KEY FIGURES
KEY Figures
1
More than 50 species of fishes (including many traded commercial species) live inside the Posidonia habitat. The role of nursery is highly important for many species. It is a refuge and breeding place for more than 400 plant species and 1,000 animal species.
2
Seagrasses are able to fix as much carbon as the forest (more than 5 t equivalent CO2 per ha per yr.) and 20 to 25 % is trapped in the meadow for thousands of years (major carbon sink).
Carbon stocks in the dead meadows are 10 times higher than the stock present in the forest soil
3
4
Every year, Posidonia seagrasses absorb for 0,6% of CO2 emissions of the Mediterranean countries, but this rate can be higher locally (Tunisia = 15-20 % ; Corsica = 14,4%).

5
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7
The growth of the dead meadows is around 1 mm per year (1 m per century maximum). Once destroyed, it cannot be recovered.
Bibliography:
- Boudouresque C. F., Bernard G., Bonhomme P., Charbonnel E., Diviacco G., Meinesz A., Pergent G., Pergent-Martini C., Ruitton S., Tunesi L., 2012. Protection and conservation of Posidonia oceanica meadows. RAMOGE and RAC/SPA publisher, Tunis: 1-202. https://www.rac-spa.org/sites/default/files/doc_vegetation/ramoge_en.pdf
- Díaz-Almela E. & Duarte C.M. 2008. Management of Natura 2000 habitats. 1120 *Posidonia beds (Posidonion oceanicae). European Commission. https://uicnmed.org/bibliotecavirtualposidonia/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/MANAGEMENT-of-Natura-2000-habitats-Posidonia-beds.pdf
- Telesca, L. et al. Seagrass meadows (Posidonia oceanica) distribution and trajectories of change. Sci. Rep. 5, 12505; doi: 10.1038/srep12505 (2015).