REEForest returns to dive into the EUDI Show, the largest Italian trade fair dedicated to the world of diving. For three days, from 19 to 22 February, the Shoreline team met professionals and enthusiasts of the sea of all ages to talk about our project and the restoration of forests of macroalgae of the Cystoseira sensu lato group.
Hundreds of visitors stopped by our stand, intrigued by the banner with the REEForest logo and the photos of the different stages of marine restoration.
Shoreline’s underwater researchers took the opportunity to explain the project’s objectives and expected results, emphasising the importance of macroalgae forests for a healthy sea. They stressed the need to protect Cystoseira s.l. in order to safeguard the ecosystem services it provides, from mitigating the effects of the climate crisis through CO2 absorption to supporting biodiversity.
Many people asked to be able to actively contribute to the project. Unfortunately, REEForest does not include citizen science activities with volunteer divers, but this focus on the health of the sea allows us to broaden the effects of our project and build a community that cares about the well-being of ecosystems.
We also made the most of the fair and got together with other projects funded by the LIFE Programme, the main tool set up by the European Union to support actions for protecting the environment and biodiversity.
We met colleagues involved in the protection of elasmobranchs thanks to LIFE European Sharks and LIFE Prometheus, we compared communication strategies with the staff of LIFE NatuReef, dedicated to the restoration of oysters and sabellaria, and we exchanged ideas with colleagues from LIFE Adapts, at the forefront of the defence of sea turtles and monk seals.
Networking between different European projects allows for valuable discussion between professionals and a continuous exchange of ideas for new collaborations and opportunities.
For us, this year’s EUDI Show was a success: we found an audience that was already aware of environmental issues and sensitive to changes in the marine ecosystem, interested in actions to protect marine forests and the ecosystem. Some visitors already knew about REEForest thanks to our presence on social media or at past events and came to say hello. Not only that, but we were also able to meet colleagues from all over Italy with whom we could exchange ideas and imagine new solutions for protecting the Mediterranean Sea.
