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Diploma · 800 h · 8 modules
Diploma in Posidonia and Seagrass Meadow Restoration
Prepares you to plan and evaluate seagrass meadow restoration, with a particular focus on Posidonia oceanica, a very slow-growing species whose recovery demands method and patience. You will study seagrass biology, the causes of…
Duration800 h
FormatOnline
Starts16 November
Places20 / 20
Prior knowledge
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Programme overview
What is the Diploma in Posidonia and Seagrass Meadow Restoration?
The Diploma in Posidonia and Seagrass Meadow Restoration
Prepares you to plan and evaluate seagrass meadow restoration, with a particular focus on Posidonia oceanica, a very slow-growing species whose recovery demands method and patience. You will study seagrass biology, the causes of decline, how to improve environmental conditions first, and the transplanting and seeding techniques available, together with the monitoring needed to know whether an intervention is working.
Key advantages
- Genuine specialisation: A programme focused on Mediterranean and Atlantic seagrass meadows.
- Causes first: How to remove pressures before planting.
- Techniques compared: Shoot transplanting, seeds and anchoring systems.
- Rigorous monitoring: Indicators and protocols to measure survival and spread.
- Case study: A restoration plan for a specific meadow.
Programme type
Diploma
Study mode
Online
Duration
800 hours
Modules
8
Programme highlights
- Know the meadows: Understand seagrass biology.
- Diagnose decline: Identify pressures such as anchoring or turbidity.
- Choose the technique: Compare transplanting, seeding and anchoring.
- Measure success: Design long-term monitoring.
- Put it into practice: Work in conservation, consultancy and coastal management.
- Train to protect and restore seagrass meadows, one of the coast’s most valuable habitats.
Curriculum
Programme Structure
The programme is structured in 8 modules, listed below in order of study.
01
Seagrass Biology and Ecology
- Seagrasses around the world
- Posidonia oceanica
- Cymodocea nodosa and Zostera
- Plant structure: rhizomes and shoots
- Clonal growth and its slow pace
- Flowering and sexual reproduction
- Light and sediment requirements
- Associated fauna and flora
02
Functions and Services of Seagrass Meadows
- Habitat and nursery grounds
- Oxygen and organic matter production
- Sediment stabilisation
- Beach protection and leaf litter banks
- Blue carbon and the Posidonia matte
- Water quality
- Fisheries and tourism value
- Legal protection of seagrass
03
Causes of Decline
- Boat anchoring
- Coastal works and dredging
- Discharges and turbidity
- Eutrophication
- Illegal trawling
- Invasive species
- Warming and heatwaves
- Assessing cumulative pressures
04
Diagnosing and Mapping Seagrass Meadows
- Side-scan sonar mapping
- Multibeam echosounders
- Remote sensing in shallow waters
- Diver-based sampling
- Shoot density and cover
- Upper and lower limits
- Ecological status indicators
- Selecting sites for restoration
05
Improving Conditions and Passive Restoration
- Removing the cause before planting
- Eco-friendly moorings
- Regulating anchoring
- Improving water quality
- Managing leaf litter on beaches
- Protection against trawling
- Natural recovery of meadows
- When planting is not advisable
06
Active Restoration Techniques
- Sourcing plant material
- Transplanting shoots and cuttings
- Using detached fragments
- Seed collection and germination
- Growing seedlings
- Substrates and anchoring systems
- Planting density and layout
- Logistics of underwater work
07
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Designing the monitoring
- Transplant survival
- Rhizome growth
- Spread of cover
- Control sites
- Photogrammetry and transects
- Analysing results
- Adaptive management
08
Case Study: Restoration Plan for a Seagrass Meadow
- Choosing the meadow
- Diagnosing the situation
- Pressure analysis
- Prior improvement measures
- Selecting the technique
- Monitoring plan
- Permits and budget
- Presenting the plan
Workload
Study Time and Workload
800 hours of study, online and at your own pace. Move the slider to the hours a week you can really put in.
Hours a week8
Weeks to finish—
You finish around—
Who it is for
Biologists and marine science graduates: who want to specialise in seagrass meadows Marine protected area staff: who manage sites with seagrass Environmental consultants: who propose mitigation and compensation measures NGO and scientific diving centre staff: who take part in conservation projects Harbour and mooring managers: who need to make their activity compatible with seagrass
Faculty
Academic direction and faculty
The teaching team at Navalis: working professionals who deliver and oversee the institute's programmes.
Eng. Diego Cifuentes
Cap. Javier Abaroa (MCA)
Dr. Pau Ferrer
Dr. Nuria Llobregat
Eng. Javier Bañuls
Eng. Sofía Marquina
Eng. Tomás Riera
Verified reviews
Student Reviews
Reviews collected and verified by Opynio, not written by us.
Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
- 01Understand seagrass biology
- 02Value meadow functions
- 03Diagnose decline
- 04Select restoration techniques
- 05Design monitoring
- 06Plan an intervention
Careers
Career Opportunities
01Seagrass restoration officer: Designing and delivering interventions in seagrass meadows.
02Environmental consultant: Mitigation and compensation measures in coastal projects.
03Protected area officer: Managing and monitoring seagrass habitats.
04Habitat mapping specialist: Surveying and monitoring seagrass meadows.
05Conservation project coordinator: Programmes in NGOs and foundations.
06Mooring management officer: Planning moorings that are compatible with seagrass.
Questions
Entry Requirements
Because it grows very slowly and natural recovery can take decades; that is why the programme stresses removing pressures first.
Yes. Cymodocea nodosa, Zostera and other seagrasses are also covered.
Not to take the programme. Taking part in real underwater work requires the relevant diving qualifications and permits, which this diploma does not replace.
Yes. Seagrass meadows are usually protected and any intervention requires consent from the competent authority.
A complete restoration plan for a specific meadow, from diagnosis to monitoring.
100% online, with a virtual campus available 24/7, live sessions that are recorded, and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The programme involves 800 hours of study. You can work at your own pace within the timetable we give you when you enrol.
Each programme has its own start date, shown on this page and confirmed by our admissions team when you enquire.
On completing the programme you receive the Diploma in Posidonia and Seagrass Meadow Restoration qualification awarded by Navalis Magna Institute.
Online admissions
Admissions Process
No waiting for a phone call. If your documents are complete, you can pay in the same session.
Entry requirements
Entry profile: A degree in biology, marine science, environmental science or a related field; or professional experience in marine conservation or coastal management. Language: A good working level of English to follow classes and materials. Technical requirements: A computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and a webcam for live sessions and project presentations. Admissions process: Online application, profile review and a short interview with the academic team. We confirm your start date when you enquire.
Questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
Leave your details and admissions will write back. If you already know this is the one, go straight to the application and pay in the same session.