When The Lagoon Ran Out Of Life

My father learned to sail in La Manga del Mar Menor, when the lagoon felt crowded with life. Tons of fish under the surface, seahorses in the shallows, and a coastline where fishing still made sense as an everyday practice. What is missing now is not only particular species, but visibility, oxygenated rhythms, and reliable habitats. Over time, the lagoon became a green landscape. The disappearance was shaped by unevenness between land uses and water life. Intensive agriculture in the surrounding watershed brought fertilizer nutrients into the lagoon, feeding algal and plant growth that can reduce oxygen in the water and trigger mass mortalities. Because of this, the fish die and begin to float on the surface. At the same time, other organisms are proliferating, especially the proliferation of jellyfish, which has been so serious that authorities are installing seasonal nets in some beach areas. Only time will tell whether this beautiful lagoon will one day return to its origins. Will I one day be able to fish in those waters?