Captive breeding of the most characteristic species of the Mar Menor is an obstacle course where success is sometimes achieved after so many years of effort. Researchers at the University of Murcia Aquarium, in charge of the species bank that aims to promote the recovery of the lagoon's threatened fauna, have managed to raise more than 2,500 seahorses in the facilities they have in one of the pavilions. of the Murcia Artillery Barracks. This was confirmed by the Minister of the Environment, Juan María Vázquez, during a visit this Tuesday. These works outside the Mar Menor are necessary to “maintain 'ex situ' species as established by the conservation standards for threatened or endangered species.”
The 'stock' of species in this Noah's Ark of the Mar Menor is a 'plan B' in case the populations of these animals in the lagoon fail to overcome the continuous impacts they have received. “The most important thing is to conserve the species,” highlighted the counselor, while Emilio Cortés, technical director of the Aquarium, stressed that “all recovery projects keep the repopulation of species in the chamber like a bullet, but that is not the case.” is the main intention” in this case. The objective is to ensure that “the environment [Mar Menor] “is well enough for the resident population to be able to recover on its own and once again have a good number of specimens.”
Once “the lagoon is recovered,” highlights the researcher, “if we see that the population is not recovering, we can make specific reinforcements with the 'stock' we have here or propose a more abundant repopulation project.” The trend of long-nosed horses is regressive: «The population has collapsed since the anoxia of 2019, the situation then began to be critical. “Other species have managed to recover, such as needlefish.” The underwater photographer Javier Murcia and the Community's technicians have managed to find several juvenile specimens of seahorses in their latest dives.
The Minister of the Environment, Juan María Vázquez, together with the Vice-Rector for Research of the UMU, María Senena Corbalán, in the Aquarium of the Artillery Barracks.
Nacho Garcia
The species bank, in recent years, has also reached another milestone after managing to close the reproductive cycle in captivity of marine animals such as the fartet, pipefish, chirrete or thresher fish. The head of the Environment hopes that this year one more “emblematic” species will be added to the Aquarium's list of successes with the nacra. This mollusk that arrived in the lagoon as a consequence of the opening of the Estacio canal is now considered another symbol of the biodiversity of the Mar Menor. “The nacra is in a critical situation in the Mediterranean Sea and there are only populations left in areas such as the Mar Menor, the Ebro Delta, some coastal lagoons in France or in Venice,” explains Emilia Cortés, technical director of the Aquarium, “the populations are They have been affected by a parasite that has killed 99.9% of the specimens; “Their situation is much worse than that of the Iberian lynx.” The researcher recognizes that it is one of the “most complex” animals he has worked with due to the difficulty of achieving its reproduction and the growth of larvae in captivity.
The salinity of the lagoon rises due to the drought
The Mar Menor is a “fragile ecosystem” that requires continuous monitoring, Minister Vázquez responded after being asked about the current situation of the lagoon. The increase in salinity, two grams per liter above what is usual for the time of year, is the most notable fact. One factor that explains these data is the low inflow of water, except for the flow that does not stop along the Albujón Rambla, which the Mar Menor has had in recent months due to the drought. By not raining in the basin, the arrival of fresh water to the lagoon has been reduced. Vázquez also highlights the “increase” in water temperature (16 degrees) since recent weeks compared to last year. The rest of the parameters (chlorophyll, oxygen or turbidity) are within normal limits, he stressed.
The Interadministrative Commission of the Mar Menor will meet in April
Councilor Juan María Vázquez has confirmed that the first meeting of the Inter-administrative Commission of the Mar Menor will be held in April, in a period of two or three weeks at most. The ten riverside municipalities will attend the event and the Secretary of State for the Environment, Hugo Morán, is expected to attend. With this first meeting, the commission will be officially established to later form specific working groups that advance on various fronts in the recovery of the salt lagoon.
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