MODX Catamarans

From Sardinia to the Gulf of Naples: First Scientific Observations from the Posidonia Connect Mission

Ten days at sea. Five dive sites across Sardinia. All located within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). And a clear, yet nuanced conclusion: The level of protection within an MPA makes all the difference.

Aboard the zero-emission catamaran MODX 70, French researchers Bruno Belloni and Patrick Astruch from the GIS Posidonie, alongside Arianna Pansini and Alessia Crobu from Sassari University (Italy), spent ten days applying the EBQI protocol (Ecosystem-based Quality Index). This rigorous scientific method goes beyond assessing the plant itself; it evaluates the health of the entire ecosystem—from sponges and sea urchins to the fish communities that depend on them.

Pencil in hand, waterproof paper on a clipboard, 15 meters below the surface. No shortcuts. Just data.

From Asinara Island to Tavolara Island, this first leg in the Posidonia Connect Italia Mission tested the protocol under the unique biogeographic conditions of Sardinia. Each dive brings us closer to our ultimate aim: a shared monitoring standard for the entire Mediterranean Sea.

Every site surveyed was an MPA, yet results varied significantly based on internal zoning. While strictly protected sectors showed thriving ecosystems, the more open zones within these same protected areas revealed concerning patterns. In most of the visited sites, researchers observed that the Posidonia meadows were lacerated by anchors from recreational boats.

These initial findings underscore the urgent need to scale up concrete solutions, such as Ecological Mooring Zones (EMZs), and to strengthen awareness campaigns among recreational and professional boat users.

On May 16, the MODX 70 arrived at Ischia after an overnight crossing from Olbia, running engines off, Aeroforce® wings deployed, at 23 knots across the Tyrrhenian Sea. Without a single drop of fossil fuel.

The Gulf of Naples is next. New researchers, new dive sites, the mission continues. 🧭

© Eric Loizeau

From Marseille to the waters of Sardinia. Science is underway. 🌿

Three days at the Vieux-Port. Two days at sea. And now, the first dives.

Since May 5, the MODX 70 has been sailing as the vessel of the Posidonia Connect Project, a scientific expedition led by the Race for Water Foundation and GIS Posidonie to monitor and protect Posidonia seagrass meadows across the Mediterranean.

After welcoming students, scientists, and citizens in Marseille, the crew set course for Sardinia. Engines off, Aeroforce® wings deployed, seven knots of silence across a flat sea.

On May 10, anchored in the sheltered waters of Isola Asinara, the first dives of the mission took place. French researchers Bruno Belloni and Patrick Astruch, along with Italian marine biologist Arianna Pansini, descended to seventeen metres to begin applying the EBQI protocol, a scientific method that evaluates the health of the entire Posidonia ecosystem, not just the plant itself, but every fish, sponge, and sea urchin living within it. Tested in France, it is now being validated in Italian waters for the first time.

The goal: a shared monitoring standard for the whole Mediterranean basin.

The MODX 70 made this possible. A vessel without fossil fuels, running on solar energy, hydrogeneration, and Aeroforce® automated wings, silent enough to anchor in a protected marine area and leave no trace behind.

Next stop: the Gulf of Naples. The mission continues. 🧭

© Eric Loizeau + GIS Posidonie

Merci Maritima pour ce super reportage sur notre nouveau projet pédago-scientifique "Posidonia Connect" en collaboration avec le GIS Posidonie et sur notre incroyable catamaran zéro émission polluante ni sonore : le Modx 70.

MODX Catamarans

Marseille : la fondation Race for Water lance le projet Posidonia Connect depuis le Vieux-Port En escale à Marseille, la Fondation Race for Water qui étudie l'océan et mobilise pour sa préservation, lance cette semaine le projet Posidonia Connect depui...

Mission Posidonie : un an après, le bilan et la suite

France TV était de retour à bord du ModX 70 lors de notre escale à Marseille cette semaine, un an après notre première Mission Posidonie.

Cette rencontre nous a permis d'établir un premier bilan de cette campagne menée en 2025 avec le GIS Posidonie sur les côtes méditerranéennes françaises. Un travail essentiel pour comprendre l'état de nos écosystèmes marins et orienter nos actions futures.

De cette première collaboration est né Posidonia Connect, un projet que nous portons aujourd'hui ensemble. Notre ambition ? Déployer des missions scientifiques dans l'ensemble du bassin méditerranéen jusqu'en 2030, en collaboration avec des chercheurs du pourtour méditerranéen, pour adapter et tester la robustesse d’un protocole innovant (l'indicateur EBQI) dans des environnements variés, afin de mieux suivre et protéger les herbiers de Posidonie.

Première mission en cours : l’Italie !

La vie n’est possible qu’avec un Océan vivant. Ensemble, continuons à protéger la Méditerranée.

MODX Catamarans

Mission Posidonie pour sensibiliser au climat de l’océan à Marseille Toute l'actualité de 👉 https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/bouches-du-rhone/marseilleLe catamaran zéro émission MODX...