The €80,520 service has been approved near the end of the permitted removal season as the council launches a public awareness programme highlighting the plant’s environmental importance
Orihuela City Council has finally awarded its contract for the collection, removal and transportation of Posidonia oceanica remains from the municipality’s beaches following a summer marked by repeated complaints from residents and visitors.
The contract was awarded almost three months after the tendering process began, meaning the service was not in place for much of the peak summer season. Accumulations of Posidonia and other organic material on the shoreline prompted complaints about unpleasant smells and the condition of several beaches.
The one-year contract, worth €80,520, has been awarded to Proyectos y Servicios Ruiz Segura, the only company to submit a bid.
Under environmental regulations, the removal service can generally operate only between Easter and mid-October. During the winter, deposits of Posidonia are normally left on the beaches because they provide vital natural protection against erosion.
Despite often being mistaken for seaweed or rubbish, Posidonia oceanica is a protected Mediterranean seagrass. Its leaves and other remains are carried ashore by currents and storms, forming natural deposits known as wrack.
These accumulations help to protect and stabilise beaches and coastal dunes by trapping sand and reducing the effects of waves. They therefore act as a natural barrier against erosion and the gradual retreat of the shoreline.
The Posidonia meadows growing beneath the Mediterranean are also among the region’s most valuable marine ecosystems, providing habitats for numerous species and contributing to water quality and carbon storage.
Their protected status means the remains cannot simply be removed whenever local authorities or beach users consider them inconvenient. Permission from the regional government’s Directorate-General for the Natural Environment and Animal Welfare is required, including following exceptional storms that leave large quantities of material on the coast.
The rules require councils to strike a difficult balance between protecting fragile coastal ecosystems and maintaining beaches for public and tourism use. While Posidonia deposits perform an important environmental role, many beachgoers complain that large accumulations restrict access to the water and produce unpleasant odours as they decompose.
The timing of the contract award is likely to attract further criticism because only a limited period remains before the seasonal removal window closes.
Public Awareness Programme
At the same time, Orihuela’s Coastal Department has launched a series of public activities intended to explain the environmental importance of Posidonia and other marine flowering plants.
The council has described the initiative as a participatory project through which residents can learn about and experience the coastal environment.
Its purpose is to provide clear and accessible information about the role played by marine plants in protecting beaches, dunes and seabeds. The programme will also incorporate artistic activities designed to strengthen participants’ connection with the coastline.
The first event, entitled Between Land and Sea: The Hidden World of Seagrasses and Their Traditional Uses, will be held at Campoamor Yacht Club at 7pm on Wednesday.
The talk will be delivered by Professor Diego Rivera Núñez, Professor of Botany in the University of Murcia’s Department of Plant Biology. He will discuss the ecological importance of seagrasses and examine some of the traditional uses associated with the plants.
The programme will continue with Weaving Posidonia, a series of three workshops scheduled to take place at Campoamor Yacht Club between September 21 and 25.
The sessions will combine observation on the shoreline, group discussion and artistic creation centred on Posidonia and its relationship with the marine environment. Through games, observation and the exchange of personal experiences, participants will be encouraged to explore different ways of understanding the coastal landscape.
The project will conclude with the creation of a collective artwork inspired by the structure of Posidonia and its role in stabilising and protecting the seabed.
Participants will use braided natural-fibre rope and pieces of fabric to construct a structure representing the plant’s rhizomes and leaves. The finished work will also incorporate ideas, memories and impressions shared during the workshops.
Participation is free, although advance registration is required through orihuelaturistica.es.
The project involves specialists from several disciplines, including María Ángeles Esteban Abad and Diego Rivera from the Faculty of Biology; Juan Manuel Zaragoza from the Faculty of Philosophy; María Soledad González-Reforma from the Faculty of Fine Arts; and independent artist María Escarabajal Martínez.
