Residents of La Mamola (Polopos) awoke this week to find their beach covered with Asian seaweed, which is a problematic, invasive species.

The invasive species of Asian seaweed normally grows in deep water (200m) but trawlers bring it up in their nets or break it free from the seabed where it begins to drift.

This seaweed has the Latin name of Rugulopteryx Okamurae, named after a Japanese phycologist (expert in seaweed). It was first found off the coast of France in 2002 and is considered an invasive species that is causing quite a problem.

Marine  biologists at the University of Granada have been warning for several years about its existence amongst submerged rocks off La Rábita, Castell and Almuñécar.

Last year, a gale left traces of it on Velilla Beach in Almuñécar but it wasn’t until now that such a vast amount has appered on a Costa Tropical beach: La Mamola beach is covered with it.

The Mayor, Matías González gave orders to the Maintenance Department to clear it up: “a layer of about 40cm appeared and it is a problem, but it will have to be removed  by hand because we can’t get machinery onto the beach in its present state.”

Experts at the university suggest that the administrations provide funds so that fishing  boats can bring it into Motril Port and dispose of it there.

We published an article on this in October, 2019, which you can read by following this link.

(News:La Mamola, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia – Photo: Pilar García-Trevijano/Ideal)