Today is World Wetlands Day, the day the Ramsar Convention was signed to protect wetlands. They are fragile ecosystems that can easily be affected by human activities, such as drainage, development or the clearing of coastal forests, the construction of hydropower plants on rivers, etc.
Bulgaria is on the List of World Wetlands with 11 wetlands - Ramsar Sites - Pomorie Lake, Lake Atanasovsko, Lake Vaya, Poda, Dragomansko Bog, Belene Islands Complex, Durankulak Lake, Ibisha Island, Shabla Lake, Ropotamo Complex and Srebarna.
35% of the world's wetlands have disappeared in the last 50 years - World Wetlands Day appeals - Time to restore wetlands is the motto of this year's celebrations. The Lagoon of Life project team is preparing a special video on the topic, about the restoration work it has been carrying out in Lake Atanasovsko in recent years.
Wetlands are a source of resources such as freshwater, fish, reeds, salt, medicinal mud, etc., but on the other hand, they are particularly important for the conservation of the plants and animals that inhabit them, as well as biodiversity in general.
The role of these areas in relation to climate change has increased recently. Seagrass meadows are some of the most productive ecosystems. They are found in temperate and tropical zones, in the continental shelves and lagoons. They strengthen the seabed, reduce erosion, purify and oxygenate the water, and provide homes and food for many crustaceans, molluscs, insects and fish. Their seeds are rich in protein and carbohydrates and are a great alternative to industrially grown crops such as rice.
Seagrass meadows are true champions of carbon capture and storage. They occupy only 0.2% of the seabedb but capture and hold over 10% of the carbon in the oceans. They sequester twice as much carbon as tropical forests per unit area and do it up to 35 times faster.
We present you our video about seagrasses in Lake Atanasovsko, prepared by Alexander Nikolov, BBF and Spas Uzunov, BBF.
