On Friday 19th, Mijas hosted a day of snorkelling and science aimed at protecting our natural aquatic heritage, particularly one of its key species, posidonia. The initiative sought to encourage citizen collaboration with the scientific community through the submission of photographs and observations to support various studies.

Organised by the Biodiversity Foundation along the coasts of Spain, and in Mijas by Life A-Mar, with the collaboration of Sema Entornos and the Mijas Town Hall, the day was divided into two parts: a theoretical session, held at the La Cala Branch Office and a practical session on Calahonda Beach. During the first hour, participants learned about the emblematic natural elements of our coast and the scientific applications. The purpose, highlighted the director of Sema Entornos, Alberto Sema, was to learn “how to identify the most important species and, above all, how to photograph them and upload them to citizen science apps such as Minka, iNaturalist, and Marine Litter Watch, so that the research team at CSIC and others can use these observations”.

 

More than 20 participants joined the initiative, including the councillor for the Environment, Marco Cortés (PP), and the councillor for Beaches, Daniel Gómez Teruel (PP), who noted that the audience attended the event “to see both the flora and fauna that we must conserve within the marine areas so that future generations can enjoy this treasure of Mijas and that, on behalf of the Town Hall, we work all year round on these beaches and this coastline to ensure that conservation is as comprehensive and long-lasting as possible”.

Into the water

After the theory, it was time to get into the water in search of Posidonia, “one of the emblematic species and one of the main habitats in this area”, emphasised the marine biologist and scientific diver Lolo García, who explained that “we are also going to look for that endangered limpet, which is in the same category as the Iberian lynx, the ‘Patella ferruginea’, commonly known as the rusty limpet”.

Posidonia oceanica is as important for our seas as the holm oak is for terrestrial ecosystems. The environmental educator from Life A-Mar, Jonathan Sánchez, explained that the “holm oak, in the sea, is Posidonia. It buffers the waves, cleans the water, and provides oxygen so that other species can thrive. Posidonia itself serves as a refuge for many other species”.

Mijas in the Natura 2000 Network

Due to the presence of Posidonia and the Kentish plover on its coast, Mijas is included in the Natura 2000 Network, a setting that is also very attractive to biologists and lovers of aquatic environments.

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