Beneath the calm of one of Europe's largest saltwater lagoons, whose coastline stretches some 70 kilometres (45 miles), a toxic storm has long been brewing, the product of years of nutrient pollution from intensive agriculture and rampant urban development. Nobody thought such a thing could happen in Mar Menor, but the scientific community had been warning about it for decades, Esparza said, describing it as "the chronicle of a death foretold." However Miriam Perez (above), the regional official in charge of the Mar Menor, dismissed the allegation, pointing to eight emergency measures to protect, monitor and regenerate the lagoon. "We are confident the Mar Menor will recover," she told AFP. For the Mar Menor, that means reducing the pace of regional economic development and intensive agriculture to lower nitrate flows, WWF's Esparza said.

Source: The Local December 03, 2019 04:07 UTC