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ARCHIVED - Growing concern over the Mar Menor as chlorophyll levels rise alarmingly
Underwater visibility in the lagoon is practically zero in places
On the eve of the “SOS Mar Menor” demonstration in Cartagena on 30th October to demand rapid action to regenerate and protect the marine environment of the Mar Menor, the latest data regarding water quality in the lagoon provide ample cause for concern that the condition of the water is very serious indeed.
Salinity remains well below the usual level following the gota fría storm in September, which sparked the mass deaths of tens of thousands of fish and crustaceans, while visibility is minimal in many parts of the lagoon. But on top of that, measurements taken on 25th October show an alarming increase in the amount of chlorophyll in the lagoon: for most of the last three years the figure has been under 5 milligrams per cubic metre of water, but immediately after the September gota fría it shot up to an average of 16 mg. At first it seemed that this was just temporary, but data collected on 25th October show that it has soared back up to over 13 mg with a range of values of between 11 and 16 mg.
Observers warn that this may be the start of a steady increase, and that the population of seagrass and seaweed species such as Dasycladus vermicularis, Acetabularia calyculus and Acetabularia acetabulum is increasing as if this were the start of spring. At the same time, although some apparently healthy gilthead bream have been spotted, knowledgeable sources report that underwater visibility is practically zero in places, and that there are also parts of the lagoon where the flora and sand are completely covered by a thick layer of earth or mud.
The regional government is reported to be close to finalizing its draft of measures to protect the Mar Menor, and it can only be hoped that they are implemented strongly enough and soon enough to save the lagoon.
Images: @MarMenorKO Twitter
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