Information and awareness-raising actions to improve knowledge of coastal habitats
The Barcelona coastline, despite being a heavily urbanised coastline, has a terrestrial and marine biodiversity that has improved considerably over the last few decades as a result of various environmental policies. Also, thanks to the improvement of the city’s sanitation system, there has also been improvement in terms of the state of the seabed and its associated biodiversity.
Coastal habitats, both terrestrial and marine, are largely unknown to the residents of Barcelona, and the main objective of this project is to promote biodiversity.
The difficulty of accessing the walkable areas of the jetties and the artificial reefs, as well as the lack of dissemination activities, do not contribute positively to reversing the lack of visibility of these habitats.
Therefore, the proposal is to create a marine biodiversity interpretation centre to promote educational and awareness-raising actions and to promote knowledge of these habitats.
In fact, the Zoo Strategic Plan already has a line of action in this direction. The scope of the work must be the coastline in its broadest sense, covering both the marine part (artificial reef park, jetties, sea beds, benthic and pelagic communities, etc.) and the terrestrial part (coastal parks of Montjuic, Besòs, dunes, etc.).
- Creation of a new marine biodiversity interpretation area linked to the zoo.
- Improve accessibility to areas that currently have restricted access (some jetties, etc.).
- Promote knowledge on the jetties and underwater reefs as part of Barcelona’s biodiversity heritage by highlighting marine biodiversity.
- Create synergies between the city’s facilities and organisations working in this area (specifically, with the Litoral Centre).
- Programme of immersion activities on the beaches and in the Barcelona Reef Park.
What are we doing?
In relation to the synergies between the city’s facilities and organisations that work to improve knowledge of the coastal habitats, it is worth highlighting the following:
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Publication of the participatory Marine Guide to Barcelona, 2021 This is the first guide to the exclusive marine biodiversity of Barcelona, written by and for people who want to know about the biodiversity of our coastline. This guide contains more than 230 species that have been photographed by all the collaborators and participants of the URBAMAR citizen science project.
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The new fish layer in Barcelona City Council’s Biodiversity Atlas, 2022. This atlas did not previously include information on the marine biodiversity of Barcelona’s shores, and this information has now been added thanks to the data gathered as a result of citizen participation, coordinated by the Institute of Marine Sciences and Anèl·lides Seveis Ambientals Marins, at events such as the BioMARató and UrbamarBio. This initiative demonstrates Barcelona City Council’s commitment to the collaborative management of the city’s biodiversity areas as part of the Nature Plan 2030.
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The publication of 12 underwater routes for Barcelona’s beaches, 2023. This project features twelve underwater routes off the City of Barcelona’s seashore, six for scuba diving and six for snorkelling/freediving. The routes include a map and a description of the route, information about the species that can be found in the area and photographs. They are also complemented by an identification guide with photographs of the most common species found on the urban coastline. The Catalan Federation of Underwater Activities (FEST), with the support of Barcelona City Council, has carried out this initiative to promote the underwater environment.
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Dissemination of the values of marine biodiversity at a technical symposium on the restoration of urban marine ecosystems.
