Marine biodiversity is critical for life below and above sea level of all species, including ours. After all, water covers about three quarters of the total surface of the globe, and is an essential element to be protected. For this reason BioNike, a dermocosmetics brand, on the occasion of the relaunch of its Defense Sun photoprotection, has
decided to support the Onlus Worldrise association with the “A sea of stars” project which aims to contribute to oceanic reforestation and + carry out defense actions to protect biodiversity and guarantee the health of the Mediterranean Sea.
“The sea – says Monica Previati, biologamarina of Worldrise – is a treasure chest that contains the largest biodiversity on the planet, hosting the smallest animals and the largest ones, creating and transforming new lives, new species, new environments every day, in a perfect equilibrium. The sea is life; we depend on him and he depends on us ».
The initiative provides for the protection and cleaning of the Italian coasts for the year 2022 in order to safeguard the gorgonian forests and their hosts, the starfish. There are two objectives of the project: firstly, identification and photographic geolocation operations will be launched for five different species of starfish, some not well known but of extreme naturalistic importance. “The five species – reads a company note – will accompany us on a journey within the entire Mediterranean basin, starting from the Balzi Rossi Marine Park and Capo Mortola, where we photographed our beautiful stars, up to Tavolara , to promote knowledge of our sea and to remember that marine protected areas are the best place to spot these species, from the Meloria Shoals, to Ustica and the Egadi Islands, to discover biodiversity. Starfish are real sentinels of the health of the sea, yet various aspects of their ecology are still little known and often, given their beauty, many species are affected by fishing for ornamental purposes only. This is why BioNike is committed to safeguarding them so that these marvelous creatures can repopulate our seas ».
Secondly, monitoring and recovery of waste and ghost nets (i.e. lost nets that continue to fish, damaging the seabed) are planned in Capo Mortola and Golfo Aranci, areas densely populated by gorgonians that often remain trapped in waste residues. of plastic floating in the sea. The gorgonians, also known as “sea fans” due to their arborescent shape, are very important animals for our sea, since they form real underwater forests: as well as under the branches of trees in the woods, also under the fan of the gorgonians they find shelter and food hundreds of different species of animals. Thanks to the complex recovery operations of the nets, it will be possible to free these organisms, protecting the immense marine heritage that accompanies them.
With this project, Monica Previati concludes, “we want to surprise, bringing back the wonderful stories that only the sea can tell and that will allow everyone to get to know more about marine biodiversity, its characteristics and its fragility”.