Zero-Emission Catamaran ‘Ganany’ Arrives in Gulf of Naples for Posidonia Research
Naples, May 16, 2026 – The innovative MODX 70 Ganany, a zero-emission catamaran, will arrive in the Gulf of Naples on Monday, May 18, 2026, with a planned stop in Ischia. This marks the first time the vessel, a key component of the Posidonia Connect international project by the Race for Water Foundation, will visit Italy. Its primary objective is to strengthen the monitoring, understanding, and protection of Posidonia oceanica meadows in the Mediterranean Sea.
First-Ever Italian Visit for the Zero-Emission Catamaran
The MODX 70 Ganany, developed by the Race for Water Foundation, is a state-of-the-art catamaran designed for clean and silent navigation. It integrates solar energy, hydrogen power, and automated wing sails to minimize environmental impact. This innovative platform eliminates CO₂ emissions and atmospheric pollutants while significantly reducing noise pollution, which is a major threat to marine ecosystems.
The catamaran embarked on its first international mission in Italy from Marseille on May 5, 2026, with activities scheduled until May 28. The itinerary is dedicated to studying the essential role of Posidonia oceanica in biodiversity, climate resilience, and coastal defense. Stops in Ischia and Naples (Molo San Vincenzo) on May 18 and May 22, 2026, respectively, will include outreach meetings with schools, stakeholders, and, specifically in Naples, an institutional meeting and a public event.
Discussions on the health of Posidonia and opportunities to visit the catamaran are planned. These events are promoted by the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station, Race for Water Foundation, GIS Posidonie, Lega Navale di Napoli, the Logistic Command of the Italian Navy, the Municipality of Ischia, and Ischia Risorsa Mare. These events represent a central moment of the mission, combining scientific research, international cooperation, and public awareness.
Anton Dohrn Zoological Station Leads Posidonia Research
The Anton Dohrn Zoological Station has a long tradition in studying Posidonia oceanica. Several researchers from the station will be involved in this mission, employing sampling techniques and standardized protocols to study the health of Posidonia meadows. Leveraging years of research and scientific collaborations, these researchers will engage with institutions and marine operators on the future of the Mediterranean and new frontiers in marine research, fostering dialogue focused on protecting coastal habitats and the value of international scientific cooperation.
The mission aims not only to observe the decline of marine ecosystems but also to co-construct more effective management and protection tools, involving researchers, institutions, and local stakeholders. In this vision, Posidonia Connect is a strategic component: it encompasses not only field research but also concrete collaboration to preserve a fundamental habitat for the Mediterranean. Posidonia oceanica, often referred to as the “lung of the sea,” plays a decisive role in carbon absorption, coastal protection from erosion, and supporting marine biodiversity. Its protection is an environmental, scientific, and political priority for the entire Mediterranean basin.
EBQI Indicator for Holistic Marine Assessment
Within the framework of the Marha project (Marine Habitats), supported by the European LIFE program, GIS Posidonie has developed and implemented the EBQI (Ecosystem-based Quality Index). This ecosystem indicator, applied along the French Mediterranean coast and in various emblematic ecosystems, assesses not only the vitality of the plant but the ecosystem in its entirety: associated invertebrate and fish communities, marine birds, and ecological interactions.
Unlike classical monitoring, which focuses exclusively on the structure or health of the plant, the EBQI offers a holistic reading of the state of the marine environment, providing fundamental elements to guide conservation policies at local, national, and European levels.
Italy, home to almost 20% of the Posidonia meadows in the Mediterranean, provides an ideal testing ground to validate the applicability of the EBQI. Italian environmental conditions differ from those of the French coast: more oligotrophic waters, meaning poor in nutrients, and higher average surface temperatures give rise to specific biological communities.
Through the application of the EBQI in Sardinia and the Gulf of Naples, the mission aims to adapt this tool to Mediterranean diversity, contributing to the definition of a common standard for evaluating the Good Environmental Status required by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).
Expedition of Excellence in the Heart of the Mediterranean
The mission brings together experts from GIS Posidonie, the University of Sassari, and the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station of Naples. Together, researchers will explore a dozen sites between Sardinia and Campania. The first phase of the study involved some preserved sites in the Marine Protected Areas of Asinara, Capo Testa, and Tavolara.
The mission in the Gulf of Naples will, however, include the analysis of the Regno di Nettuno Marine Protected Area of Ischia, a valuable natural laboratory for studying the effects of acidification linked to volcanic CO₂ emissions, the Punta Campanella MPA, in a stretch of sea under strong tourist pressure, and the Campi Flegrei Regional Park-Bacoli, a site characterized by conditions of greater environmental degradation.
Source: Vesuviolive.it
