The worst predictions have come true. Since the end of March, experts have been warning that the Mar Menor is heading for a new ‘green soup’, which has been causing large amounts of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphate to enter its body due to the repeated and incessant rains in the last months. the lagoon. The high abundance of these substances in water, added to the contributions of pollutants due to climatic events, has caused fears. another episode of anoxia and fish death in the lagoon that seems to have started this Wednesday.
Earlier this morning, dozens of dead fish appeared in the Atalayón area. Santiago de la Ribera (San Javier), which have already been removed by Environmental Agents. At the beginning of May, the state of the parameters analyzed at the Mar Menor pointed to a lack of oxygen in several areas of the lagoon, for which the monitoring committee has prepared an article. Oxygenating water through microbubbles in 150,000 cubic meters of water volume and six hectares of surface.
The sources consulted Murcian Agriculture and Environmental Research and Development Institute (Imida) Reflected via the Mar Menor Observatory low oxygen values ​​lately In the northern basin of the Mar Menor. These values ​​have reached between 2 and 4 milligrams per liter of oxygen in the water, very low data for the time we are at, these sources say, which already speaks of attacks of hypoxia (lack of oxygen in the water) in these sources. lagoon area. Small and medium sized specimens removed are mostly gobies, a species that lives on rocky bottoms near the shallows of the lagoon. Small crabs and shrimps were also collected.
Technicians from this autonomous research organization monitored 48 spots in the north where these low oxygen levels were detected. Council Member Antonio Luengo explained that during a appearance at the Regional Assembly this morning to detail the state of the lagoon and the Community’s actions in this ecosystem, the northern basin has already been reflecting low oxygen values ​​in recent days. “period of hypoxia”.
where they appeared agents Civil Guard to save the situation. Benemérita consulted environmental agents about the amount of fish collected and the condition of Castillico beach. Organization technicians ANSE They also went to the ground to check the removal of these samples. Biologist Jorge Sánchez pointed out to this newsroom that such a situation is to be expected due to the lagoon’s bad condition in recent days.
This Ministry of Environment for its part currently approximately 250 dead fishtotal weight of about three kilos, and explains that this episode is “on time”. The community has already warned that such a situation could occur due to tons of nutrient input via the Rambla del Albujón. The ministry points out that after these examples emerged, “the action protocol prepared for such cases was immediately initiated and environmental teams were sent to check the situation in the area and remove these samples.” IMIDA started analyze other points of the lagoon To determine if there are other areas with low oxygen levels.
UMU Professor of Ecology, Angel Perez RuzafaHe states that the recorded values ​​are very low compared to this time of the year and the eutrophication of the lagoon continues. “Two months in advance due to the ingress of nutrients due to heavy rains”. The researcher states that the temperatures in the last few days “can cause this situation”, but emphasizes that the situation may worsen as we move towards the summer months.
This Spanish Institute of Oceanography warned last April a new episode of anoxia became possible in the lagoon after torrential rains recorded weeks ago. These precipitations resulted in contributions from runoff-entrained materials to the ecosystem, resulting in “the tremendous development of microbiological and phytoplankton communities.”
With the growth of filamentous algae in most of the lagoon that can cause an oxygen deficit over the past few weeks, the Mar Menor is “at potential risk” of experiencing a new episode of anoxia and mass mortality of organisms “very high”.
Negative effects on tourism
Tourism businesses of coastal municipalities are registered reservation cancellations for the summer before disruptions to the beaches.
they are afraid of it Mar Menor crisis drives visitors away and leaving tourist accommodation and catering establishments without customers, whose customers will drastically diminish if the beaches don’t get the usual swimmers of other summers.
Source: Informacion
