More than 50% of the grassland in some areas remains dead, showing no signs of recovery, according to the latest GEN-GOB study funded by Ibiza Preservation
Ibiza, 12-03-2025 – In the summer of 2023, the seawater temperature in the Bay of Talamanca exceeded 28°C on average, reaching a maximum of 30.1°C in August . This figure is one of the highlights of the latest annual monitoring report on Posidonia meadows on the island of Ibiza, carried out by the GEN-GOB and funded by IbizaPreservation.
For the first time, thanks to the installation of aquatic thermometers, the study has monitored water temperatures at several stations for an entire year, from April 2023 to April 2024, pointing to marine warming in this vulnerable ecosystem.
Likewise, this latest report confirms the trend of environmental degradation of Posidonia meadows in the seven monitoring stations studied during the year 2024 in the Bay of Talamanca and in Cala Vedella .
In the first, specifically in the area of Illa Grossa (Talamanca), and at the station located in the central part of the bay , the meadows of this marine plant have lost more than 50% of their surface area and still show no signs of recovery.
On the other hand, GEN-GOB has recorded that at the station located at 14 metres in Cala Vedella, an average of 40% of meadow is dead.
The study, conducted annually since 2019, aims to assess the evolution of the marine ecosystem. According to Xisco Sobrado , coordinator of the Marine Area of GEN-GOB, the results of the last six years confirm the worrying degradation of the seagrass meadows.
“We’ve been analysing the state of these meadows for six years, and their condition isn’t improving. Water pollution and the impact of boat anchoring are factors causing their deterioration. Water pollution alters the chemical composition of the seabed, preventing the natural regeneration of the meadow, and boat anchoring causes a mechanical impact on the meadow that can take centuries to recover. Added to this is the increasing temperature of our seas due to climate change,” explained Sobrado.
Regarding the situation in Talamanca, Jordi Grivé, Councillor for the Environment of the Ibiza Town Hall, emphasised the need to adopt concrete measures to protect the marine environment. “It is essential that we continue to advance research and decision-making based on scientific data, such as that collected in this report, to implement measures that guarantee the recovery of Posidonia and, in the long term, the preservation of our marine environment,” he noted. Grivé also underlined that collaboration between institutions, environmental organisations, and the public were key to addressing the issue, reaffirming the Ibiza Town Hall’s commitment to its conservation.
For her part, Inma Saranova, director of IbizaPreservation, which financed the study thanks to funds provided by the women’s fashion brand Hoss Intropia, insisted that it was necessary to continue investing in research and improving knowledge about the state of Posidonia in order to identify the precise causes of its degradation and try to reverse the situation as soon as possible.
“We will continue to contribute to the GEN-GOB study in 2025, and within the framework of the Marine Forum, we will actively work to find solutions to the problems identified so far,” said Saranova, who also expressed her hope that, “Together, we will finally move from good intentions to taking concrete and effective measures to ensure the survival of this plant.”
Both GEN-GOB and IbizaPreservation emphasised once again the urgent need for measures to be implemented. The environmental organisations are calling for a reduction in the number of boats during the summer season, the installation of low-impact moorings, and the improvement of water quality, in order to ensure the effective conservation of the Posidonia oceanica meadows.
