero.ai/ Adopt a Beach: https://lnkd.in/ewfd9Me3 Together, we can help keep plastic out of nature and out of the Mediterranean. Find out what we do to help rethink our relationship with plastic: https://lnkd.in/ek6T6Guh #PlasticFreeJuly #Mediterranean #MarineLitter #GhostGear #PlasticPollution #WWF #OceanConservation

Posidonia is the soul of the Mediterranean. For many of us, the Mediterranean is more than a sea – it is a place of memories, culture and identity. Hidden beneath its waters lies one of its greatest treasures: Posidonia oceanica, a marine plant that has shaped our coastlines and sustained life in the region for millennia.🌊 Often called the "lungs" of the Mediterranean, Posidonia meadows are vital ecosystems. They capture and store significant amounts of carbon, provide nursery grounds for countless marine species, improve water quality and protect our coasts from erosion and the impacts of storms.🌿 But Posidonia is much more than an environmental asset. It is woven into the fabric of Mediterranean life. From childhood summers spent along the shore to the unique landscapes that define our coastlines, its presence has quietly supported the communities, economies, and biodiversity that make this region so special. Our new video explores the extraordinary role Posidonia plays – not only as a natural climate ally and biodiversity hotspot, but as an essential part of the Mediterranean's heritage and identity. 🎥Watch the video and discover why protecting Posidonia means protecting the future of the Mediterranean itself. Interviews with: Sophie-Dorothée Duron, Directrice du Parc national de Port-Cros et du conservatoire botanique national méditerranéen Catherine Piante WWF France Mauro Randone, WWF Mediterranean Mirko Ronsmans, diving instructor Port Cros Mouna Abaab, WWF North Africa #MedBlueForest #Posidonia #Mediterranean #BlueEconomy #Biodiversity #ClimateAction #OceanConservation #NatureBasedSolutions #Sustainability #MarineEcosystems #MediterraneanSea

On Mediterranean Day, 8 July, we celebrate the Mediterranean’s unseen guardian: Posidonia oceanica 🌊 Beneath the waves lies an underwater forest that has shaped Mediterranean life and cultures for thousands of years. Here is why this ecosystem is so vital: 🌿 Climate powerhouse: Posidonia seagrass meadows can absorb carbon much faster than tropical rainforests. 🐠 Biodiversity hub: They support 25% of Mediterranean marine life, serving as essential nurseries for fish. 🛡️ Coastal protector: Posidonia prevents erosion and forms natural barriers on beaches that absorb the force of storms. ⚠️ Hidden threats: Because they are underwater, these forests are being damaged by anchors, pollution and warming seas – and we need to take notice. Through the WWF Mediterranean Blue Forests project, teams in France, Greece, Türkiye and Tunisia are working to restore these meadows and install eco-moorings to prevent anchor damage. Protecting Posidonia means protecting the future of the Mediterranean Sea and its coasts. Dive into the SeaVoice article to learn more from a recent field trip and underwater exploration: https://lnkd.in/d79ynVDu   #Posidonia #Mediterranean #Biodiversity #ClimateAction #OceanConservation

New report launched today - Towards sustainable offshore wind development in Italy We’ve just published a deep dive into offshore wind development in Italy, exploring how planning and environmental protection can support the sector’s sustainable growth. In this report, we explore:  🔹 The current state of Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) in Italy 🔹 How Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are being applied in practice 🔹 How we can accelerate offshore wind development while protecting marine ecosystems We found a system with ambitious goals and strong policies, but turning these into clear decisions, effective protection, and coordinated action remains a challenge. 👉 Read more: https://lnkd.in/dYHgrZ2H WWF ITALIA  #OffshoreWind #Energytransition #EIA #MSP

Recovery operation removes more than 200 kg of abandoned fishing nets from the Adriatic Sea More than 200 kg of abandoned fishing nets were recovered from a shipwreck 50 metres deep in the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of the Tremiti Islands, Southern Italy. Likely carried in the MPA by ocean currents, the nets became entangled on the wreck, turning it into a hazard for marine life. Sadly, several animals had already become trapped and died. Ghost gear poses a persistent threat, silently trapping wildlife, degrading habitats and breaking down into microplastics long after it is lost. This complex mission was made possible through a powerful collaboration under the WWF Ghost Gear project (funded by the Segre Foundation) between: 🇮🇹 Carabinieri’s Underwater Unit of Pescara 🤿 WWF SUB (WWF Italy’s diving community) 🛥️ Marlintremiti diving centre 🔬  MA.RE. Research Laboratory Removing ghost gear is about much more than cleaning up litter. On sandy seabeds, shipwrecks can become thriving underwater refuges, providing vital habitat for species like dusky groupers, moray eels and rare, protected black coral. By freeing this wreck, we are stopping ongoing harm and giving this delicate ecosystem a chance to recover. But the work isn’t over. An estimated one tonne of ghost gear still remains at this site, and further recovery dives are already planned. Alongside cleanups, WWF is working to prevent the problem at the source through preventative solutions such as net-marking technologies (#MyGearTag), improved reporting systems, and stronger collaboration with fishers and authorities.  Every ghost net removed is another step towards a healthier, living Mediterranean.  Read the press release/https://lnkd.in/eX83SFTs #Ghostgear #cleanocean #sustainability #plasticpollution #wildlife WWF ITALIA