Changes to the coasts of our seas have always been a natural and constant companion for the inhabitants. However, due to the climate crisis, they can increase dramatically and get out of hand. With rising sea levels and an increase in extreme storms, severe erosion is taking place on many coasts - not only in the North Sea, but also in the Mediterranean. The island of Djerba, a popular vacation destination in Tunisia, is a clear example, where the erosion is particularly pronounced at up to more than 4 m per year. This means that residents and tourists are seeing their beaches shrink from year to year. The lack of coastal governance is a challenging factor that causes negative feedback and increases coastal erosion. Seagrass meadows once common in this area, are an important ecosystem in the shallow water of southern Tunisia. This ecosystem is known to dampen wave energy and hence, wave height. In the Northeast of Djerba, this meadow is only a residual spot of the meadow that once existed around the island and which extended to a depth of more than 30m.
ORIENTATE is a cooperation of the Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung and the University of Sfax in Tunisia. It is funded by the Meerwissen initiative initiated in 2018 by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is part of the UN Ocean Decade activities.
At the AWI with the Biological Institute Helgoland and the Wadden Sea Station Sylt as well as the University of Sfax in Tunisia, researchers are working on slowing down this process with the help of seagrass plantations. This project is being funded as part of the UN Decade of the Ocean, as social and ecological processes go hand in hand here.
The dense and extensive seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean around Djerba have been severely depleted in the past by fishing and beach clearance. The remnants of seagrass on the beach were seen as a deterrent for tourists. In the meantime, severe coastal erosion and the loss of entire stretches of beach on the island are omnipresent. A rethink is taking place. Through cooperation with local groups such as fishermen, youth organizations and hotel operators, new approaches are now being developed with researchers from the University of Sfax and the AWI, as well as NGOs and local authorities. The seagrass can stabilize beaches and thus contribute to their preservation and that of the ecosystem, it increases biodiversity and - properly communicated - offers a market as a tourist attraction, for example through guided snorkelling or boat tours. In many coastal areas, this "working with nature" is more successful than working against nature.
On Djerba from 15.-19. July 2024 we will hold a summer camp. In the small town Aghir (Djerba, Tunisia) participants will learn about seagrass and benefits of seagrass restoration. We will have a guided snorkeling tour and excursions in the area, samplings, and social activities. This is a great possibility to meet scholars and students from Tunisia. Apply now here. We are looking for young Germans (age 18-24 years) to join. Cost for accommodation and food will be covered by the programme. Participants are responsible for their own travelling expenses. The summer camp will be bi-national only if enough participants from Germany will apply.
In the up coming month the first transplantation of seagrass to the pilot site close to Aghir will start followed by a close monitoring of parameters like currents, tempaerture, salinity, turbidity and in- situ monitoring of the biotop (fishes, plants, other benthic organismens like starfishes, bivalves and worms). Follow us for up dates here or on facebook.
In two co-design workshops we engaged with stakeholders in Tunisia on Djerba. We were able to get support from local NGOs, fishing communities, local politicians and the local tourist association on Djerba. The first co-design workshop was held already in October 2022. This was followed by a second one in April 2023. Our team consists as well out of the project partners from the University of Sfax, Lobna Boudaya and Lassaad Neifar, as well from the AWI, Tobias Dolch, Annika Cornelius, Anna Bergmann, Eva Brodte and Karen Wiltshire, but as well additionally from the supporting stakeholder groups. We thank you all for your support.
