ATLAS POSIDONIA - BALEARIC ISLANDS
Channel: Xarxa de Espais Naturals de les Illes Balears
Date: 2021-09-14

A project of the Ministry of the Environment and Territory financed with the Sustainable Tourism Tax.

http://www.illessostenibles.travel/proyecto-its/es/illesbalears/atlas-submarino-cartografia-de-la-posidonia-oceanica-de-las-illes-balears

Posidonia is a species of great distribution and abundance, but at the same time it is sensitive to anthropogenic pressures as it interacts with human uses and presence. This makes it necessary to regulate activities that may affect it. In this sense, the Balearic Islands have been pioneers in dealing with the comprehensive regulation of this species and its habitat by initiating the drafting of a legal norm with the rank of decree ordering these uses.

These first steps have shown the need for a detailed map of the distribution of the species to make available to users the information and tools to comply with the standard. However, it is also important to allow users to plan their activities based on the availability of information on the distribution of grasslands and their specific regulation.

This project, therefore, aims to complete the existing cartography based on the oceanic Posidonia, check the validity and degree of fidelity / integrity of it, create a computer application that allows the user to know if it is in anchorage allowed or not, as well as disseminating the project and its application.

The main actions of the project are five:

1. Inventory, compilation and analysis of existing cartography and other sources.

2. Mapping of areas where there is no mapping or lack of data integrity.

3. Verification of the validity and degree of fidelity / integrity of existing cartographies based on sampling at strategic points.

4. Creation of applications and tools that allow the user to know if he is in a permitted anchorage area or not, at any point on the coast of the Balearics.

5. Dissemination of results