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article_detail
Date Published: 04/05/2022
ARCHIVED - Murcia prepares scientific trial to oxygenate the Mar Menor
The appearance of new hypoxia pockets could spell ecological disaster for the Mar Menor
Over the last few weeks, the Mar Menor has once again begun to emit alarming signs that could spell disaster this summer: in the last couple of days alone, three new pockets of hypoxia were discovered in shallow parts of the lagoon, which indicate that oxygen levels are running low due to algae putrefaction. And although there are no signs of anoxia yet, the total lack of oxygen that killed massive numbers of fish in October 2019 and August 2021, the situation suggests that another environmental catastrophe is fast approaching.
For this very reason, the General Directorate of the Mar Menor has given the green light to a trial project which will involve injecting microbubbles of oxygen into the lagoon through microperforated pipes, an innovative solution that might just increase oxygen levels enough to save the marine life.
The trial will be carried out at the La Isleta yacht club in La Manga, on a 6-hectare surface that would affect 150,000 cubic meters of water. Everything is ready for the 400,000 euro project and all that remains is for the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge to start the work.
A lack of oxygen is only one of the many problems facing Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon; up to 2,400 tonnes of angel hair algae, which appear when there are high levels of nitrates in the water, have already been cleaned from the shores, an amount “which exceeds the worst case scenario,” according to Ministry spokesperson Emilio María Dolores.
The average temperature of the water has already exceeded 18ºC and everything indicates that it will continue to rise, reaching 30ºC by the middle of August. This has decreased turbidity and increased chlorophyll production to 2.6 micrograms per litre (mg/l) in some areas, "which means that the eutrophication process (green soup) may be starting in the deeper areas," he added.
Finally, the “very low” level of salinity poses a dire threat to the native marine life, particularly nacra, a mollusc that is only found in the Mediterranean, while encouraging the growth of more unwelcome species.
The heavy rains and storms of recent weeks haven’t helped matters, and a “tremendous amount” of nitrate and phosphorous-laden water has washed into the Mar Menor from nearby agricultural land. According to Mr Dolores, in the last few days some 653 litres of water per second entered the lagoon through the Rambla del Albujón, while since January 1, it is estimated that the Albujón boulevard has discharged 5.1 cubic hectometres into the Mar Menor, “five times more than in the same period last year”.
Image: SOS Mar Menor
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