Two River Pipefish Spotted in the Port of Maó

The detection of this vulnerable species confirms the ecological importance of the Port of Maó and the need to conserve its marine habitats

This August, the scientific team of the project monitoring Menorca’s shallow bays observed two specimens of River Pipefish (Syngnathus abaster) on the northern coast of the Port of Maó. This is a protected species, highly sensitive to environmental impacts, whose presence serves as an indicator of the ecological importance still maintained by the port.

The sighting was also recorded on the Observadores del Mar platform and documented with images. The first specimen was found by Alba Piris, an intern from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, who is collaborating with the team this summer.

The River Pipefish

The River Pipefish is a small-sized syngnathid fish, belonging to the same family as seahorses. Its body is covered with bony plates, and it has a tubular snout. It lives in shallow areas with marine vegetation such as Zostera or Ruppia meadows. In the Balearic Islands it is considered a vulnerable species, as it is particularly affected by the destruction and alteration of coastal habitats, pollution and turbidity of the water, and the disappearance of seagrass meadows, which are its natural refuge. In Menorca, sightings are rare and not well documented, especially in the Port of Maó, where population studies have not yet been established.

Project: “Conservation and Restoration of the Shallow Bays of Addaia, Fornells and the Port of Maó”

The project for the conservation and restoration of the shallow bays is the result of collaboration between the Institut Menorquí d’Estudis (IME), the Observatori Socioambiental de Menorca (OBSAM), the Menorca Biosphere Reserve Agency (AMRB), Menorca Preservation (MeP) and the Marilles Foundation. Its aim is to understand the ecological state of the island’s coastal ecosystems, highlight their value, and propose management measures to improve their conservation status.

The organisations involved stress that discoveries such as this highlight the need to continue studying and protecting the natural values of the Bay of Maó, an area heavily impacted by human pressure but which still maintains biodiversity of special interest.

Shallow Bays: A Degraded Space

Menorca’s shallow bays host a wide variety of unique habitats and species. However, many pressures such as poor water quality, the impact of navigation, and coastal urbanisation pose a serious threat to them. As a result, they have been considerably degraded over the last decades. The extent of marine plants such as Posidonia or Cymodocea; ecologically valuable algae such as Cystoseira; and emblematic species such as seahorses has significantly decreased in their waters.

The Bay of the Port of Maó covers an area of 324 hectares and also stands out for its historical significance, evoking a past marked by the importance of this port in Menorca’s development. This intense human activity, both past and ongoing, makes defining conservation and restoration measures a real challenge. Balancing human activity with the improvement of the conservation status of the remaining natural areas will be a task for all of us.