Marine ecosystem

Posidonia

On the seabed on different , there is ‘posidonia’, that is to say, marine meadows, formed by the flowering plant ‘posidonia oceanica’, which thrives in the Mediterranean Sea.

These undersea meadows are considered to be of great ecological importance, need protection and are supposed to be under protection regimes, where they exist.

Its existence and its environmental benefits are comparable to that of the rainforest. It converts carbon dioxide into oxygen, while its reduction contributes to global warming and accelerates climate change. It is the natural environment and food of many species of marine life. Equally importantly, Posidonia is to thank for the crystal clear water and the formation of beautiful beaches, which become an attraction for tourism. Its presence indicates a lack of pollution.

The main enemy of Posidonia is human activities, such as extensive bottom nets, hotels, ports, which increase the amount of sediment, thereby increasing the turbidity of the water, and in turn reduce the light reaching the bottom of the sea and cover its leaves by the precipitate. The biggest damage is caused by the mooring of the ships because they uproot the plants. An average boat destroys 100sqm of Posidonia per day, while the damage caused by small boats is just as serious.

Its rotten leaves that accumulate on the shore reduce the energy of the wave and prevent the erosion of the shore and are also important for the formation of sand dunes, which is why experts advise not to clean the shores from these seaweed in wintertime, before people start using beaches for swimming.

If it gets damaged, it will take many years for it to grow again because it is growing very slowly. Of course, if the bottom is constantly used by boats, it cannot recover.

Marine species

Seals, dolphins, otters are some of the –nowadays- rare marine species with frequent presence in the area, often recorded by specialists. Wild as they are, they live in and use areas where they feel safe and undisturbed.