The ecological state of the Mar Menor has improved, according to Murcia regional government.
The principal physical and chemical parameters (oxygen, chlorophyll, salinity, turbidity and transparency) have stabilised , and there is an increased presence of biomass and emblematic species, including new, young seahorses and fan mussels (aka noble pen shells) – something which has not been recorded since 2016.
Regional environment councillor Juan María Vázquez presented the data on Tuesday at the second meeting of the inter-administration committee for the Mar Menor, with the secretary of state for the environment, Hugo Morán and representatives of the municipalities around the basin of the lagoon.
“This is the result of collaboration and work by everyone,” he said.
“It has been proven that it is much more efficient and beneficial if our administrations come to agreements and we row in the same direction to help maintain the fragile balance of the Mar Menor.”
Dozens of young seahorses have been sighted, as well as young fan mussels, in addition to the breeding in captivity programme for the latter species, for which the councillor thanked Murcia university.
He also gave an example of collaboration between the region and the ministry for the ecological transition on environmental restoration of land affected by mining.
The regional government is financing the restoration project in El Lirio, the largest in the Mar Menor basin covering a surface area of 8.5 hectares, while the ministry will intervene in different mines with EU funds.
And in the Mar Menor, the regional government has put out a several year contract for €16 million to remove biomass, which Sr Vázquez assured that scientists have said is one of the most effective measures to improve the water quality, while nutrients are still entering the lagoon from the Rambla del Albujón watercourse.
The deadline to present bids for the contract has now passed and they are now being analysed so that it can be awarded.
The region has already extracted over 38,000 tonnes of biomass from the Mar Menor between 2022 and the present, including 811 skips with over 2,639 tonnes in the first six months of this year.
A project is also underway to convert the algae that threatens the balance of the Mar Menor into useful products.
Another plan, for hydrological-forest management and urgent actions in the Mar Menor basin, got underway three months ago and projects investments totalling over €273M by 2040.
The objective of this plan is to adapt forest management to suit the recovery of the Mar Menor and restore areas affected by mining.
