French Mediterranean water is cleaner than it has been for 40 years

The Mediterranean sea is healthier than at any time in the past 40 years according to a report by the l’agence de l’eau Rhône Méditerranée Corse, in its study of the genetic material found in water.

In particular, Posidonia oceanica, a type of seagrass known as the ‘lungs of the sea’, has made a remarkable recovery in recent years due to a €4.8m annual budget to protect it, better education on how to not damage it, and better treatment of wastewater. 

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Pierre Boissery, of the agence de l’eau, said: “The indicators are evolving positively. 

“There are far fewer contaminants detected in the water and we are well below European thresholds. Some species of aquatic plants and fish are progressing nicely and the concentration of microplastics has significantly diminished, by up to 80% in some areas of the coast.”

“Of course, that does not mean the work is complete. If we compare it to a human body, if you are ill or unfit and you become healthier, you still need to put in the work to stay healthy.”

The study was performed in conjunction with a number of other organisations using a non-invasive technique called environmental DNA, which investigates the genetic material shed in water.

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Comparing the results from 1980, when Jacques Cousteau told the UN the sea risked becoming lifeless, is “only positive”, he said. 

The progress made towards cleaner seas looks set to continue after the EU passed a law requiring states to bolster measures to ‘restore nature’ and re-establish fragile ecosystems by 2030.

For Mr Boissery, the biggest risks for the future of the Mediterranean are linked to human activity. Pollution is a more manageable problem because it is solvable by cutting it off at the source, even if it takes decades, but we do not yet know how to fix damage to ecosystems caused by human activity, which can be “irreversible”.

“It is essential to have rules about cohabiting with biodiversity in marine environments, perhaps even more so than on land, where people are more sensitive to the topic,” he said.