Publicizing the work of the Oceanogràfic and providing visibility to the work that different organizations and professionals carry out for the conservation of our seas and their biodiversity, has been the connecting element for the Oceanogràfic Foundation, Plastic Free, Springfield and Aqualung to work together in the conservation of the Valencian coastline. The four organizations have defined a roadmap that began with the cleaning of the beach in granadella in Xàbia, and ended with the release of two turtles recovered by the Oceanogràfic Foundation and sponsored by Springfield.
Turtles are indicators of water quality and ecosystem health, but, in addition, they are one of the animals most affected by the problem of plastics dumped in water since, among
other negative effects, they mistake plastic bags for their main food, jellyfish. Thus
Most of the loggerhead turtles that are cured in the Sea Animals Conservation and Recovery Area (ARCA del Mar) carry remains and even plastic objects in their intestines. In addition to ingestion, numerous marine debris can become entangled in their bodies, compromising their mobility and, in many cases, rendering their extremities useless or gangrenous.
The Oceanogràfic de València Foundation takes care of the recovery of all those injured or sick turtles or that are accidentally captured during fishing activities, some of which suffer, as a result of the capture, the decompression syndrome, a condition similar to the diver's disease . The collaborative work between the different groups and institutions allows the animals to reach the Ark of the Sea to be treated by the Oceanogràfic team, work framed within the monitoring of cetaceans and turtles of the Valencian Community, through the Stranding Network, in which the Ministry of the Environment and the University of Valencia also participate. When they regain sufficient health and strength, the chelonians return to the sea in acts that seek to be informative and awareness-raising.
In order to document this initiative, a short documentary has been produced that will be released on May 25 with the launch of the "Tales of the Sea" campaign, and in which the entire project is explained, from the recovery of the turtles, their treatment at the Oceanogràfic and their subsequent release at the Granadella beach once cleaned by volunteers from the Plastic Free organization. In addition, as a continuity action, a GPS tracking of the reptiles will be carried out that will allow them to study their habits.
