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Tuesday, 20 May 2025, 18:58
Rincón de la Victoria town hall has teamed up with international environmental organisation Mission Blue to preserve the Alboran Sea; the name given to the section of the Mediterranean Sea off the Andalusian coast. Eco&Dive Environmental Diving Club and the public water company Hidralia are also involved in the initiative.
The Hope Spot Mar de Alborán project covers the sea from the coast of Almeria to the Strait of Gibraltar and makes the area an ocean conservation hotspot, within the global framework led by oceanographer Sylvia Earle through Mission Blue.
Shannon Rake, manager of the Mission Blue Foundation, has recently visited Rincón de la Victoria to see first-hand the evolution of the project and the progress made.
"Rincón de la Victoria has been the only place in the world where the focus has been placed on the importance of the coastline as a central axis of conservation," explained Rincón's councillor for beaches, Sergio Díaz.
He went on to say that "the fundamental work of Eco&Dive, together with scientists and marine biologists, has allowed our coastline to be positioned as an international reference in biodiversity and sustainability."
Mayor of Rincón de la Victoria, Francisco Salado, underlined the importance of the visit "to strengthen collaboration and promote joint projects for marine conservation on our coastline, giving visibility to our projects related to the Blue Reef, the Blue Path and the Blue Economy of the municipality and Andalucía".
Gemma Infante, president of Eco&Dive and ambassador of the Alborán Sea Hope Spot, valued Shannon Rake's visit as "a recognition of the town's commitment to the conservation of the Andalusian coastline. The fact that Rincón de la Victoria is considered a strategic point is an opportunity to show the world the richness of our ecosystems".
Infante also highlighted the support of collaborating entities: ‘Shannon expressed her admiration for the involvement of our organisation and the key support of our sponsors, including the town hall and Hidralia’.
Shannon also visited the municipal greenhouse where the Cymodocea nodosa seaweed is being cultivated to repopulate the seabed by the University of Malaga (UMA), Rincón de la Victoria town hall and Hidralia.
Since its designation as a Hope Spot in 2018, the project has promoted habitat restoration projects, species monitoring and sustainable tourism, making Rincón de la Victoria a pioneering enclave in the defence of the oceans.
The Mission Blue Foundation, led by the oceanographer Sylvia Earle, promotes a global network of marine areas known as Hope Spots, vital spaces for the health of the ocean identified for their high ecological value and their urgent need for conservation.
Among the more than 160 designated Hope Spots worldwide is the Alborán Sea Hope Spot, officially declared in 2018 thanks to the initiative of Eco&Dive, an organisation committed to the defence of the marine environment in Andalucía from a local and scientific perspective.
The Alborán Sea Hope Spot is based in the coastal area of Andalucía, representing one of the most important marine regions of the western Mediterranean. This enclave is strategic both for its biological richness and its role as an ecological corridor between two seas.
The Hope Spot proposal is based on three fundamental pillars: conservation, knowledge and protection, through the creation of an information network based on scientific diving carried out by Eco&Dive since 2015.
Currently, Eco&Dive is developing various conservation, citizen science and awareness projects, based in Rincón de la Victoria, and is open to possible collaborations with national and international organisations. Its aim is to give global visibility to Rincón de la Victoria's coastline and the Alborán Sea.
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