Line of action:

Status:

Execution date:

General Objective:

To improve the knowledge of habitats of special fishing and environmental interest in order to optimise the management of the Cabo Tiñoso area and the underwater valleys of the Escarpment de Mazarrón (CTEM) from participation.

Specific objectives:

1. Identify the basic needs and indicators for updating the CTEM management plans.
2. Compile and integrate the information on the necessary variables based on the optimization of the sources of information that represent the indicators and needs raised (administrative, ecological, environmental and anthropic).
3. Identify the spatial and, where appropriate, temporal distribution patterns of key species (Tursiops truncatus, Caretta caretta, Grampus griseus, Glophicephala melas, Balaenoptera physalus, Phyaster macrocephalus, Stenella coeruleoalba, Delphinus delphis, Mola mola, etc.).
4. Identify the main pressures and impacts on areas frequented by key species and fishing areas.
5. Develop risk assessment programs associated with key species and the fish sector.
6. Develop criteria for area planning to contribute to better management or conservation of marine biological resources.
7. Define a framework for action prior to and/or complementary to the LIFE IP INTEMARES campaigns.
8. To promote citizen participation and co-responsibility for marine management among the key agents of the territory (fishing, diving, scientific sector, citizen associations, local, regional and state administration, etc.).
9. To publicise the natural and cultural heritage of the CTEM and its area of socio-economic influence, disseminating the benefits generated by protected marine areas, highlighting the value of economic activities compatible with the conservation of marine biodiversity and promoting citizen participation in the conservation of the territory.

In the CAMONMAR2 project , a workshop was held with 27 participants from 12 institutions, in which a basic conceptual framework for the development of the project was developed and the main sources of information were identified, as well as the accessibility, importance, quality and adequacy of the data and information gaps existing in the STEM area. 20 bilateral meetings were also held throughout the project schedule with 13 entities and more than 70 sources of information and processing were analyzed, with more than 1,500 data files, obtaining important information on different environmental variables for the study area.

From this collection and analysis of information, a GIS was created implemented with the use of the GRASS program in the ETRS89 UTM zone 30 reference system, which consists of a location CAMONMAR2 with 5 mapsets. A total of 1,367 records were processed, of which 86% came from owned outlets, 8% from OBIS, 5% from EMODnet and 1% from GBIF.

In addition, models of the presence of emblematic species (bottlenose dolphin, striped dolphin, pilot whale, sunfish and loggerhead turtle) were developed, using the Random Forest algorithm, with 20 predictors that include variables of distance from the coast, geomorphometric variables of the seabed, estimated from bathymetries, and of the sea surface obtained from satellite information.

Distribution models were also developed in the SAC Valles Submarinos y Escarpes de Mazarrón, with a very high percentage of success in species such as the bottlenose dolphin (94%), the striped dolphin (96%) and the pilot whale (92%) and not so much with the loggerhead turtle (53%) and the sunfish (78%).

It has been possible to carry out a survey of 33 experts, from areas of administration, research and the third sector, to assess the knowledge of the existing pressures in the management of the marine space of Cabo Tiñoso and the Underwater Valleys of the Mazarrón Escarpment. Likewise, a participation forum has been organized with 19 attendees from different fields: central, regional, local, third sector, scientists, entrepreneurs, etc. In this forum, 13 management support tools were proposed.

The information processing and analyses carried out made it possible to identify the management cells and the cartographies of the environmental units, as well as the critical points for the intensification of sampling within the framework of the INTEMARES project. With this information, a first approximation of criteria for spatial planning and zoning proposals was made.

In addition, six terrestrial informative itineraries and three submerged interpretive itineraries were carried out, with 209 participants, on marine biodiversity and artisanal fishing. At the same time, the I Mola mola day was launched – which included an informative itinerary with a visit to the market and fishing port of Mazarrón, a theatrical performance, a film forum and a gastronomic workshop – which was attended by approximately 600 people. There was also a wide participation in the day of presentation of results (45 attendees).

Finally, a guide for the interpretation of the coastal and submerged natural heritage of the Southeast of the Region of Murcia was published. This guide includes five self-guided itineraries for the reader to discover the richness of three terrestrial and two aquatic enclaves, accessible to all ages and physical conditions. In each of the tours, the natural, historical and social values of the Port of Mazarrón, Isla Plana and La Azohía are highlighted, making known the protection figures that converge in the area, with special attention to the Cabo Tiñoso Marine Reserve of Fishing Interest. It includes maps, illustrations of species and a section dedicated to good environmental practices that must be taken into account during visits, in order to make responsible use of natural spaces during activities of interaction with the environment.