Mediterranean beaches: maintaining a regional treasure
The beaches of the Mediterranean are famous worldwide, drawing millions of tourists to the region every year. Unfortunately, this tremendous human influx threatens the health of such a remarkable natural resource. In light of this, the MEDCORE project brought together scientists from all corners of the Mediterranean to assess the impact of anthropogenic activities on coastal ecosystems in the region. An investigation into biodiversity was led by the Istituto per lo Studio degli Ecosistemi of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) in Italy. Parameters such as the number of species, population sizes and distribution were recorded and analysed. CNR uncovered evidence that species diversity was directly related to habitat diversity. Consequently, areas subject to erosion, which were often degraded by humans (e.g. trampling), had the lowest levels of biodiversity. A fascinating component of the research entailed comparing arthropod species on opposite banks of the Oued Laou River in Morocco. CNR found significantly fewer species and smaller populations, especially crustaceans, on the left side of the river. Extending their analysis to soil chemistry and morphology, they discovered that biodiversity was negatively correlated with pH, salinity and sand grain size. While the relative importance of some factors varied somewhat between the study sites, CNR and its MEDCORE partners were able to draw some general conclusions. These form the basis of recommendations that can be applied to the entire region.
