Nautical crossing of the LIFE A-MAR project in Andalusia

On June 4 and 5, the planned stopovers in Andalusia will take place within the framework of the nautical crossing that is touring more than 10 marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network in the Mediterranean to raise awareness of the benefits and opportunities of these places.

The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), in coordination with the Directorate-General for Biodiversity, Forests and Desertification and the autonomous communities involved, is launching this information campaign of the European project LIFE A-MAR, Knowing and loving the marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network to protect them, coordinated by the Italian Federation of Parks and Nature Reserves (Federparchi), and which is being developed in parallel in Italy and Spain. It has the financial contribution of the LIFE Program of the European Union

The campaign is being carried out off the coasts of the Region of Murcia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Andalusia until June 6. In each of the eight stops that will be made in total, guided tours and participatory sessions are being carried out with socioeconomic agents and the local population.

The largest network of protected areas

The Natura 2000 Network is the European network of protected areas, the largest in the world. Its purpose is to ensure the long-term conservation of priority species and habitats for Europe, and to contribute to halting the loss of biodiversity, while ensuring economic development that respects these important natural values. They are managed both by the autonomous community where each space is located and by the General State Administration.

The Spanish Mediterranean is made up of 128 marine or maritime-terrestrial areas, covering 16% of its waters.

Protected areas in Catalonia

Off the coast of Andalusia there are 25 of these marine spaces. The nautical campaign will tour the Cabo de Gata-Níjar space, located in Almeria.

It stands out as the first maritime-terrestrial park in Andalusia, protecting more than 50 thousand hectares between land and sea areas. Its rocky and sandy bottoms are home to a rich diversity of flora and fauna adapted to its arid climate. It is crucial for migratory and resident birds and has key marine habitats, such as Posidonia oceanica meadows, essential for the conservation of marine biodiversity. This area has been declared a Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA), a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), a Biosphere Reserve, a Global Geopark and a Special Protection Area of Importance for the Mediterranean (SPA).

Some protected species that inhabit its waters are: pilot whale (Grampus griseus), ferruginous limpet (Patella ferruginea), which is one of the most endangered invertebrates, the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), the red gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata), also known as “sea fans”, and large meadows of Posidonia oceanica.

PROGRAM

📌 Almeria.

– June 4, in the afternoon. Public awareness campaign. On board the sailboat docked at the San José Marina.

– June 5 in the morning. Guided tours on the sailboat through the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park Departure from the port of San José.