Sea Bottom of the Levante of Almeria

Territory :

The Sea Bottom of the Levante de Almeria represents a strip of marine territory parallel to the coast that is considered of environmental interest because it presents a high grade of naturalness over a very significant surface. In its totally submerged under the seawater with the exception of two small islands: the island of San Juan de los Terreros measuring 1.5 ha and Isla Negra measuring 0.9 ha. They are close to each other and situated in the northernmost part of the area. In the terrestrial part close to the space there exist two main water courses, the almost permanently filled Aguas River, and the Almonzora River that is markedly fuller in summer.

Physical characteristic :

From a geological point of view, the surroundings of the zone present three large units: one is a volcanic origin mountain that links to the south with Cabo de Gata, a wide sedimentary basin that collects the Quaternary materials between Vera and Cuevas de Almanzora, and finally some mountain relief from the tertiary period corresponding to the Alpujárride mantle in the northernmost part of the area.

Specificity and importance :

The area presents various marine habitats of general interest in the Mediterranean, where a complex ecosystem is developed with a high biodiversity that has its origin in the variety of sea bottoms that appear in the zone. Of the species pointed out in Annex II of the Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean, 2 are found in the proposed zone. From the catalogue of species of Annex II of the SPA Protocol, 5 are found within the proposed space. To a lesser extent the presence of the two islands stands out that house colonies of birds such as Bubulcus ibis, Egretta garzetta, Calonectris diomedea, Hydrobates pelagicus, that nests in the zone, as well as Larus audouinii or Phalacrocorax aristotelis that use the zone partially for feeding and as a rest area, but also the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta that has built its nest on the beaches of the village of Vera, with the eggs hatching in September 2001.

Threats and Pressures :

The fishing activity is significant in the zone, though it does not represent an important biological resource. Given the scarcity of fish, the danger of overexploitation of the fishing resources has been greater in recent years, obligating the fishermen to use prohibited drag fishing techniques to obtain a profitable economy, which has caused an alteration of the sea bottom. On the other hand, the great accessibility to the zone, the pleasant climate and the naturalness of the environmental characteristics have been the motor, in the past decades, to activate a tourist industry that is ever growing, which has also generated a deterioration in the resources that is also ever growing. The activities that generate impact on the natural medium of the zone are the water sports associated with the tourist industry, as well as the spilling of wastes from a chemical industry.

Ecological characteristics :

With respect to the marine life, the space presents a great added value due to the types of vegetation that develop and the associated biodiversity. The types of solid (rocky, sandy) and the diversity of the vegetation (algae and important surfaces covered with Posidonia oceanica) constitute the basis for a great richness of fauna. With regards to the marine fauna, the catalogues completed up to now include an important community associated both with the soft, rocky soils and the swimming species of fish and mammals.

Management :

Ministry of Ecological Transition, General Directorate for Sustainability of the Coast and the Sea, Jorge Alonso Rodriguez (jarodrigz@miteco.es)

Given the environmental importance of the zone, the Environmental Ministry drafted a Natural Resources Organizational Plan, so that the activities that are produced in the proposed area are regulated, in 2005, which was validated and followed by another in 2013.

Geographical position :

Almeria (Andalusia). The space named Sea Bottom of the Levante of Almeria is found to the northeast of the province of Almeria, Spain, and constitutes a wide band of territory of some 50 km long distributed parallel to the coast.