The Balearic Sea is once again the protagonist in the networks of National Geographic Spain, which has published a selection of underwater and coastal photographs taken as part of the MARE contest, promoted by the Marilles Foundation to promote the conservation of this ecosystem.
The carousel of images shows scenes of great visual impact: a turtle trapped in fishing nets, an example of the danger of accidental capture; another turtle next to a plastic bottle in the Jávea-Ibiza channel, a symbol of marine pollution; or the so-called “monsters” of the coast: plastic buried in the sand of Ibiza, which become a silent threat to wildlife.
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The piece also includes the image of the blue crab, an invasive species that has spread throughout the Mediterranean and poses a risk to local biodiversity; photographs of Acetabularia algae, essential for oxygenating the water; and scenes showing the mouth hatching of fish or the presence of squid, indicators of healthy ecosystems but pressured by pollution and climate change.
A contest that unites art and conservation
All images are part of MARE, Audiovisual Contest for the Conservation of the Balearic Sea, a photography and video contest that since 2020 invites professionals and amateurs to portray the beauty and threats of the sea surrounding the islands.
The project, coordinated by the Marilles Foundation together with entities from the four islands, has been consolidated in its first five editions as one of the reference events on the Balearic Sea, with thousands of images submitted and traveling exhibitions throughout the archipelago.
The organization recalls that the objective of MARE is not only to reward good photos, but to “awaken consciences” and generate a tide of collective action in defense of the Balearic Sea, one of the richest in the Mediterranean but also under great pressure from tourism, fishing and navigation.
