One of the activities that Marina Ibiza has been collaborating on with incredible enthusiasm for two years now is the Praderas de posidonia, el hábitat del caballito de mar project (Posidonia meadows, the habitat of the seahorse), run by the Vellmarí Association for the reproduction of autochtonous seahorses.

 

At the reception in the marina there is a special aquarium (which reproduces the storms and sea surges in the Mediterranean) with pairs of seahorses that have already had various litters. The goal is two-fold: to breed seahorses to be released into the sea in the future and to study the behaviour and life-cycle of the seahorse to help understand the best conditions to ensure its survival.

 

Reproduction of seahorses

 

Between 200 and 1,800 seahorses are born in one litter, but survival is below 0.1%. The aim of this project is to achieve a greater survival percentage in the aquarium and generate a seahorse stock to place them at the disposal of the Balearic Government's Ministry of the Environment.

 

According to Seahorse Trust, seahorses may become extinct within 20-30 years owing to the trade in Chinese traditional medicine which consumes around 150 million seahorses a year. And the two species of seahorses that are native to the Balearics are included on the red list of endangered species under a special protection regime.

 

The project is being led by Manu San Felix, a prestigious marine biologist, with the collaboration of the University of Murcia Aquarium, a leading international centre for breeding seahorses and other marine species, who provide advice and breeding stock.

 

The aquarium at Marina Ibiza has already seen the birth of several litters with thousands of seahorses of which, unfortunately, very few have survived, but they have served to help gain a better understanding of the keys for survival of these small, enigmatic creatures.

 

Caring for Posidonia: Posidonia Maps app

 

In keeping with our objective of looking after the Mediterranean and the home of seahorses, Marina Ibiza is also collaborating on a project to preserve the Posidonia with a free app called Posidonia Maps, available for iPhone and Android.

 

Marina Ibiza contributes funds which each year meet the costs of the divers who record every cm2 of meadow to subsequently include it in the app.

 

This app maps the Posidonia meadows of the island of Formentera and some parts of Ibiza. And soon it is reckoned that the two islands will be 100% completed.

 

The app was such a success in 2018 that it received the Tourism Prize from the Balearic Government, and Marina Ibiza asks that its clients download it and make good use of it.

 

Where before there had been just one anchor, there are now many more, and it is for this reason that it is so important to anchor with care and with awareness, always checking where you drop anchor to avoid pulling up the Posidonia.

 

The Posidonia is the oldest living organism on the Earth and it is responsible for the turquoise colour and crystalline aspect of the waters of Formentera.

 

Educational children’s regattas: future anti-plastic guardians of the sea

 

Marina Ibiza, in collaboration with Club Náutico de Ibiza, has been organising Marina Ibiza Children’s Regatta for three years now, which each time sees more participants.

 

An interesting environmental focus has been introduced to promote an ecologically-responsible attitude amongst the youngsters as well as inspiring children to take up sport and boost their passion for the sea right from an early age.

 

Within the competition, efforts are made to show them how to be environmentally aware, sparking in them an understanding of the need to care for their surroundings and the environment where they execute their nautical hobbies.

 

This activity takes place with the support and participation of Be Blue-Vellmarí and consists of a diving activity to clean the seabed in a location close to the marina on the first day, and a sailing competition on the second day. Prizes are awarded for the best sailor and the person who has collected most plastics.

 

All this makes Marina Ibiza one of the few ports in the world that, as a marina, has achieved 5 Stars, an international classification from the IMCI which, as well as evaluating the marina management, also evaluates the quality of its services and facilities. This accolade, recognised worldwide, also verifies and demands certain standards related to the environment.