The 58% of seagrass beds in the world it is in decline.

THESE HABITATS ARE EVEN MORE THREATENED THAN TROPICAL FORESTS.

The rate of loss of underwater meadows is accelerating around the planet, similar and even superior to those of other threatened ecosystems, such as coral reefs and tropical forests. These are the results of the first global evaluation carried out of these habitats by an international team.

From 1980 The disappearance of 110 km2 of grasslands per year. Today, according to the researchers, The destruction of an underwater meadow the size of a football field is witnessed every 30 minutes.

To reach these conclusions, The research team has analyzed 215 studies and compiled data from 1.800 observations from 1879. Until now, there was no reliable and global calculation of the rate of loss of these ecosystems or their trend over time..

The causes of the loss of these habitats are multiple.: coastal development, overfishing, the increase in nitrogen discharges, phosphorus and organic matter; the construction of ports and breakwaters; as well as the loss of oxygen from coastal waters and global warming.

Underwater meadows are very sensitive to the deterioration of environmental conditions in the coastal zone, “They act as sentinels of the quality of the coastline, Therefore, the acceleration of the loss is warning of a global environmental crisis..

In Spain there are important underwater meadows, such as those of Posidonia oceanica in the Mediterranean and the sebadales of Cymodocea nodosa in the Canary Islands. Despite being preferential conservation habitats in the EU, both are seriously threatened.