The seabed of l’Ampolla hosts a whole ecosystem full of biodiversity that not only stands out for its natural beauty, but also for its interest as a habitat of high environmental value. These marine extensions find shelter part of one of the most important colonies of Posidonia on the Mediterranean coast, which has made this place a true paradise for divers.
Get in to enjoy and discover the great underwater meadows that are on the marine ecosystems of l’Ampolla!
It’s not dirtiness!
Storms and heavy seas pull up roots and break off foliage from marine plants which is then washed up onto the shore. It is often mixed with marine litter and it doesn’t mean the beaches or sea are dirty. It’s important to leave it on the beach in the winter as this natural barrier protects the sand and beachside walkways from the effects of storms.
Remember: What you see is not dirt; these plants are our natural allies!
The marine ecosystems of Fangar Bay
The seabed of l’Ampolla hosts submarine meadows of marine phanerogams such as Slender Seagrass (Cymodocea nodosa) and Posidonia (Posidonia oceanica). These are plants with roots, stems, flowers and fruits. This submarine meadow helps to protect the coastline as it reduces the effects of waves on the shore during storms and also provide food and shelter to a wide variety of fish and other marine species.
Corals and deep sponges
On the seabed there is also a wide range of animals that live fixed. The sponges filter the water to get food and oxygen.
The cladocora coral (Cladocora caespitosa) are very sensitive and lives in colony. The sponges and coral are essencials for the sea and ocean because they help to preservate the biodiversity.
The snakelocks anemones (Anemonia viridis) are of the animal genre and can give off a substance causing a nasty rash like the jellyfish.
On the rocks we can find sea slugs or sea butterflies that don’t reach 2 cm like the Elysia timida. To the background we can find hermit crab, they don’t have armor like the other crabs and therefore inhabit the empty shells around them.
Mussels and oysters
In the marine ecosystem of l’Ampolla we also find mussels and oysters. In the Bay of the Fangar you can visit the musse bedl, where they are grown the mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas.)
Thanks to the wealth of nutrients, in this habitat it is also possible to find the noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis 😉 is the largest bivalve mollusc in the Mediterranean and can measure up to 120cm in length. It is a protected species which can live for up to twenty years. Its ability to filter ten litres of water a day makes it a great natural water purification system.
