More than 90% of key nutrients degrading the Mar Menor lagoon come from recirculated underground flows

More than 90% of key nutrients degrading the Mar Menor lagoon come from recirculated underground flows

More than 90% of the key nutrients degrading the Mar Menor, such as ammonium, phosphorus and silica, do not come from streams or continental groundwater, but rather through a mechanism that has so far been overlooked: Water from the lagoon itself infiltrates the sediments and re-emerges loaded with nutrients that have accumulated over years. This is the conclusion of a recent study carried out by the Institute of Environmental Science and Techno…

Over 90% of Mar Menor nutrient pollution stems from underground water flows

A groundbreaking study led by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) reveals a previously overlooked source of nutrient pollution driving the persistent ecological decline of the Mar Menor lagoon in southeastern Spain. Contrary to long-standing assumptions that agricultural runoff via surface streams is the primary culprit, over 90% of key degrading nutrients such as ammonium, ph…