Photo: The Marine Natura 2000 site in the Għar Lapsi - Żurrieq to Filfla area
Today, 8 June is World Oceans Day, an internationally celebrated thematic day which was originally proposed in 1992 at the Earth Summit and was officially recognised by the United Nations in 2008. The Italia-Malta Interreg SEA MARVEL project team of Malta led by Prof. Adriana Vella celebrates this event through a dedicated fieldtrip to one of Malta’s marine Natura 2000 site and through the announcement of the winners of its school challenge issued earlier in the year. Both these activities are meant to encourage greater participation from young students to learn about, experience and act in safeguarding the sea and its biodiversity.
Marine biodiversity encompasses a vast array of life forms that inhabit the ecologically rich and diverse Natura 2000 sites. This diversity in species and habitats are of great importance in many ways. Marine organisms provide essential ecosystem function that keeps the sea healthy and productive thus being a crucial food source for millions of individuals around the Mediterranean. Coral reefs and seagrass beds also provide protection of coastal settlements by acting as natural buffers. The marine environment also has a great economic and social benefit through the tourism industry and recreational activities. Such ecosystems are also essential in regulating the Earth’s climate through ‘carbon sinks’ which absorb and store carbon dioxide.
Around the Maltese Islands, the SEA MARVEL team is focusing on supporting Natura 2000 sites including one of Għar Lapsi to Filfa. The project is working towards identifying critical issues to guide conservation and management needs of six Natura 2000 sites between Malta and Sicily. This is being achieved through the involvement of local communities including schools, fishermen, sailing crews, local councils, and various other stakeholders, such as divers.
To celebrate World Oceans Day, the SEA MARVEL team held an interactive day at Wied iż-Żurrieq to highlight the importance of the marine Natura 2000 site of this area. The team welcomed school children from the primary school of Qrendi, Kullegg San Benedittu together with their teachers, local fishermen and other sea users and stakeholder representatives including the mayor representing the local council responsible for supporting the proper management of the Natura 2000 site.
There are many reasons which have prompted the marine area around Wied iz-Zurrieq, Ghar Lapsi and Filfla to be selected as a Natura 2000 site. This site hosts a heterogenous bottom, consisting of a relatively high species richness compared to other areas of the Maltese islands. This is especially significant considering that it is found on the southern part of the island. From a survey carried out in 2002 it was also found that the Posidonia beds in the area around Għar Lapsi have among the highest values of primary production in the Mediterranean Sea. Additionally, the islet of Filfla is a strict nature reserve, providing shelter for nesting of sea birds such as the European storm petrel and the Yellow-legged gull.
The Neptune Grass meadows, which can be observed in this Natura 2000 site, serve several ecosystem services that benefit both the natural environment and human society. They store over 50% of carbon buried in marine sediments globally. They also provide habitat and nutrition for many species of fish, crustaceans, molluscs and species of plants and macroalgae. This nursery environment offers juvenile fish, including species of commercial interest, shelter from predators. Although, these meadows are protected by national and international legislation, they face different threats including trawling and anchoring of pleasure boats.
Throughout the course of the project, the SEA MARVEL team is undertaking various actions to conserve marine biodiversity in Maltese waters and enhance ocean literacy among the local communities. These actions include interventions that reduce plastic debris in our seas, training of fishermen and sailors to become sentinels of the sea and writing management plan guidelines for six Natura 2000 sites. The SEA MARVEL project has also trained youths on advanced conservation techniques at the University of Malta.
The SEA MARVEL project is also creating awareness among school children on marine biodiversity and conservation through dedicated talks and a unique marine biodiversity photographic exhibition that has been roving around at different schools since December 2022. The project has also prepared and set a school challenge with the rules for the challenge in Malta published to all schools last March. The main aim of the school challenge was to develop among school children a sense of belonging and care of the marine environment by writing statements on how to save, enhance and admire the marine versatile life in addition to create an artistic or videographic message to further demonstrate this need. The winning participants of the school challenge were set to be announced today, 8th of June to further celebrate World Oceans Day. The winning participants include students from De La Salle College, Birgu and St. Martin’s College, Swatar. The winning group of 18 students together with four of their teachers will visit Sicily next September with conservation and marine biologists from SEA MARVEL to admire and learn about the marine biodiversity and Natura 2000 sites of Sicily.
Special thanks goes to all Schools and the Ministry for Education for taking part in Educational Sea Marvel activities and to the BICREF NGO for giving its support too.
Further information is available by contacting Prof. Adriana Vella by email.