We secure new funding to strengthen community-led marine conservation

Menorca Preservation awarded DECIEM & Conservation Collective grant to strengthen protection of the Isla del Aire Marine Protected Area

Menorca Preservation has secured new funding (€24,583) through a partnership between DECIEM and Conservation Collective to strengthen the protection and community-led management of the Isla del Aire Marine Protected Area (MPA), one of Menorca’s most important marine biodiversity hotspots.

The grant will support Menorca Preservation’s ongoing efforts to safeguard the MPA’s valuable seagrass meadows and ensure that local communities play an active role in shaping its future. Covering 7.19 km² off the south coast of Menorca, the reserve is home to rich marine habitats, including extensive Posidonia oceanica seagrass beds that provide essential habitat for marine life and help protect coastal ecosystems.

Working alongside the Socio-environmental Observatory of Menorca (OBSAM-IME), Menorca Preservation will support the monitoring of seagrass populations around Menorca, generating scientific evidence to inform future management decisions and public policy. At the same time, through the Fòrum Illa de l’Aire, Menorca Preservation will continue to engage fishers, businesses, residents and other stakeholders in the co-design of practical and fair management solutions that benefit both people and nature.

This new support builds on Menorca Preservation’s long-term commitment to protecting the island’s marine environment through science, education and community participation. By combining ecological monitoring with citizen engagement, the project aims to strengthen the long-term resilience of the Isla del Aire Marine Protected Area and increase awareness of the environmental and socio-economic benefits it provides to Menorca.

The project forms part of a wider partnership between DECIEM and Conservation Collective, which supports locally-led environmental action through Conservation Collective’s global network of foundations. The partnership focuses on protecting and restoring seagrass ecosystems in strategic locations across the Mediterranean, combining scientific expertise, community engagement and policy advocacy to create scalable and lasting impact.

Alongside the work in Menorca, the partnership is also supporting a seagrass restoration project in Tuscany, Italy. Led by Tuscany Environment Foundation and the Bioscience Research Centre, the initiative will cultivate and transplant laboratory-grown Cymodocea nodosa shoots to restore degraded seagrass meadows in Talamone Bay. The project aims to develop scalable restoration methodologies that can be replicated across Tuscany and beyond.