• Mission Blue study could net Balearic Sea a global ‘hope spot’ designation
• Caifornia NGO working with Mallorca’s Asociación Ondine to obtain protection
The Mediterranean Sea around Spain’s Balearic islands could be designated a global “Hope Spot” as a result of a study to be carried out by a California-based NGO whose aim is to protect marine areas worldwide that are critical to preserving the health of the planet’s oceans.
American marine biologist, writer and explorer Sylvia Earle of the Mission Blue project, will visit Mallorca from Nov. 10-12 as she and her team work with the Mallorca-based Asociación Ondine NGO to analyze the environmental values of the Balearic Sea to assess their inclusion in the global network of “Hope Spots” that are critical to the health of the world’s oceans.
Some of the world’s ocean “Hope Spots” already enjoy formal protection, while others still need to be protected. Wile some 12% of land areas are similarly protected, less than 4% of the sea surface is protected. The Mission Blue project is trying to close the gap and designated more protected ocean areas worldwide.
Read full story in Spanish at Europa Press >>
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