Seagrass

Seagrass is the most protected species of the marine protected area. It is a plant, therefore is composed of roots, leaves, flower and fruits, traits not so easy to see underwater. All of it contributes to her special roles in the marine ecosystem, which are the following:

• It prevents the erosion of the sea bottom since its roots hold the sand strongly;
• It is a refuge and an egg-laying spot for several species of fishes and molluscs;
• on the top of their leaves several microorganisms prosper, that among all its functions mainly maintain Posidonia’s health;
• its photosynthesis produces so much oxygen that it is comparable to the Amazon forest rates, therefore it oxygenates all the marine ecosystem, maintaining the good health of organisms and all the trophic chains working.

Although not being an endangered species worldwide, in our local scale it is indeed a species in recovery – in the last 50 years, Posidonia’s population in the surroundings decreased by more or less 35% due to reckless fishing and anchoring. The park’s efforts and rules prevent its daily destruction and stimulate its growth.

All these reasons add strongly to the necessity of preserving and protecting it, being of the most emblematic species of all the park.