“The sea is our garden, and we must learn to look after it”

How did the idea for the ESVIMA project come about and what specific problem in the Mediterranean does it seek to solve?

The ESVIMA project was founded on clear evidence: since the dawn of humanity, men and women have thrown things into the sea without thinking about what would happen next. We’ve built underwater structures, containment dikes, and it’s been shown that artificial structures reduce marine biodiversity compared to natural ones.

 Through this project, we wanted to respond to a specific issue affecting the Mediterranean: to regenerate biodiversity in a sea under particular pressure from human activity, tourism and climate change.

 The Foundation, together with our partners from the Chemical Institute of Sarrià and the Balearic Centre for Applied Biology, has come up with a way of studying how the colonisation of these materials occurs.

Why was the Bay of Palma chosen to carry out this groundbreaking trial in the Mediterranean?

Because it lies in the centre of the Mediterranean and allows us to study two different conditions: an area with a heavy flow of water and another where the water is more stagnant. Due to its large surface area, the Port of Palma offers these two conditions in one place, meaning we can compare how they influence the colonisation of the materials.

The project suggests that underwater infrastructure can be turned into a haven of life. How do you go from an artificial environment to a living ecosystem?

That’s precisely what we’re studying. We’re inspired by life on land: when we grow a vegetable garden, we know that some plants grow better than others depending on the acidity of the soil, the amount of nutrients, sunlight and water.

 Through the ESVIMA project we work with eight different materials, with different compositions and designs, which over time degrade and become inert, non-polluting materials.

 When you immerse any material in seawater, bacteria immediately appear and begin to colonise it. Depending on their characteristics, the proportions of bacteria vary, and this determines which animals or plants will arrive next.

 It’s essentially a study of the food chain: animals and plants feed according to the initial bacterial colony. This is our working hypothesis.

Initial results suggest that rough surfaces lead to more diverse colonisation. How can this be explained?

There’s only some truth in that. Smooth surfaces are more conducive to plant colonisation, while rough surfaces encourage the presence of animals. While we’re yet to see definitive results, this seems to be the trend.

 In a pilot study we carried out in the Bay of Palamós, we observed something strange: materials barely two metres apart showed completely different behaviour. One was completely covered with organisms, while the others were almost clean. These differences help us understand how composition or texture impacts the biodiversity that can be hosted by each material.

What are the first species to colonise these structures?

The first, of course, are bacteria. Right now we’re testing materials, and the working samples have a surface similar to that of a conventional brick and don’t impact the environment too much.

 Even so, previously in Palamós we saw that, depending on the material, colonisation varies both in terms of species and proportion: in one port sponges were dominant, while in another, it was algae. It’s really interesting to see these differences.

How long does it take for structures like these to become a stable marine habitat?

One year. We were very surprised to see this. In the mooring ports we installed in Palamós, in barely a year there were already inhabitants: crabs, octopus and small fish.

 The images we captured during the trials are amazing. There’s still a long way to go, but the hope of turning grey, inert walls into living surfaces is real and very promising.

What role have public institutions like the Regional Ministry of Tourism or the Port Authority played in the development and funding of the project?

Without them, this work wouldn’t have been possible. The project has received support in the form of a grant from the Regional Ministry of Tourism, and the Balearic Islands Port Authority has offered its collaboration, particularly its Innovation and Environment Department. We consider them part of the team: they’ve helped a great deal and have made brilliant contributions.

 It’s very rewarding to see the Ministry getting involved in research projects.

Beyond biodiversity, what concrete benefits can this marine regeneration bring to traditional fishing or coastal communities?

So many. We have a project called “Parc del Mar” in which we study the nutritional composition of fish and shellfish sold in Spain. Surprisingly, out of over a thousand species, the composition of only ninety is well known.

 For example, there are very common fish, such as the horse mackerel, whose nutritional value we don’t know precisely.

 Thus we encourage the consumption of local fish with high nutritional value. The benefits of looking after the sea range from the economic impact of fishing and tourism to people’s mental health.

How do you explain the benefit in terms of mental health?

The sea offers us immaterial things that cannot be bought, yet have a huge impact on human life. People walk by the sea because they feel calm and fulfilled by the reflection of the sun or the moon on the water, or by the simple movement of the waves.

 Lots of psychologists recommend walking by the sea. We’re now working on the Blue Way project, which seeks to recognise these immaterial things as a real economic contribution to cultural heritage.

 As we often say, “yes, we try to put a price on the priceless”, but it’s a metric that must also be taken into account. The price of a room with an ocean view, for example, is not the same as a room with a view of a wall: these values exist, even if they’re not quantified.

Can projects like this help make the Mediterranean more resilient to climate change?

That’s a good question, and I wish I could say yes. But I think it requires a collective effort. Businesses, civil society—represented by foundations like ours—and, of course, governments must get involved.

 In Menorca, for example, there’s a business that’s developed a prototype of an amazing electric outboard motor. This type of innovation helps to protect the sea.

 Mediterranean governments, from France to Greece, have to make a major effort: 24% of global tourism is concentrated in the Mediterranean, and it’s the most polluted sea on the planet. Population density on the coast is a huge strain and requires courageous policies to preserve water quality.

 And it’s worth remembering: behind governments, there are lots of people working jointly to improve citizens’ lives.

Has the project attracted international interest?

Yes, there’s interest. I’ve been invited to the Nuevo Leon Law School in Mexico to speak on marine regeneration. We also have contacts in France and California, although these projects are still in their early stages.

 Before taking big steps internationally, we want to solidify our work here. In fact, we’re moving our headquarters from Llucmajor to Palma, where we hope to open a new space next spring.

Finally, if you had to summarise the importance of projects like ESVIMA, what would you say to the public?

Help us to expand the experience and install more moorings that resemble Mediterranean rocks and are colonised within a year, as opposed to cement blocks. So, instead of a grey seabed, we’ll have a seabed full of life and different species.

I‘d also tell the business community to get involved. These projects bring science and civil society together, and need the support of private-sector businesses not only to boost their reputation or sustainability reporting, but also because of the potential long-term benefits.

The sea is our garden. A hotel owner whose garden is unkempt without a flower in sight won’t be able to charge the same as another with a tidy space full of life. The sea is our collective garden, and we must look after it.