IBIZA & FORMENTERA PRESERVATION X GLOBAL CHALLENGE

Aim

Calling all swimmers! Join Global Swim Challenge anywhere in the world from May to October 2026 to help raise funds for marine conservation.

About us

Ibiza & Formentera Preservation is a non-profit foundation dedicated to the conservation and regeneration of the islands. Founded in 2008, we work to protect the islands’ environment with insight, inspiration and impact, by funding and implementing grassroots projects that safeguard biodiversity, restore landscapes and improve marine health. Our vision is for Ibiza and Formentera to become models of sustainability, where nature and local communities thrive together.

How the funds will be used

Funds raised will support marine conservation projects including:

Posidonia monitoring: Ibiza and Formentera's Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows are one of the world’s largest and oldest living organisms and are vital to our ecosystem, absorbing 15 times more CO2 per hectare than the Amazon rainforest, filtering the water and producing oxygen. However, the meadows are under intense human pressure due to illegal boat anchoring, increased contamination in the water, and rising sea temperatures. Co-financed by Ibiza & Formentera Preservation, the local environmental group GEN-GOB conducts twice-yearly field campaigns to monitor the state of the meadows in key spots such as Talamanca Bay and Cala Vedella. The resulting study, which warns that more than 50% of the meadow is dead in some areas and shows no signs of recovery, underpins local conservation actions, informs policy advocacy and raises public awareness.

Shark and ray study: The conservation of sharks and rays is key to the ecological balance of the Balearic Sea. However, many elasmobranch species are in decline due to fishing, habitat loss and lack of data about their distribution. We fund a project that combines tagging of specimens in the waters around Ibiza and Formentera with innovative environmental DNA analysis. The aim is to improve scientific knowledge of these elusive species, identify areas of special ecological value and facilitate the adoption of more effective evidence-based management and conservation strategies.

Blue Crime Classroom: Run in partnership with Jaume I University in Castellón, this project promotes education, research and public outreach in the field of marine environmental crime. The Classroom is a pioneering academic space that helps train future professionals and strengthen scientific knowledge around activities that negatively impact the marine environment. It carries out field studies, organises conferences and seminars, leads awareness-raising initiatives, and delivers educational activities for schoolchildren from Ibiza and Formentera.

More information at https://ibizapreservation.org/

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Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 31st October 2026 at 11:59pm