Ever wondered if the seas around Ibiza had a nice bottom? Well wonder no more because boffins from the Marine Geology Group of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography have just completed a relief map of the seabed.
After 4 years hard labour sailing round the Mediterranean in a survey ship, the resulting1:500,000 scale map shows some very interesting features indeed. At more than a kilometre deep the area to the west of Ibiza has volcanoes and huge earth faults, whilst to the east there are two enormous mountains and sub marine canyons.
One of the main uses for the new map will be to help the Balearic Government to preserve the marine grass (Posidonia) prairies which are currently under threat from an invasion force of an evil seaweed called Caulerpa Taxifolia. The Posidonia is vital to the marine ecology and environment of Ibiza and so any measure which helps to preserve its existence, such as the new map, is seen as vitally important.