- Region
- Águilas
- Alhama de Murcia
- Jumilla
- Lorca
- Los Alcázares
- Mazarrón
- San Javier
-
ALL AREAS & TOWNS
- AREAS
- SOUTH WEST
- MAR MENOR
- MURCIA CITY & CENTRAL
- NORTH & NORTH WEST
- TOWNS
- Abanilla
- Abarán
- Aguilas
- Alamillo
- Alcantarilla
- Aledo
- Alhama de Murcia
- Archena
- Balsicas
- Blanca
- Bolnuevo
- Bullas
- Cañadas del Romero
- Cabo de Palos
- Calasparra
- Camping Bolnuevo
- Campo De Ricote
- Camposol
- Canada De La Lena
- Caravaca de la Cruz
- Cartagena
- Cehegin
- Ceuti
- Cieza
- Condado de Alhama
- Corvera
- Costa Cálida
- Cuevas De Almanzora
- Cuevas de Reyllo
- El Carmoli
- El Mojon
- El Molino (Puerto Lumbreras)
- El Pareton / Cantareros
- El Raso
- El Valle Golf Resort
- Fortuna
- Fuente Alamo
- Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort
- Hacienda Riquelme Golf Resort
- Isla Plana
- Islas Menores & Mar de Cristal
- Jumilla
- La Azohia
- La Charca
- La Manga Club
- La Manga del Mar Menor
- La Pinilla
- La Puebla
- La Torre
- La Torre Golf Resort
- La Unión
- Las Palas
- Las Ramblas
- Las Ramblas Golf
- Las Torres de Cotillas
- Leiva
- Librilla
- Lo Pagan
- Lo Santiago
- Lorca
- Lorquí
- Los Alcázares
- Los Balcones
- Los Belones
- Los Canovas
- Los Nietos
- Los Perez (Tallante)
- Los Urrutias
- Los Ventorrillos
- Mar De Cristal
- Mar Menor
- Mar Menor Golf Resort
- Mazarrón
- Mazarrón Country Club
- Molina de Segura
- Moratalla
- Mula
- Murcia City
- Murcia Property
- Pareton
- Peraleja Golf Resort
- Perin
- Pilar de la Horadada
- Pinar de Campoverde
- Pinoso
- Playa Honda
- Playa Honda / Playa Paraíso
- Pliego
- Portmán
- Pozo Estrecho
- Puerto de Mazarrón
- Puerto Lumbreras
- Puntas De Calnegre
- Region of Murcia
- Ricote
- Roda Golf Resort
- Roldan
- Roldan and Lo Ferro
- San Javier
- San Pedro del Pinatar
- Santiago de la Ribera
- Sierra Espuña
- Sucina
- Tallante
- Terrazas de la Torre Golf Resort
- Torre Pacheco
- Totana
- What's On Weekly Bulletin
- Yecla
- EDITIONS: Spanish News Today Alicante Today Andalucia Today
article_detail
Date Published: 18/05/2022
ARCHIVED - 5 kilos of dead fish wash up on Mar Menor shore
Experts say water samples reveal a dangerous lack of oxygen in many areas of the Mar Menor
After weeks of environmental warnings that the Mar Menor was heading for another period of ‘green soup’ during the incessant rains of March and April, the worst predictions appear to have come true: hundreds of dead fish have washed up on the shores in the Atalayón area of Santiago de la Ribera in San Javier on Wednesday morning, May 18, in scenes reminiscent of the mass die-out in August 2021.
At the beginning of the month, experts warned of a lack of oxygen in several areas of the lagoon, mostly caused by the bad weather washing nitrogen and phosphorous-laden water down into the Mar Menor from nearby farmland, which resulted in “the massive development of microbiological and phytoplankton communities”.
In a desperate attempt to reverse the effects, environmental agents had planned a trial of oxygenating 150,000 cubic metres of water, but this may now have come too late.
Although experts have urged calm and insist that the volume of dead fish washed up this week – around five kilos, or between 150 and 200 fish – could just be a “one-time event”, Murcia is set to hit 36ºC in the coming days, which could further exacerbate the problem.
Environmental workers have collected the specimens and will examine them to establish the cause of death, which at the moment looks like suffocation. The general feeling, in the absence of confirmation, according to Anse representative Jorge Sanchez, “is that it was due to lack of oxygen and with this heat at this point in May, it could prelude to the situation that awaits us this summer.”
A team of technicians fom the Murcian Institute of Agricultural and Environemntal Research and Development (IMIDA) has been sent to take water samples and examine, and they have concluded that oxygen levels are between 2.22 and 4 mg/l, values above which could cause serious problems for the native marine life.
Both the Scientific Monitoring Committee of the Mar Menor and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography have warned in recent weeks of the possibility that the same scenario as in October 2019 and August 2021 will be repeated this summer, while tourist establishments around the lagoon have already reported summer cancellations due to the extensive bad press surrounding the Mar Menor.
With the growth over the last few weeks of filamentous algae in much of the lagoon, which can cause an oxygen deficit, the Mar Menor is “at potential risk” of suffering a new episode of anoxia, with the chance of massive mortality of organisms “very high”, the Spanish Institute of Oceanography has concluded.
El Mar Menor está siendo asesinado, hoy un nuevo episodio de anoxia y comienza la mortandad de peces, mientras el Gobierno regional solo se da prisa en retirar los peces muertos. #SOSMarMenor pic.twitter.com/pwIYR6m9Go
— Angel l. Hernández (@Angel_L_Hern) May 18, 2022
Images 1 & 2: Anse
Images 3 & 4: Ángel L. Hernandez
Loading
Contact Murcia Today: Editorial 966 260 896 /
Office 968 018 268