BMW builds the first sea mountain with calcium carbonate, which will become a unique underwater park in the world to protect biodiversity.
More and more car manufacturers are concerned about the environment. Not only with the development of cleaner energy, but also with projects such as that of BMW, which has sunk a mountain of calcium carbonate in the Mediterranean, with the aim of protecting biodiversity.
In this way, BMW demonstrates its commitment to preserving the environment through a unique project: the beaconing, using 10 biotopes or reefs, of the protected area where the first seamount built with calcium carbonate is located, which it will become a unique underwater park in the world, designed to protect the biodiversity of the area.
The German brand has sunk this underwater mountain in the waters of the port of Torredembarra, in Tarragona. With a base of 100 meters in diameter, it occupies an area larger than that of a football field, reaches 20 meters in height and has a volume of 35,000 cubic meters.
Why BMW has sunk a mountain of calcium carbonate
The BMW project, which has the support of Natural Art Reef, is also the first time that biotopes or reefs will be used as anchoring systems, replacing anchors, to facilitate the mooring of boats and therefore protect the sea bottom.
Biotopes or reefs are structures made of natural materials that allow them to blend in with the biological processes that occur in the marine environment. Placed in the protected space and delimiting the mountain, they will be key elements for the conservation of the Mediterranean marine ecosystem.
The project has also had the collaboration of various institutions, such as the Port of Torredembarra and the Tarragona City Council, the fishermen’s association, the maritime captain’s office, the PADI diving agency and various environmental and research organizations.
Objective: preserve the Mediterranean
The BMW calcium carbonate mountain has a clear objective, which is the conservation of the Mediterranean Sea, one of the most important and diverse seas in terms of its fauna and flora.
According to the United Nations Environment Program, the Mediterranean is home to more than 17,000 marine species and a wide variety of ecosystems. However, its situation, like that of other seas, has deteriorated in recent years due to various factors.
On the one hand, invasive species have had a negative effect on native fauna. On the other, overfishing has reduced the population of certain species by 30%. And other aspects cannot be forgotten, such as the urbanization of coastal areas and the advance of the climate crisis.
The seamount aims to act as a natural lung and home for marine species, as well as promote the conservation of the Mediterranean Sea ecosystem, a vital asset for Spain in socioeconomic terms and of great value in terms of marine biodiversity.
