UNEP - Restoring Spain’s Mar Menor

Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon, the Mar Menor in southeastern Spain, has been pushed to the brink by decades of pollution from intensive farming, mining, and urban development. Once a thriving ecosystem, the lagoon suffered catastrophic fish die-offs and the collapse of its seagrass meadows after years of nutrient overload and neglect.

Public outrage has transformed the Mar Menor into a symbol of environmental justice. Massive protests and a petition of over half a million signatures led to a historic law granting the lagoon legal personhood — the first of its kind in Europe.

Now, Spain’s biggest-ever ecosystem restoration plan aims to tackle the root causes of the crisis. Experts say recovery will take decades, but if successful, it could offer a blueprint for a more sustainable and legally protected future for ecosystems across the continent.

• DP / Director / Editor: Thomas Cristofoletti

• Producer: Ricardo Solero Perez

• Photos: Todd Brown

• Executive producers: Florian Fussstetter and Ann-Kathrin Neureuther

• Series producer: Todd Brown

• Associate Producer: Lucía Gonzales Martinez