Elite Windsurfers Become Biodiversity Ambassadors for the Emc2 Project

Environmental project combines sport and conservation of coastal ecosystems with the support of Margarida Gil Morais (POR 16) and João Rodrigues (POR 7)

The Emc2 Project -"Exploring white crowberry coastal habitats’ - has just announced two big names as Biodiversity Ambassadors in the field of sport: windsurfers Margarida Gil Morais (POR 16) and João Rodrigues (POR 7), both of whom have very successful national and international careers. The initiative relies on the mobilising power of sport to extend the reach of its ecological message, raising awareness of the importance of conserving coastal ecosystems.

Sport has the unique power to unite people from different cultures, ages and communities, and the Emc2 Project recognises this potential by inviting leading athletes to collaborate as spokespeople for biodiversity. In the case of windsurfing - a sport intrinsically linked to the sea and coastal areas - the connection is natural and strategic. The project coordinator herself is an amateur windsurfer, which reinforces the coherence and proximity of this choice.

By accepting the role of Biodiversity Ambassadors, Margarida Gil Morais and João Rodrigues have committed themselves to publicising the importance of dune systems and their natural values at sporting events and other public occasions. Among them is the shrimp (Corema album), an endemic plant in decline on the coast of the Iberian Peninsula, whose preservation is one of the project's flagships.

Emc2's activities take place in coastal areas and aim to promote knowledge and appreciation of shrimp thickets, warning of threats to their survival. The collaboration with top-level athletes aims to make this mission more visible and accessible to the general public, combining science, nature and sport in an inspiring alliance.

This partnership is a concrete example of how environmental sustainability can (and should) go hand in hand with the sporting world, creating networks of positive influence in favour of biodiversity.