Save the Med is a nonprofit organisation based in Mallorca, devoted to the regeneration of the Mediterranean Sea—starting with the Balearic Sea. At first glance, its work might seem similar to that of many environmental organisations. Like others in the field, Save the Med runs educational programs with students, raises awareness about plastic pollution and the everyday impacts of human activity on the environment, maps and monitors marine habitats for scientific purposes, and studies threatened species such as sharks and rays to better understand the risks they face and to inform stronger protection measures.
But Save the Med is not just another marine conservation organisation.
From the very beginning, the team understood that challenges like pollution, habitat degradation, and biodiversity loss cannot be solved through isolated actions. Education and research are essential, but on their own they often address symptoms rather than root causes. What truly sets Save the Med apart is its holistic approach—one that recognises the deep interconnections between land and sea, people and nature, economies and ecosystems.
This way of thinking led to one of Save the Med’s most innovative concepts: Areas Under Regeneration (AURs). Currently active in the municipalities of Andratx, Pollença, and Sóller in Mallorca, an AUR is an environmentally degraded area that still holds the potential to recover its biodiversity. With the right conditions, regeneration can be achieved through a combination of conservation actions, regenerative practices, and strong community involvement.
Crucially, Save the Med understands that the regeneration of damaged marine areas cannot be viewed in isolation. What happens on land—urban development, tourism, waste management, cultural practices, and local economies—has a direct and decisive influence on the health of the sea.
For this reason, the AUR approach goes beyond traditional conservation boundaries. It sees ecosystems as interconnected systems that include both marine and terrestrial areas, along with the social and economic dynamics that shape them. Regeneration, in this sense, is not only ecological—it is also social.
Community participation lies at the heart of this model. Save the Med actively inspires local communities to take part in protecting and regenerating the Mediterranean and the environments that surround it. Through participatory governance forums in Pollença, Andratx, and Sóller, citizens are given a direct role in decision-making about the management of their coastal and marine areas.
This participatory approach is essential. It ensures that environmental strategies are informed by those who know the sea best: fishers, scientists, divers, sailors, and residents who live and work along the coast. By bringing local voices into decision-making processes, these processes become more transparent, inclusive, and ultimately more effective. Environmental protection is no longer seen as something imposed from above, but as a shared endeavor rooted in common values, community spirit, and local action.
Save the Med collaborates with a wide range of partners, including individuals, schools, scientists, businesses, NGOs, and public institutions. Together, they design and implement regeneration projects that span participatory governance, habitat mapping, scientific research on water quality and threatened shark species, and educational initiatives.
Save the Med’s story began humbly, with a handwritten note in a shop window inviting people to join a beach clean-up. That small gesture led to the creation of the Ondine Association and later evolved into the Save the Med Foundation. Today, beyond conservation and regeneration, Save the Med stands for community and connection as fundamental values.
Moving forward in 2026, its message remains clear and hopeful: regeneration is possible when we work together—on land and at sea—guided by a shared understanding of the value of connection, both between people and with the natural world that sustains us.
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