Support Programme for the Development of HPAs
Supporting the creation or strengthening of Highly Protected Areas in the Mediterranean basin by providing technical assistance and small grants
A support programme for future Highly Protected Areas
The support programme has been designed in 2025 by Together of the Med to support the creation or strengthening of Highly Protected Areas in the Mediterranean basin by providing technical assistance and small grants (5,000€).
Five of them will receive financial support to implement priority actions contributing to marine biodiversity conservation and community engagement.
Programme structure, key axes and timeline
The programme is structured around five main axes addressing key needs for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) aiming to reach High Protection Area (HPA) status. For each work package, a webinar will be organised, followed by individual work by the candidates and bilateral exchanges with the BlueSeeds team.
March 2026
General organisation and evaluation of the MPAs, including the presentation of tools such as BlueDiagnosis
April 2026
Financial planning for marine protected areas
May 2026
Webinar on stakeholder engagement in the management process
In-person workshopto share experiences and exchange best practices
June 2026
Webinar on management effectiveness and enforcement
June 2026
Data acquisition and its use for the management of protected areas
Supporting marine biodiversity conservation in the Mediterranean
Throughout these six months, we aim to advance effective protection of marine biodiversity in the region, and, by supporting concrete, field-based actions, to foster local engagement and build the capacities to ensure long-term conservation outcomes.
BENEFICIARIES
This Spanish NGO with nearly 20 years of experience is dedicated to the study and conservation of the Mar Menor lagoon, the largest coastal lagoon in Europe.
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The organisation conducts long-term scientific monitoring, particularly of the long-snouted seahorse, an indicator species reflecting the health of this unique ecosystem. Despite multiple protection designations, the Mar Menor faces severe ecological degradation due to eutrophication driven by intensive agriculture, tourism pressure and fragmented governance. The association aims to strengthen participatory management by engaging fishers and local communities in biodiversity monitoring and conservation actions.
The NGO works in the Kneiss Marine and Coastal Protected Area in the Gulf of Gabès, Tunisia.
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This ecologically rich archipelago of tidal flats and islets hosts important seagrass habitats, fish nursery grounds and migratory bird populations.
Local communities depend heavily on artisanal fisheries and clam harvesting, but increasing illegal and destructive fishing practices are threatening marine resources and ecosystem resilience. ACG aims to operationalise a fully protected core zone within the MPA, combining participatory consultations with fishers, clear spatial zoning and improved monitoring and surveillance to ensure both ecosystem recovery and long-term community engagement.
This Tunisian NGO founded in 2012 dedicated to protection and sustainable management of the Kuriat Islands archipelago.
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Its activities focus on ecological monitoring, protection marine species and awareness-raising among local communities and visitors, contributing to the preservation of key habitats, particularly the nesting areas of sea turtle Caretta caretta. The Kuriat Islands support important socio-economic activities such as artisanal fishing and tourism, but these uses also generate significant pressures including unregulated fishing, plastic pollution, and degradation of seagrass meadows and nesting areas. Local initiatives such as co-management of the Marine Protected Area, sustainable tourism and environmental awareness are essential to improve both the ecological protection and local livelihoods.
This Montenegrin NGO founded in 2005 is dedicated to the protection of marine ecosystems in the Adriatic Sea.
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The organization has played a key role in the establishment of Montenegro’s first marine protected areas and carries out research, awareness-raising and conservation activities. Its project focuses on the future Ratac Marine Protected Area, known for its extensive and healthy Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows, which are vital for biodiversity and carbon storage.
Facing increasing pressures from tourism and boat anchoring, MedCEM is implementing actions such as 3D mapping of seagrass beds, installation of eco-moorings, and monitoring of human activities to strengthen management and move towards a highly protected area.
This Libyan academic institution is dedicated to marine biodiversity research and conservation in the Mediterranean.
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The team has extensive experience in ecological monitoring, fisheries management and community-based conservation initiatives. Its work focuses on the Ain Al-Ghazala Lagoon, a coastal ecosystem on Libya’s northeastern Mediterranean shore recognized as a biodiversity hotspot. The lagoon hosts seagrass meadows, mudflats and diverse fish communities, while also providing key habitats for loggerhead sea turtles and migratory species.
Despite its ecological importance, the area faces growing pressures from invasive species, pollution and limited management capacity. The project aims to strengthen the development of a Highly Protected Area through improved ecological monitoring, participatory zoning and stronger collaboration with local fishers and communities to support long-term conservation and sustainable resource management.
In western Libya, this NGO is working to support conservation in the Farwa Marine Protected Area, a coastal ecosystem of islands, shallow lagoons and sensitive habitats that host marine turtles, migratory birds and diverse marine life.
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Local communities, particularly fishers, depend on the area’s natural resources for their livelihoods, yet increasing pressures from pollution, unsustainable practices and limited management capacity threaten the ecosystem. The initiative focuses on strengthening community participation in conservation, combining environmental monitoring, awareness activities and small-scale restoration actions while exploring sustainable opportunities such as community-based eco-tourism to reduce pressure on marine resources.
This NGO supports the activities of DEKAMER, a research, rescue, and rehabilitation center dedicated to sea turtle conservation in Türkiye.
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The organization works within the Köyceğiz-Dalyan Special Environmental Protection Area, a biodiversity hotspot and one of the most important nesting sites for loggerhead sea turtles in the Mediterranean. Despite its protected status, the area faces several pressures, including boat strikes, pollution linked to tourism activities, and growing climate change impacts such as coastal erosion and sea level rise. Improving biodiversity and environmental monitoring and engaging local stakeholders to promote sustainable ecotourism and reduce threats to marine species will be the keys to strengthen the effectiveness of the protected area.
The foundation works within the Karaburun–Sazan Marine National Park, Albania’s largest marine protected area, located at the junction of the Adriatic and Ionian seas.
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The area hosts valuable habitats such as Posidonia seagrass meadows, underwater caves and rocky reefs that support sharks, rays and diverse marine species. Rapid growth in tourism and increasing maritime traffic are placing significant pressure on these ecosystems while enforcement capacity remains limited. The project aims to establish a Highly Protected Area within the park through participatory zoning with fishers and authorities, ecological baseline surveys and communication activities to build local support.
In the Balearic Islands, the foundation works to strengthen conservation of the Sa Dragonera Marine Protected Area, a biodiversity hotspot characterised by extensive Posidonia meadows, rocky reefs and underwater caves.
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The area hosts a rich marine fauna, including dolphins, sea turtles and numerous seabird species, but faces increasing pressure from anchoring, recreational boating and seasonal tourism.
Through the Xarxa Dragonera Blava participatory platform, Save the Med brings together fishers, scientists, local authorities and tourism actors to improve marine governance. This initiative will reinforce environmental monitoring and data use, providing the knowledge base needed to support stronger protection measures and guide the long-term management of highly protected zones.
The Mediterranean Sea is a global biodiversity hotspot, yet protection efforts remain insufficient and uneven. While international targets aim to protect 30% of marine areas by 2030, less than 9% of the Mediterranean is currently covered by Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), with strong geographical imbalances across the basin.
More critically, many of these areas are not effectively managed. Only 23% of MPAs have an implemented management plan, meaning that protection often exists on paper without delivering real ecological or socio-economic benefits.
This gap reflects a broader challenge: local actors frequently lack the technical capacity, financial resources, and tailored support needed to design and implement effective conservation measures. At the same time, Highly Protected Areas (HPAs)—which deliver the strongest ecological outcomes—remain extremely limited in the region.
In this context, combining technical and financial assistance is essential. By supporting MPAs in their transition towards higher levels of protection, such programmes help unlock the concrete steps required to establish or strengthen Highly Protected Areas. They enable local stakeholders to build capacity, implement priority actions, and generate tangible impacts on the ground.
Ultimately, this approach helps bridge the gap between ambition and implementation, turning existing protected areas into truly effective conservation tools for biodiversity and coastal communities.