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Mar Menor inches towards health with more good results this week
After reaching dangerous highs, the temperature of the lagoon has stabilised at 29ºC
The Mar Menor is showing signs of recovery after a worrying heat spike in July pushed its water temperature dangerously high. As we reach mid-August, the lagoon’s temperature has cooled slightly, sitting at just under 29ºC, and experts say this stability is helping the overall health of the ecosystem.
The latest update from the regional government, based on readings from 22 monitoring points, reports steady improvement across all six key health indicators for the lagoon. According to the expert team, this matches the trend scientists expected after the intense early-July heatwave eased off.
Back in July, the unusually warm water disrupted the lagoon’s balance. It boosted the growth of algae, made the water cloudier and reduced how far sunlight could penetrate, all of which can harm marine life.
The Mar Menor’s general director, Víctor Serrano, warned that despite the improvement “we must be alert to any events because it is a very fragile ecosystem in the face of events such as rainfall.”
However, he added that “the weather forecast suggests maintaining the current trend.”
What the latest measurements show and why they matter
- Temperature has dropped slightly to an average of 28.63ºC. Even a small decrease is important because very warm water holds less oxygen, which fish and plants need to survive.
- Oxygen levels are now at 5.04 milligrams per litre, almost 10% higher than at the end of July. More oxygen means healthier conditions for marine life.
- Chlorophyll levels, which indicate the amount of algae in the water, have fallen by around a third, from 1.51 to 1 milligram per cubic metre. Less algae helps prevent the greenish “bloom” that blocks sunlight and depletes oxygen.
- Transparency has improved to 3.06 metres, meaning you can now see further down into the water. Clearer water allows more sunlight to reach underwater plants, which are crucial for the lagoon’s ecosystem.
- Turbidity, a measure of how cloudy the water is, has dropped by nearly 30%. Lower turbidity is another sign that fewer particles are floating in the water, which also helps light reach the plants below.
Salinity is up slightly to 44.04 PSU. This is within a healthy range for the Mar Menor, which is a saltwater lagoon, and helps maintain the balance of species that live there.
In addition to the environmental progress, the Mar Menor saw a major show of public support last Friday August 7. For the fifth summer in a row, locals and holidaymakers joined hands along the shore to form a massive human chain, symbolically “embracing” the lagoon.
At exactly 1pm, crowds gathered at Playa del Espejo in Los Alcázares, the main meeting point for the event, as part of the global “Embrace the Water” campaign.
Organised by the Mar Menor Alliance (AMARME), it was one of more than 100 similar demonstrations held worldwide this year.
Also of interest: Illegal anchoring and speeding spark fresh anger in the Mar Menor
Image: Ayuntamiento de Los Alcázares
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