This destination worshiped by European tourists is threatened by a new danger

Will the summer be spoiled in this well -known destination for its sun, turquoise waters and numerous beaches?

This archipelago known for its idyllic beaches and turquoise waters attracts millions of European tourists every summer. But the experience, which has been spoiled for a bit over the past few years by the over-tourism that threatens the many regular islands, may soon become a nightmare. In -depth algae of the tropics can enter this little Mediterranean paradise.

In the Mediterranean, the penetrating algae of tropical origin have propagated a few years with an alarming velocity in the Mediterranean. The exotic species colonized the seabed in recent years by ballast waters of merchant ships, noting the researchers in a study published in 2024.

The Rululopterix Okamurae, which was initially detected in Morocco and South Spain, is now present in Barcelona, ​​where it was detected in the waters of the harbor at the end of 2022. Scientists follow the relentless progress north and east of the Mediterranean sink.

They are now considering his arrival at the quasi-permanent Balearics, in light of the intense maritime ties between the continent and the islands. Something to worry about the residents, as the economy of the Balearicians is based on tourism.

“Given the capital interest of the maritime economy, tourism and navigation for the Balearics, at all costs it is necessary to prevent these algae from reaching our coasts”, Alert Fiona Tomàs, researcher specialist in invasive species at the Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (IMEDEA) , interviewed by several local newspapers.

For once installed, spread and cover this algae the sea floor, which suffocates all life. It is not consumed by local fish, but it drops biodiversity. The fragments then rise massively on the beaches, making it unenforceable. Which makes tourists flee and paralyze the economy of the archipelago.

In areas already affected, the damage is huge. At Tarifa in Andalusia, the town hall had already declared itself “overwhelmed” and could not finance the cleaning of the beaches. The fishermen see that their nets are constantly cared for, who need hours of work to disrupt them.

Faced with the emergency, scientists now recommend the rapid implementation of a supervision system to locate the arrival of the Alga in the Balearic. ‘Quarantine protocols’ of the affected areas and an awareness of sailors, fishermen and boat riders to report that its presence would limit its distribution. “Where it comes, these algae colonize in a short time. And when this stage is reached, nothing can be done,” warns María Altamirano, expert of the subject at the University of Malaga.