Where can I drop my anchor? posidonia oceanic IS A PROTECTED SPECIES It is forbidden to anchor your vessel in specific areas where Posidonia is present Posedonia Oceanica also known as Neptune grass or Mediterranean Tape weed is a seagrass species that is endemic to the Mediterranean sea. This species forms underwater meadows that are a vital part of the marine ecosystem. This flowering plan lives in dense meadows along the channels in the sand of the Mediterranean. It is found at depths of 1-35 meters, in relation to water clarity. The leaves are a bright green, and with age start to turn a brown colour. The leafs final point is rounded but in some cases absent due to damage. Leaves are arranged in groups with the older longer leaves are outside and differ in form from the younger ones they surround. The rhizomes are found in two forms: one growing up to 150 cm beneath the sand and the other rising above the sand. In 2006 a huge colony was discovered south of the island of Ibiza, at 8 kilometers across and is estimated at 100,000 years old, this may be one of the largest and oldest clonal colonies on Earth!! Posidonia grows best in clean waters, and is presence is a huge marker for the lack of pollution. The presence of Posidonia is detected by the masses of decomposing leaves on beaches.
This sea plant guarantees the health of the beds in the Mediterranean and it is a protected species in the Balearic Islands. More than 800 pleasure boats were made to move to another spot to drop their anchors in the summer of 2016, given that they were located in areas which are protected as posidonia oceanica were growing in the area. The Captains had dropped their anchors on these beds of sea grass which are of great value to the marine ecosystem and are protected under EU and regional and national Spanish laws. There have been many complaints from ecologists and authorities about the destruction that anchors are causing and it is getting worse each year. These anchors have ruined areas of this sea grass which takes decades to grow. The Balearic Island ministry of Agriculture, the Environment and Regional Planning has developed a tool to make it easier for boats to anchor without damaging the sea bed, particularly the posedonia prairies.
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