The silent threat pushing the Mar Menor towards collapse
Rising water temperatures have scientists worried that vulnerable species could die off and trigger another ecological disaster
There's a silent but relentless enemy creeping through the Mar Menor and it's got the scientific community genuinely on edge. Rising temperatures might not grab headlines like toxic green algae blooms but according to biologist Juan Manuel Ruiz of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, they could be one of the most dangerous threats facing this fragile ecosystem.
This week, twenty scientists have been gathering at the IEO headquarters in Lo Pagán to compare notes and share findings from the new measurement systems provided by the Belich Project. Their goal is to get a proper handle on how the ecosystem is changing and what they're discovering isn't exactly reassuring.
During the summer, water temperatures in the lagoon reached 31ºC. That's warm enough to make you think twice before diving in, but the real worry is the trend. According to Mr Ruiz, each year's peak temperature is exceeding the previous one, creating what he describes as a truly frightening warming graph. If this upward trajectory continues as expected, some species could be pushed right to their tolerance limits.
The potential scenario is deeply unsettling. Scientists can't say for certain what would happen, but there's a very real possibility that the entire biomass of these species could decompose, be released into the ecosystem and trigger another catastrophic episode like the green soup disaster of 2016.
Mr Ruiz is careful to point out that nobody knows if this will actually occur, but the fact remains that temperatures just keep climbing.
Keeping constant tabs on water levels at different locations and times is one of the major capabilities of the autonomous oceanographic monitoring system that the Belich Project has introduced. Funded with €4.5 million from the Ministry for Ecological Transition's Priority Action Framework for the Mar Menor, the initiative has installed a network of buoys, underwater platforms fitted with sensors, tide gauges and a weather station at six points across the lagoon.For the first time, researchers have deployed robotic devices (landers) on the seabed to house sensors that measure environmental parameters over long periods of time. They have been placed in strategic areas to gather previously unknown information, such as the exchange of waters through the inlets between the Mar Menor and the Mediterranean.
"The massive flow of quality data will allow us to anticipate events, such as anoxia or phytoplankton blooms, and issue early warnings," explained Mr Ruiz. The data can be shared openly with the public, raising awareness at the social, scientific and administrative levels so that action can be taken.
Images: Mireco / Archive
