Coastal waters and Tenerife's seabed are fragile areas which require special protection and care.

How can you help to protect these areas?

It is very simple; all you need to do to help in the conservation of Tenerife's seabed is to follow a series of recommendations.

Rocky areas covered with algae are an essential part of marine ecosystems. "Grazing" on the rock surfaces we find herbivores, such as the Mediterranean parrotfish (Sparisoma cretense), the salema porgy (Sarpa salpa), and the emerald wrasse (Centrolabrus trutta), amongst others. The many tiny organisms that grow here constitute the first level of the marine food chain. Seabeds are ideal breeding grounds for many species of juvenile fish and macroinvertebrates, such as starfish and trumpet shells.

Unfortunately, because of the volcanic nature of the Canary Islands, Tenerife has very little continental shelf and the seabed is characterised by steep slopes. It is therefore important that we take special care of the very few areas around the island where sea life can flourish.

Dangers

• Human intervention: Today humans are responsible for upsetting the balance required for sea life to flourish. In fact, the increase in population in the Canary Islands and the resources that we have available to us today has led to overfishing. We are gradually seeing less and less of species such as the redbanded sea bream (Pagrus auriga), the grey triggerfish (Balistes carolinensis), the zebra sea bream (Diplodus cervinus), and the barred hogfish (Bodianus scrofa), as well as non-commercial species such as the spotfin burrfish (Chilomycterus reticulatus), star fish, trumpet shells and other types of shell fish, which are being collected for ornamental uses.
• Illegal fishing: Unauthorised fishing methods, such as using explosives, poison and nets, and the indiscriminate use of pots, trammels and longlines deplete commercial fish species, as well as non-commercial species (bandtail chromis, ornate wrasse, puffer fish); and all these species are vital for the proper functioning of the ecosystem. Last but not least, we must not forget to mention the problem of uncontrolled dumping of waste.

Solutions

The best way to address this problem is by monitoring professional and amateur fishing, protecting natural predators, not only those of commercial value, but also those that directly or indirectly help keep sea urchin populations in check.