Start of the nautical journey of the LIFE A-MAR project. Cabo de Palos (Cartagena)

In the port of Cabo de Palos, a nautical journey begins that will visit more than 10 marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network 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 within the framework 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 will reach the coasts of the Region of Murcia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Andalusia until June 6. At each of the eight stops that will take place, guided tours and participatory sessions will be carried out with socio-economic 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 THE REGION OF MURCIA

Off the coast of the Region of Murcia are 8 of these marine spaces. One of them is the Site of Community Interest (SCI) Calblanque, Monte de las Cenizas and Peña del Águila located at the eastern end of the Murcian coast, between Cabo de Palos and Portmán. This protected area of steep cliffs, dunes and beautiful coves, is a sample of the well-preserved Mediterranean coast, where the relief of the seabed gives rise to very rich and diverse biological communities.

It is home to meadows of Posidonia oceanica, a key species for the conservation of the Mediterranean marine ecosystem. The presence of high-quality food in this coastal area makes this place part of the migratory routes of cetaceans and sea turtles.

Among the species that inhabit its waters are the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the red gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata), colonies of organisms that serve as a resting place and refuge for other animals.

Program

May 9:

• From 10:00 a.m.: Briefing for the public. Inthe port of Cabo de Palos on board the boat that will make the nautical crossing.
• 4:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.: Meeting with socio-economic agents. Cabo de Palos-Islas Hormigas marine reserve office. Calle Los Palangres s/n. Cabo de Palos.

May 10:

• Guided boat tour through the Calblanque space, Monte de las Cenizas and Peña del Águila, Murcia.