On 7 October we celebrated the 5th anniversary of the declaration of the Marine Reserve Es Freu de sa Dragonera. Since the declaration, scientists have observed clear increase in the total amount and weight of marine life in area, which indicates that the implemented protection measures are having positive results.
For example, data from the recent follow-up study “Monitoring of rocky bottom fish that are vulnerable to fishing,” from the General Directorate of Fishing of the Balearic Government, indicate that the number of species in the area (species richness) has increased by 40% in the surface waters and by 81% in deep waters of the marine reserve.
The total biomass of vulnerable species (the total weight or quantity of all the organisms) has increased by 138% in surface waters and the average biomass has increased by 340% in deep waters. Furthermore, comparisons from an earlier follow-up study from 2018 indicated that the biomass of fish in areas of the marine reserve was 3 and 4 times higher respectively than in unprotected control areas.
While these are promising results, it will most likely take several decades to reach the full recovery potential of the marine ecosystems in the area, and further improvements and actions are required to get there.
We welcome you to Save The Med’s first Sa Dragonera Conference
As part of the recovery process mentioned above, for November 5-7 Save The Med are organising an informative conference with community activities focused on the MPA through the project “Discover Your Marine Protected Area (MPA) Sa Dragonera.” On day one, visitors will be able to visit a photographic exhibition with stunning images from the MARE-Dragonera PhotoCollab which took place this summer.
Day two will consist of video projections, informative talks and round tables on topics regarding the evolution of the Marine Protected Area (MPA), community involvement and marine custody. Finally, the third day we invite our younger community members to join us for a walk for children along Sant Elm to identify local marine habitats and participate in underwater observations of local marine life.
Stay tuned for all the details which will be published on www.sadragonera.org and @xarxadragonerablava on Instagram very soon!
Join us for the second MedYoga event!
Join us for the second of a series of Morning Yoga & Awareness events 9.30AM on the 23 October, organised by Save The Med and the team from Calm Collective, this time in Magaluf. These fundraising events include a relaxing sea front yoga class and a short presentation on our marine environment. Sign ups can be done by email to fiona@savethemed.org.
Bring a mat, blanket and some water (no plastic bottles please) and a donation of your chosen amount, of which 100% will go directly to Save The Med’s projects. More information can be found on Save The Med’s social media channels: @savethemed.
Visit the Hidden Plastics Exhibition at the UIB
If you didn’t get a chance to visit the Hidden Plastics exhibition organised by Es Racó de Ses Idees in collaboration with Save The Med, this summer, now you have a second chance! The exhibition, which reveals some of the commonly found but rarely detected plastics in our household items and proposes alternatives, can be visited at the University of the Balearic Islands, in the UIB Metro station until the 22 October.
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