To identify the best measures for protecting the coastal corals of the Balearic Islands, it is essential to know their locations and conservation status. Marilles and Observadores del Mar (Sea Watchers) held a webinar in which we explain how to identify these species and how you can contribute to their study through citizen science.
Over 100 people took part in this training session, which can be viewed here. It was led by our colleague Marina Bolaños, head of Observadores del Mar in the Balearic Islands, alongside researchers from the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM) Laura Figuerola Fernández and Daniel Gómez-Gras, who represent the scientific team behind Observadores del Mar’s reef care programme.
Corals are animals that play an essential role in the health of marine ecosystems, but they are also highly vulnerable to threats such as ocean warming. Despite this, there is still very little data on their presence in the Balearic Sea and their conservation status.
Anyone who spots these animals can upload their observations to the Observadores del Mar website. From September onwards, in collaboration with diving centres, surveys will be carried out to analyse mortality caused by rising temperatures.
