Direction: Xavi Bové
3D artist & creative coding: Xavi Maixenchs
Sound Design: Liam Colomer
Design: Abril Martí
Production: Catalina Joy Ansaldi
ABOUT THE PROJECT “POSIDÒNIA”
An Immersive Journey for Environmental Awareness
POSIDÒNIA is a new immersive project that highlights the crucial role of Posidonia oceanica, a plant species endemic to the Mediterranean Sea that is essential for the marine environment. It provides multiple ecological benefits, being the habitat of many marine species, playing a major role in the mitigation of climate change and protecting the coastline from the effect of storms.
This project is conceived as a journey to make the invisible visible, revealing what lies beneath the surface of the sea—a vital underwater forest currently at risk due to different pressures, such as rising water temperatures and unsustainable human practices.
The project comprises three key elements: an immersive projection, an underwater light installation, and a virtual reality (VR) experience, all connected by a common narrative thread. By merging light, the virtual realm, and the physical world, POSIDÒNIA proposes a new way of experiencing the underwater environment and reconsidering our connection with it.
The performance immerses visitors in a marine depths-inspired world, using innovative elements such as the combination of real-time video and interactivity, powered by game engines and interactive devices that respond to audience movements.
This project aligns with Xavi Bové Studio's ongoing exploration of our perception of the environment and climate change.
POSIDÒNIA is an artistic experience that invites a profound reflection on the relationship between humans and nature, calling for the preservation of an underwater treasure essential to our future.
In collaboration with: Triton Diving Llafranc
Scientific supervision: submon
10% of profits will be donated to projects dedicated to the protection of Posidonia.
ABOUT Posidonia oceanica
Neptune seagrass (Posidonia oceanica), a marine phanerogam endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, plays a crucial role in in the proper functioning of the marine environment. It forms extensive underwater meadows that are the habitat of a great variety of species that find shelter and food in this underwater forest. It is also a great oxygen producer and it has a great capacity to capture and fix CO2, helping to mitigate the effects of climate change. However, this habitat is facing a severe regression, with studies showing more than a 30% reduction in its coverage in the western Mediterranean over the last 50 years.
Causes of regression
The decline of Posidonia oceanica is driven by different pressures, many of which are linked to human activities:
- Loss of water quality: Discharges of wastewater, chemicals, and agricultural nutrients degrade water quality and affect the health and survival of sensitive species like Posidonia oceanica.
- Climate change: The rise of sea temperature affects Neptune seagrass meadows. Mass flowering events of P. oceanica have been associated with thermal stress of this plant.
- Illegal trawling: Trawling with weighted nets damages seagrass meadows, despite being illegal at depths under 50 metres.
- Coastal development: Activities such as the construction of breakwaters, beach dredging, and marina development degrade the habitat and disrupt natural sedimentary dynamics.
- Boat mooring: The anchoring of recreational boats and the incorrect installation of mooring fields cause a direct mechanical impact on seagrass meadows.
- Invasive species: Non-native species, such as Caulerpa cylindracea and Rugulopteryx okamurae, outcompete Posidonia oceanica, threatening its survival.
The fact that Posidonia oceanica is a slow-growing species makes it more urgent to prevent these pressures and stop the generalised regression of this habitat.
Conservation efforts
The conservation of Posidonia oceanica requires a comprehensive approach that addresses both the direct and underlying causes of its decline. Projects like SUBMON's BlueLab focus on the study and preservation of this vital marine species.
Source: submon
