In the Canary Islands there is seba, a marine plant similar to grass, with flowers and seeds, adapted to life under the sea.
The seabed is home to treasures of biodiversity that have their equivalent in the terrestrial environment, such as mountains, volcanoes, caves and also meadows. In the Canary Islands there is seba (Cymodocea nodosa), a marine plant similar to grass, with flowers and seeds, adapted to life under the sea. But, unlike algae, they have tissues that form roots, stems and leaves.
Also known as patches by some Canarian fishermen, sebadales grow on shallow sandy bottoms of the coast, where the elongated leaves of these marine plants dance to the rhythm of the waves.
Sebadales play a similar role to that of Posidonia oceanica in the Mediterranean. Son pulmones de la vida marina , as described by some experts. They absorb carbon dioxide, produce oxygen and are a place of reproduction, feeding and refuge for numerous marine species, such as seahorses or many commercial species.
However, their presence is becoming increasingly scarce. Due to the regression they have suffered in recent years, the sebadales are included in the Spanish Catalogue of Threatened Species in the vulnerable category.
This phanerogam, which lives a few meters from the shore at a depth of less than 30 meters, has been affected by the growing human activity on the coast. Among its impacts are spills, waste and anchoring of recreational boats or some fishing gear such as trawling, among others. To protect this species, the LIFE IP INTEMARES project will implement a series of actions to promote the regeneration of these meadows in the Macaronesian region and mitigate the impact of certain activities on the coast. Among others, a campaign will be carried out to identify the most sensitive areas of these meadows for the replacement of existing anchorages with ecological anchorages, less harmful to this ecosystem.
The largest marine conservation project
LIFE IP INTEMARES, the largest marine environment conservation project in Europe, aims to achieve a network of marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network, managed effectively, with the active participation of the sectors involved and with research as basic tools for decision-making. It is coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment, through the Biodiversity Foundation, which also acts as a partner through the General Directorate of Sustainability of the Coast and the Sea.
The Spanish Institute of Oceanography, WWF-Spain, SEO/BirdLife and the Spanish Fisheries Confederation participate as partners. It has the financial contribution of the European Union’s LIFE Programme, as well as the European Social Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, among other sources of funding.
