In 2016, one of the most important biological invasions in memory in the Mediterranean Sea began.
A macroscopic brown algae, called Rugulopteryx okamurae, began to appear in different locations around the Strait of Gibraltar (Ceuta, Tarifa, Algeciras, Estepona…), on the seabed and beaches, in the form of arribazones, and finally in fishing gear.
Its expansion is causing serious problems for the fishing and tourism sector.
The algae disperses massively through the water column, and also accumulates at the bottom, jamming, collapsing, closing or saturating different fishing gear and utensils, thus generating problems in catches and tasks.
What a priori seemed to be a local problem is expanding across the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, forcing administrations to anticipate and adapt to the effects that it causes.

HyT, Asociación Hombre y Territorio has been working on the effects that this algae causes in marine spaces and species, since its detection in 2016.
In their eagerness to apply new mitigation methods, and together with AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Institute, they have launched RUGUPLAS, which aims to generate materials derived from the algae for use by the fishing sector.
This initiative also has the involvement and initiative of three brotherhoods: Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Cádiz, Estepona in Malaga and Gandía in Valencia.
So far, the algae has not been officially detected in Sanlúcar de Barrameda or Gandía, although there are already indications of its presence.
That is why these two brotherhoods participate as interested parties in the project.
All sampling will be carried out in collaboration with the Estepona brotherhood, where the seaweed has been fully established since 2016.

RUGUPLAS is the first phase of a project that aims to obtain bioplastics derived from the algae Rugulopteryx okamurae for use by the fishing sector in the areas where the algae is established.