A NEW project has been created to encourage people to snorkel along designated routes in an effort to educate residents and tourists about the huge array of sub aquatic species that live along the Algarve coast.
Mafalda Rangel, the marine biologist behind the project, said that it is aimed at showing off the rich biodiversity that lives just a few metres below the sea, so that people become more aware of the need to preserve these species.
Among the diverse wildlife that can be seen are algae, anemones, sea hedgehogs, star fish, prawns, mussels and much more.
The project is being introduced at several beaches across the Algarve, including Lagos and Albufeira, where visitors can rent snorkelling equipment from local companies who are supporting the initiative. Alternatively, visitors can take their own equipment.
Marinha beach near Lagoa is the first place to introduce the scheme, with three possible routes which vary in levels of difficulty and last around 30 minutes each.
“The snorkelling is only to a maximum depth of around five metres, which may seem a lot but really isn’t very much at all,” said Mafalda Rangel.
Diving routes
This initiative, which is part of a PhD project entitled EcoSub, has been developed by the University of the Algarve, the Centro de Ciências do Mar do Algarve (CCMAR), a regional centre for the study of marine sciences, Aveiro University and the CCDR, the regional development commission.
As well as these snorkelling routes, diving routes have also been set up along the coast, to depths of between 19 and 22 metres.
Along these routes, divers will be able to see a wider variety of natural sub aquatic life and debris including aeroplane wreckages and natural reefs.
A series of plaques have been placed along the routes to provide more information about the flora and fauna that can be seen in each area.
At Marinha beach, these plaques are located on the surface, whereas along the diving routes they are fixed to the sea floor.
For more information, please contact CCMAR on 289 800 051 or email ccmar@ualg.pt Alternatively, please or visit the website, available only in Portuguese at www.ccmar.ualg.pt
