The second BLUEQ sampling expedition in Sicily

The second sampling expedition of the BLUEQ project was successfully carried out from 17 to 22 November 2025 in the Plemmirio Marine Protected Area (Plemmirio MPA), Sicily, with the participation and collaboration of several project partners.

The expedition focused on Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows, where coordinated field activities were conducted, including the collection of sediment cores for the assessment of blue carbon stocks, as well as the evaluation of the ecological status of the ecosystem. In parallel, mapping activities were carried out, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the structure and functioning of seagrass meadows in this Mediterranean region.

The Institute of GeoEnergy (FORTH/IG) actively participated in the field campaign, contributing to the collection of key field data and supporting the comparative analysis between the different BLUEQ study sites across the Mediterranean.

The successful completion of the Plemmirio expedition represents another important step forward for the BLUEQ project and highlights the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing our understanding of the role of Posidonia oceanica meadows in carbon sequestration and storage, as well as in the protection of marine ecosystems.