On Friday 13th, a study was carried out on the state of the Posidonia meadows in Mijas, specifically the one located at Alhamar beach. A team of divers submerged to collect data on their current condition as part of the 'Mares Circulares' (Circular Seas) programme run by the Fundación Aula del Mar Mediterráneo (FAMM) and Coca-Cola in collaboration with the Mijas Town Hall. Specifically, eight divers from the Eco&dive school, supported by two boats, dived to collect data from the Alhamar area, where one of the largest Posidonia meadows in the province of Malaga is located. Their mission was to analyse its status and extent, as well as its current state of conservation.

 

According to Cristina Moreno, director of the FAMM project, "the programme we are running is called 'Bosques Sumergidos' (Submerged Forests) ’ a conservation and study project focused on the marine meadow fauna. Today, we are in Mijas to carry out a study on the meadows here, specifically at Alhamar Beach. Marine meadows, especially in the province of Málaga, are in decline. Here on the Mijas coastline, we have the opportunity to help them recover with everyone’s collaboration”.

 

A diving school collaborated in the action. David Avilés, the instructor from Eco&dive, stated that "we know the area well, as we were here last year too. Basically, what we do is study the posidonia in various locations across Málaga. We carry out a count of the posidonia, mainly focusing on the number of plants, measuring the leaves, checking for the presence of sand, and looking for invasive algae".

 

The programme in which Mijas is participating is called 'Mares Circulares' and involves the collaboration of experts from the Aula del Mar Mediterráneo Foundation to produce this report on the current state of our seagrass meadows, which are key plants for coastal conservation. Mijas is collaborating through the Department of the Environment thanks to an agreement signed with this foundation to promote the Marine Protection Network.

The councillor for the Environment, Marco Cortés (PP), stated that "we must remember that the same number of square metres of posidonia can purify ten times more than, for example, the same area of forest. We need to think about what we cannot see, what lies beneath the sea, an entire ecosystem so vast that it provides us all with incredible benefits".

 

The company Coca-Cola also collaborates on the project as part of its ‘Mares Circulares’ programme. The communications manager for Coca-Cola in Malaga said that "this is a project dedicated to the conservation and protection of the marine environment, aquatic habitats and biodiversity. We have been working on these initiatives since 2018, promoting this circular economy as part of our global sustainability strategy".

After the data has been collected, a report will be produced proposing conservation and restoration actions for this type of marine ecosystem.

 

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