Portal de Aguilas
www.portaldeaguilas.com
In one square meter of seafloor there is a whole unknown world of tiny creatures that are part of a wonderful ecosystem of great importance.
But many times we are not aware of it.
Unlike terrestrial ecosystems, environmental and landscape values of which are widely known, marine ecosystems will not enjoy the same social presence.
Therefore, this ignorance can sometimes threaten marine biodiversity
Currently only 0.5% of Spanish maritime territory is protected, unlike the land area that has a 15% under some form of protection.
These data reflect the vulnerability of the sea's biodiversity
La Obra Social "la Caixa" in its "la Caixa" for the sea, start a new scientific awareness campaign focused on highlighting the values of the sea's biodiversity, its threats, the biological interest specific to each community and the need for its protection.
To do this, will have the mobile classroom visits program and Vell Marí scientific vessel which explain that animals and plants live in Spanish marine reserves
Promote the creation of protected areas as a tool to halt the loss of species and conserve biodiversity in the sea is the main objective of this new initiative.
All of this in an exercise that the UN has declared the "International Year of Biodiversity
The boat will travel program scientist throughout 2010 a total of 2,000 nautical miles (4,000 kms.) And will call at 22 ports in the communities of Andalusia, Ceuta, Murcia, Comunidad Valenciana, Baleares and Catalonia
Francisco Clemente, Councillor for Education of the City of Eagle, Eugenio Jose Ruiz, Director of the Department of "la Caixa" in the area of Lorca, Albert Planas, biologist and educator CRAM Foundation and Rafael Martinez, director of port guardamuelles Eagles , presented today at the port of Eagle's new campaign on protection of marine areas of the "la Caixa" for the sea.
The focus of the project ranging from awareness of the importance of protecting these areas to preserve biodiversity threatened to publication of the fragility and richness of the marine ecosystem.
With this campaign, Obra Social "la Caixa" joins the efforts of the scientific community and those that promote biodiversity conservation by an intensive information campaign on the sea and its needs.
La Obra Social "la Caixa" and CRAM approach the sea to the population to show all its richness and fragility, thus promoting respect and conservation.
Understanding of biodiversity and the importance of marine
The scientific information campaign of the "la Caixa" for the sea this year focuses on threatened marine biological diversity and the importance of preserving ecosystems.
The United Nations has declared 2010 as Year of Biodiversity "to express its importance in our lives and try to keep it.
Coinciding with this initiative, the Obra Social "la Caixa" fosters interest among the public and marine habitats and wildlife that inhabit them.
Biodiversity is the variety of ecosystems and living beings of any kind that inhabit the planet.
There are calculations that estimate the number of species is more than 10 million.
Marine species are under high pressure due to overfishing, degradation or habitat loss, pollution, etc.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), globally, the abundance of species has declined by 40%.
All living things are necessary because they are part of complex food webs, where the disappearance of one element can cause a major ecological disturbance, affecting other ecosystems.
Following the latest report from the European Environment Agency highlights the need for more efforts to protect marine biodiversity.
According to the IUCN protected areas represent an area of land or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biodiversity and of natural and associated cultural resources, managed through legal means, or other effective means. "
Currently, there are approximately 4,000 marine protected areas in 80 countries and most are small and are located in areas near the coast.
This represents less than 1% of the ocean surface.
Spain signed in 2006, with other member countries of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, its commitment to protect 10% of the sea surface by 2012.
But what percentage of the surface should be protected?
Recent studies indicate that: - To use the sea scientific and educational purposes: 10% - For the proper conservation of species: 20% - To fish in a sustainable manner: 30% - to intensively exploit the environment: a 50%
Contrary to what you might believe, Marine Protected Areas conducive to fishing and that, even in the protected area is restricted fishing in the waters adjacent to the reserve increases the number of individuals due to dispersal of larvae from the protected area.
Moreover, as the reserve females reached a larger size, lay more eggs, which also means more larvae disperse to adjacent areas by making them richer.
Murcia coast is a haven for biodiversity
The Murcia region boasts of having 19 natural areas recognized under some level of protection and whose natural wealth and biodiversity is extraordinary.
The ecological value of the 250km of coastline of Murcia is determined by the dynamics of exchange between surface water coming from the Atlantic through the Strait of Gibraltar, and the northwestern Mediterranean.
With this privileged position, helped by the high productivity of the Alboran Sea and the Balearic Islands, Murcia boasts values of coastal and marine biodiversity than those in bordering regions, due mainly to the geomorphology and hydrodynamics of the strip coast.
The Marine Protected Areas 195.297ha included in the Natura 2000 European network show this wealth.
An example is the Eastern Zone of the Mediterranean Coast Murcia Especially recognized as Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI), with an area of 27.503ha and 59km of coastline.
From here we highlight the Protected Landscape and Open Space Menor Sea Islands where the highest western Mediterranean coastal lagoon, known as Site of Community Importance, Special Protection Area for Birds & RAMSAR Wetland.
The high salinity of the lagoon are acting as ecological barrier determining the submerged landscape.
However, the flowering of high ecological value, such as Cymodocea nodosa, are being displaced by the algae Caulerpa chlorophycean proliferera.
The largest population of fartet (Aphanius iberus) of the Region of Murcia is nothing between these waters with seahorses (Hippocampus hippocampus and H. ramulosus).
Trails are listed as endangered species by the Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biodiversity in the Mediterranean.
Important is the presence of nacre (Pinna nobilis and P. rudis) and its population has grown dramatically in recent years.
The coastline of this marine protected area, while highlighting the presence of oceanic Posidonia largest of the region represents a feeding and nesting seabirds.
The little tern (Sterna albifrons) and Audouin's gull (Larus audouinii) have the third largest breeding colony in the world with a reserve of about 1000 pairs on Isla Grossa.
Nature Reserve Cape Palos-Islas Hormigas, located in the Eastern Zone has been declared a marine reserve and high ecological sensitivity area by the Ministry of Environment of the Autonomous Community of Murcia.
All the ecosystems from Murcia coast are concentrated here.
Among them, the rocky nature of funds, with vertical walls and blocks, where species that show high environmental quality, as is the case precoralígeno communities and coralline algae.
Rocky bottoms give way to soft bottoms in which growing Posidonia oceanica.
North and south of the Reserve, are some of the formations of this plant most extensive and best preserved of all the Spanish coast.
In 2000, the marine reserve of Cabo de Palos-Islas Hormigas became a Site of Community Importance of Submerged coastline of Murcia and was designated a Special Protection Area for Birds.
This is also the only reservation fishing in the region where commercial fishing boats can only be exercised by smaller arts that have traditionally fished in the area.
Finally, in the towns of Aguilas and Lorca, Regional Park Cabo Cope and Tips Calnegre hosts a variety of important habitats of Community interest as Posidonia oceanic shoals and reefs.
All included in the EU Habitats Directive.
Its 17 km of cliffs and coves, with an area of 1.032ha, have been classified as Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA) and proposed as Sites of Community Importance (SCI).
Education and environmental awareness
"La Caixa" for the sea will in this campaign with a comprehensive education program aimed at school children and general audience.
Thus, the mobile classroom becomes a platform for open disclosure worldwide.
The education team, specializing in marine biology guide for fifty minutes of educational activity that consists of two parts.
In the first part, the group will enter the mobile classroom which will offer different activities, such as videos, exhibitions and workshops.
One of the objectives of the visit is to explain the importance of marine biodiversity and the need to preserve it.
To help understanding have been established for the first time a mobile panels with all the information of life in the marine environment, marine protected areas and endangered species will change depending on the community in which they are.
The environmental activity of "la Caixa" for the sea route Vell Marí proposed alternatives aimed at reducing the negative impacts of human activities on the marine environment.
After the visit, participants will board the boat scientist, the Vell Marí, to learn first hand how a ship is engaged in the recovery and marine animal clinic that performs exploration and marine conservation.
Visitors can also enjoy, thanks to virtual vision glasses, a simulated immersion showing various ecosystems and can see the different degrees of conservation.
For participants between 5 and 8 years, tells the story "City Biodiversity" where two children can discover the seabed through magic glasses and just writing a letter about the different habits to protect biodiversity.
For the first time, the story becomes an interactive activity because it is the children of the visit which will finish writing this letter.
Thanks to the success of the initiative that began in the previous season, the educational activity of the Vell Marí moved back out of the boat and approach the hospitals, thereby increasing their informative function.
To do this, educators will be transferred to hospital CiberCaixa (rooms fitted by the Obra Social "la Caixa" in hospitals to promote the recovery of hospitalized children), where, through educational activities such as games, workshops, storytelling and audiovisual material multimedia, attendees will learn the problems caused by marine biodiversity degradation, and possible solutions.
The goal is that through virtual tours and other educational tools, hospitals will recreate the atmosphere and feelings experienced by children during his visit to the ship and, thus, export all the educational content that is clear from the visit.
Source: Ayuntamiento de Águilas
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