Improving resource management of lagoons in the Med
Mar Menor, Spain, is the location of one of the main coastal lagoons in the Mediterranean. It is also the site for an important study which was conducted by European scientists for the DITTY project. The project aim was to study the watershed and to apply appropriate methods to reduce the nutrient loads in the lagoon. The team gathered information on the climate, physico-chemical, biological, hydrological and socio-economic conditions of Mar Menor, which was compiled into a database. Using this information, the team set to work and developed a scientific and operational basis for a sustained and rational utilisation of the available resources. A hydrological model was specifically developed for the Mar Menor watershed. The results also encouraged a closer integration among institutions, policies and administrative units. For the end users, the water management institution, the regional office for the environment and the city council, the research was very useful. It revealed the different perceptions and preferences of different social sectors regarding the main available options and scenarios for the Mar Menor site. In the case of the Water Management Office, these perceptions supported the priority they had given to reducing nutrient loads in the lagoon. The application of a decision support system proved particularly useful for the city council.
