Browsing by Subject "Eutrophication"
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- PublicationOpen AccessEnvironmental Crisis in the Mar Menor Lagoon (Región de Murcia-Spain)(Associaçäo Brasileira de Editores Científicos, 2024-11-27) Gil Meseguer, Encarnación; Bernabé Crespo, Miguel Borja; Gómez Espín, José María; GeografíaObjective: The objective of this study is to gain insight into the causes of the environmental crisis that affects the Mar Menor ecosystem and its surroundings, as well as to propose measures for a new territorial model. Theoretical Framework: It is based on the study of population growth in the Campo de Cartagena - Mar Menor region, as well as the different activities that take place there, especially focusing on regenerated water. Method: The methodology adopted for this research includes regional geographic analysis for the management of the territory, with extensive field work and interviews with users of the Mar Menor; to conclude with a series of “zero discharge” proposals and cultural practices to mitigate the environmental crisis of the lagoon and its surroundings. Results and Discussion: Agriculture, urban expansion, obsolescence of sanitation networks, and other activities such as stable livestock farming and mining waste hauling have caused anthropization of the Mar Menor with eutrophication phenomena. It is advisable to promote a bottom-up participatory process of citizens, reach agreements between Administrations, and harmonize the different land uses making them compatible with the good condition of the lagoon. Research Implications: The practical and theoretical implications of this research are discussed, discussing the causes of the state of the lagoon and the uses of the catchment area. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by addressing a topic of interest and concern from a comprehensive perspective, considering causes and consequences, as well as possible solutions. The relevance and value of this research are evident in its geographical approach to human-natural environment relationships.
- PublicationOpen AccessEnvironmental crisis in the Mar Menor Lagoon (Region of Murcia - Spain)(Interinstitutional Scientific Committee, 2024-11-27) Gil-Meseguer, Encarnación; Bernabé-Crespo, Miguel Borja; Gómez Gil, José María; Gómez Espín, José María; GeografíaObjective:The objective of this study is to gain insight into the causes of the environmental crisis that affects the Mar Menor ecosystem and its surroundings, as well as to propose measures for a new territorial model.Theoretical Framework:It is based on the study of population growth in the Campo de Cartagena -Mar Menor region, as well as the different activities that take place there, especially focusing on regenerated water.Method:The methodology adopted for this research includes regional geographic analysis for the management of the territory, with extensive field work and interviews with users of the Mar Menor; to conclude with a series of “zero discharge” proposals and cultural practices to mitigate the environmental crisis of thelagoon and its surroundings.Results and Discussion:Agriculture, urban expansion, obsolescence of sanitation networks, and other activities such as stable livestock farming and mining waste hauling have caused anthropization of the Mar Menor with eutrophication phenomena. It is advisable to promote a bottom-up participatory process of citizens, reach agreements between Administrations, and harmonize the different land uses making them compatible with the good condition of the lagoon.Research Implications:The practical and theoretical implications of this research are discussed, discussing the causes of the state of the lagoon and the uses of the catchment area.Originality/Value:This study contributes to the literature by addressing a topic of interest and concern from a comprehensive perspective, considering causes and consequences, as well as possible solutions. The relevance and value of this research are evident in its geographical approach to human-natural environment relationships. -------------------
- PublicationOpen AccessHydrogeological modelling for the watershed management of the Mar Menor coastal lagoon (Spain)(Elsevier, 2019-01-29) Alcolea, Andrés; Contreras, Sergio; Hunink, Johannes; García Aróstegui, José Luis; Jiménez Martínez, Joaquín; Ecología e HidrologíaThe Mar Menor is the largest lagoon along the Spanish Mediterranean coast. It suffers from eutrophication and algal blooms associated with intensive agricultural activities and urban pressure in the surrounding Campo de Cartagena plain. A balanced discharge of groundwater, carrier of algal nutrients such as nitrate, is essential to ensure the integrity of the coastal lagoon and the availability of groundwater resources inland.We here present a 3D hydrogeologicalmodel of the unconfined Quaternary aquifer that discharges into the lagoon. Themodel couples both surface water balance and groundwater dynamics and has been calibrated to available data in the period 2000–2016. The calibrated model allows understanding of the current state of the aquifer and its link to the lagoon. The potential discharge has been quantified in both space and time and falls between 69.5 and 84.9 hm3/yr during dry andwet periods, respectively (with values of nitrate discharge of 11.4–11.8 Mkg/yr in the absence of aquifer sink terms, e.g., leakage to deeper aquifers and pumping fromgroundwaterwells). The predictive capabilities of the calibratedmodel can be used to test the impact of different integratedmanagement scenarios on the surface-groundwater dynamics of the catchment. Three plausible management scenarios are proposed that include localized and distributed groundwater pumping (drains and groundwater wells, respectively). Results show the effectiveness of the scenarios in reducing the groundwater and nitrate discharge into the lagoon. The disadvantages of the proposed scenarios, including potential seawater intrusion, need to be balanced with their relativemerits for the sustainable development of the region and the survival of theMarMenor ecosystem. The modelling approach proposed provides a valuable tool for the integrated and holistic management of the Campo de Cartagena-Mar Menor catchment and should be of great interest to similar hydrological systems with high ecological value.
- PublicationOpen AccessInfluence of nutrient enrichment on the growth, recruitment and trophic ecology of a highly invasive freshwater fish(Springer, 2020) Ruiz Navarro, Ana; Didáctica de las Ciencias ExperimentalesThe establishment probability of introduced alien fish can be context dependent, varying according to factors including propagule pressure and biotic resistance. The influence of nutrient enrichment on establishment outcomes of alien fishes is uncertain, yet this is a common anthropogenic stressor of many freshwaters. Here, the small-bodied alien topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva was used in mesocosms to experimentally test how a gradient of nutrient enrichment affected their growth rates, recruitment and trophic ecology. A ‘Control’ represented ambient, mesotrophic conditions, while treatments covered three levels of nutrient enrichment: low (eutrophic), medium (hypertrophic) and high (very hypertrophic). Each mesocosm was seeded with 6 mature P. parva (equal sex ratio) at the start of their reproductive season. After 100 days, length increments of the adult fish were significantly elevated in the low treatment, and these fish had also produced significantly higher numbers of 0? fish compared to all other treatments. The trophic niche width of the mature fish was substantially higher in the control than the treatments, but this did not appear to confer any advantages to them in somatic growth rate or reproductive output. These results suggest that the nutrient status of receiving waters can have substantial impacts on the outcomes of fish introductions, where eutrophic conditions can assist the rapid population establishment of some alien species.
- PublicationOpen AccessLooking for the surviving optimal areas for the threatened species Pinna nobilis in a highly anthropized coastal lagoon (Mar Menor, SE Spain)(Elsevier Ltd, 2024-09-01) Martínez Martínez, Pilar; Alonso Sarría, Francisco; Gomariz Castillo, Francisco; Reñé Sánchez, Enrique; Cortés Melendreras, Emilio; Fernández Torquemada, Yolanda; Giménez Casalduero, Francisca; GeografíaPinna nobilis, an endemic bivalve species in the Mediterranean Sea, is critically endangered mainly due to the devastating impact of the protozoan parasite Haplosporidium pinnae. The population within the Mar Menor lagoon (Murcia, Spain) represents one of only two surviving populations along the Spanish coast. This relict population has witnessed a significant decline since 2016, primarily due to eutrophication episodes and other anthropogenic impacts affecting the lagoon. It is imperative to identify the most suitable zones for the survival of this species, where adult individuals could be translocated from affected areas to enhance their chances of survival. In the present study, we identify these zones through a Multi-Criteria Evaluation considering several factors that pose a threat to the species. This evaluation was complemented using Geographic Information Systems based multi-criteria decision analysis (GIS-MCDA). A total of 18 factors were weighted and combined, resulting in a surface area of 307.92 hectares (2.28% of the lagoon) with over 70% high suitability for species survival.
- PublicationOpen AccessWhy has the water turned green?” a problem of eutrophication in primary school(2022-10-21) Banos-González, Isabel; Esteve-Guirao, Patricia; Valverde-Pérez, Magdalena; Ruiz-Navarro, Ana; Didáctica de las Ciencias ExperimentalesThis paper analyses how 224 students from the fifth and sixth grade recognise the key aspects, i.e., the causes, consequences, and solutions of the eutrophication problem affecting the relevant ecosystem in their region. Two instruments were used: a report sheet in which students work through the causes and consequences associated with the problem; and a personal letter addressed to the competent authority, which proposes solutions. The results show that students from the sixth grade recognised more complete interconnections between the agricultural development of the area and the changes that occurred in the ecosystem. In the identification of the key phases of the eutrophication process, students from both courses presented similar difficulties. Regarding the solutions, some reluctance was observed to limit agricultural activity. This reveals that students’ social perceptions about the importance of agriculture for their region may be a possible influence on their solutions. Finally, five models were established regarding the understanding that students reach of the problem as a whole. More than half of students were included in the same model, comprising those who were able to adequately identify the causes and whole process of eutrophication, as well as those who defended the advantages of the proposed solution. Educational implications are discussed in this paper.