The Island Council of Menorca, in collaboration with the Balearic Government, has launched a pioneering technological system to protect the island’s Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows. In addition to the existing five patrol boats, the service now incorporates a long-range drone and a state-of-the-art underwater robot, designed to monitor illegal anchoring and assess the condition of the coastline and seabed.

The main mission of the program is to enforce the ban on anchoring over seagrass meadows, inform vessels navigating the area, and provide guidance to larger boats to prevent damage to this vital Mediterranean ecosystem.

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Menorca strengthens seagrass protection with drone surveillance and an underwater robot

During a presentation in Fornells, the Minister for the Sea and Water Cycle, Juan Manuel Lafuente, and the President of the Island Council of Menorca, Adolfo Vilafranca, unveiled the new resources alongside the technical team. The drone will patrol the coast for ten hours a day, detecting irregular anchoring, monitoring nautical charter activity, and supervising beaches and buoy fields.

The underwater robot, CHASING M2 PRO ROV, is capable of inspecting docks, breakwaters, and seagrass meadows at depths of up to 300 meters, capturing high-resolution images and streaming real-time data, with maximum accuracy ensured by its USBL acoustic positioning system.

“This reinforcement marks a decisive step in safeguarding the seagrass and the marine environment as a whole,” said Vilafranca, highlighting the importance of joint institutional efforts to preserve Menorca as a Biosphere Reserve.