Ceuta (Spain) : protection of port biodiversity

AIVP - There are areas of high ecological value, belonging to the European Natura 2000 Network, within a radius of 3 km in the territory of the Port of Ceuta. Protecting terrestrial and marine biodiversity is a major challenge for the port, which has undertaken various actions to tackle it. The port is also in total agreement with Objective 10 "Protecting biodiversity" of AIVP Agenda 2030, to which it is a signatory. We have therefore arranged an interview to discuss it with Cristina Molina Ferrie, Head of Environment y Jorge Vidal Madrigal, Head of the Conservation, Safety and Environment Division of the Ceuta Port Authority. CEUTA Port Authority has been a member of AIVP since 2019 AIVP – In 2005, the Spanish State Ports organisation established a programme of recommendations to encourage ports to minimise the impact of maritime infrastructure on the water quality in port zones. Can you tell us more about this methodological tool and how you apply it to your infrastructure? Cristina Molina Ferrie ©Port of Ceuta Jorge Vidal Madrigal ©Port of Ceuta Since 2008, Ceuta Port Authority has been carrying out studies and analyses of the water quality in the port area. This work started with the “Ceuta Port Water Quality Study”. The study laid down the basis for the "Sentry Stations" that now exist. Six stations were established, in locations that have been maintained over time, and a methodology has been applied of continuous monitoring of bioindicators, principally macrobenthic components, in order to evaluate their ecological structure, composition and abundance of species, and associations; and also oceanographic values, principally temperature and chlorophyll A in suspension. These studies received a boost in 2009, when a series of Environmental Vigilance Programmes were introduced with the aim of controlling impacts on the environment resulting from dredging and construction operations. Furthermore, in addition to controlling port waters, we started controlling other variables such as microbiological characterisation, turbidity, and shoreline dynamics parameters; and in 2010 we added oceanographic study of physical and chemical variables in both Zone I and Zone II with continuous measurement probes. We also detect points where tipping and pollution are occurring. These actions, carried out constantly to achieve continuous improvement, allowed us to generate a methodological basis on which to start rapid adaptation to the ROM 5.1-13 Maritime Works Recommendations (Quality of shore waters in port areas) as early as 2013. That same year, the port developed a system of UGAPs (Port Water Management Units) based on the methodology described in the Recommendations document, and a cartographical database to which environmental data continue to be added. Since then, the controls described previously have been supplemented by periodic controls of the chemical quality of the water and sediment; and improved equipment has been installed for continuous capture of physical and chemical data. In recent years, our port water quality controls have been more stringent than the ROM recommendations; using remote detection by satellite with very high resolution, we have started control of port waters for parameters like temperature, chlorophyll in suspension and turbidity, and we have added sensors for continuous measurement of dissolved oxygen. Cruise ship moored at the Spanish quay ©Port of Ceuta AIVP – Your organisation has started a programme of "Sentry Stations" to control and monitor port water quality. What are its objectives and contents? The Sentry Stations system consists of the establishment of a pioneering environmental monitoring methodology based on control of bioindicators. These bioindicators include species whose ecological characteristics, uniqueness and sensitivity to disturbance are such as to enable them to demonstrate the conditions existing in the medium. The benthic sampling at each station is based on a count of all the species included in ten sampling squares; five for each zone (photophilic or sciaphilous esciáfica). From these we obtain a series of data which are subjected to statistical analysis at the end of each year. Furthermore we measure the population stability based on the Relative Dominance Index (RDI), which gives a weighting of the losses and gains of the species evaluated in the benthic territory. This…